Sorry. Pelley parents rushed to the school after getting robocalls that there had been a shooting. At 9 30 this Morning Police say a gunman, identified as 20yearold adam lanza, opened fire in a kindergarten classroom where his mother was the teacher. Some of her students were among the 20 children killed. In all, 26 people were killed at the school, including the school principal. The police say the gunman then took his own life and later his mother was found dead in her home a few miles away. The motive for the shootings is not known. The investigation is just beginning, but the president said one thing is certain. Were going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this regardless of the politics. Pelley we have a team of cbs news correspondents and producers on this stilldeveloping story. First, jim axelrod here in newtown on how it all began. Reporter the school day had just started when the first calls came into police. Reporter eightyearold bear nikitchyuk had turned in his third grade classrooms attendance list seconds before. I saw some of the bullets going past the hall that i was right next to and then a teacher pulled me into her classroom. Reporter the children describe the sound as pans falling. One heard a scream over the intercom. Teachers locked the classroom and crowded their students into corners away from doors and windows. I was, like, afraid when we had to go to our cubbies. And we had and every door in the building except for the ones in the hallway had to close so and we had to lock our doors so the animal couldnt get in. Reporter some children hid in closets. Police say the shooting rampage was restrictestricted twototw. Reporter as swat teams surrounded the school, state troopers moved students to safety. Some children were told to close their eyes to protect them from seeing the carnage. Newtown police immediately upon arrival entered the school and began a complete act i shooter search of the building. That included checking every door, every crack, every kr efist have, every portion of that school. Reporter inside they found the gunman dead from a selfinflicted wound. Outside parents were desperate for information. They didnt tell us anything, only what she know which is i dont know if thats accurate so we dont have any information. I dont know. Reporter parents cradled their children to protect them from the december cold and the shock of the shooting. Some were directed to the fire house to be reunited with their children. Others were pulled aside to a separate room. Maureen kerins is a nurse. All i can say that one of the cops said it was the worst thing hed ever seen in his entire career but it was when they told the parents, all these parents were waiting for their children to come out, they thought that they were still alive. There was 20 parents that were just told that their children are dead. It was awful. Reporter one sixyearold boy who was in a classroom when the gunman came in and shot the teacher has told his father that as all of this was unfolding at this Elementary School down the road, the shooter, scott, never said a word. Pelley jim, thank you. Police tell us, as jim said, that that silent man was the son of one of the teachers. Justice correspondent bob orr has been talking to his sources about what we know about him so far. Bob . Reporter scott, police tell us that its clear the gunman was on a mission to kill as many people as possible. He took at least three guns, multiple magazines of ammunition to target a defenseless were not even putting a time stamp on this as to when we will complete this project. Reporter sources say lanza died of a selfinflicted gunshot inside the school, but investigators suspect he may have intended to carry out a broader attack. A third gun, a. 223 assault rifle, was found outside the school in the back of his mothers car. Its similar to the type of gun used in the shooting on tuesday at a phalg outside of portland, oregon. Now, lanzas older brother ryan is still being questioned by police who want to know what he might have known about that attack. Sources say at this point and they emphasize at this point hes not a suspect. Investigators say they believe the killing spree began at the home adam lanza shared with his mother who, as we told you, was a Kindergarten Teacher at sandy hill because, scott, Service Found dead in the home. Pelley bob, thank you. Cbs news Senior Correspondent john miller is a former assistant director of the f. B. I. And john has been talking to his Law Enforcement sources today. John, there have now been two deadly shootings this week, the other at a Shopping Mall in oregon earlier. Including the one there, what have we learned from them this week . Well, this is the kind of thing, scott, that always puts the profilers who study the offender characteristics of these shooters on alert. Theyre worried about what they call the werther effect. Its a copy cat mechanism and they say their studies show its particularly powerful effect on adolescents. So in a case where youll see someone commit suicide in a high school, its not unusual to see two or three more in a cycle like that. But they also say in this active shooter scenario that happened. So what they believe is its entirely possible that the oregon incident that most of us found disturbing and troubling, an individual like this might have found that challenging to not just imitate it but to go forward with his plan. They also observed that the fact that he killed his mother and then went about the other crimes, we believe he killed his mother at the house, shows that this was planned out from the beginning. So that this was a calculated crime. We end to think of these offenders as being crazy. It doesnt mean theyre not disturbed, but they are rational enough to act out these plans even under tremendous pressure and during the chaos of their own actions to stick with that plan. Pelley john, thank you. One of the parents who rushed to the school is richard willford, when he arrived there the police told him to come to this fire station to see if he could find his sevenyearold son richie among the survivors. He swoebg to wilford a short time ago. We jumped out of the car, we wednesday towards the school as close as we could get. My wife interfaced with a Police Officer who told us that the evacuated kids were in the Sandy Hook Fire Department and that we could go there to rendezvous with them. We immediately went in, i want to say we located richie in about two minutes once we came in. We looked around. There he was. What an amazing moment to after going through the here is terror of that to see my son alive. Pelley what was that moment like when you spotted him in the fire house. To try to describe it with words would probably be inadequate. However i would use words like joy elation relief. Until youve been through it its perhaps hard to explain. But it was it was an amazing moment. I hugged him. It was it was just great. Pelley what was that moment like when you were turned away from the school and sent to the fire house. You were essentially being sent to find out whether your son had survived. You didnt know. That is correct. The terror does not stop until you reunite with your child. Period. Theres nothing it doesnt matter where they point know. Until i see my child, its still here is terror until that moment. Pelley you are one of the luckiest people in this town. I would say so, absolutely. Absolutely blessed to have what tonight unfortunately some people are not enjoying what i have right now. And thats painful. Because theyre members of my community and i cant imagine what their pain is like today. Pelley the trauma unit at the hospital in danbury, connecticut, about ten miles away, was immediately mobilized. Three victims were taken there and the doctors were read ready to help more, but no more wounded came. Jeff glor is at the hospital. Reporter scott, two of the children who were taken here died. Its our understanding that one patient is still being treated tonight. When this happened, they had four trauma teams ready but, as you mentioned, one of the most heartbreaking realizations here is that the hospital realized most of the victims would never even leave the school. We spoke with dr. John murphy, who was coordinating coverage this morning. Well, i was in the emergency room when we got the call that there would not be any more victims coming. And that was a devastating call to get and the room fell silent when we shared the news and there was a moment of deep grief recognizing what that meant. Reporter that most of the victims couldnt be saved. Thats correct. Reporter scott, this is the main hospital in a small town so theyre not only dealing with the fact that they were treating these victims but that many hospital employees knew the families and knew some of the children involved. The hospital has been Offering Counseling to both employees and families all day. Pelley jeff, thank you. President obama addressed the nation and at one point he was overcome by the thought of the loss of victims so young. Major garrett is at the white house for us tonight. Major . Reporter scott, the grim news of this shooting began rippling through the white house about 10 30 a. M. When the president first learned of the tragedy. The oval Office Briefing from Homeland Security advisor john brennan alerted the president to the magnitude and the horror of the details to come. About five hours later, when the president appeared in the briefing room, the characteristic bounce in his step was gone and the nation learned this tragedy hit the president like no other. I know theres not a parent in america who doesnt feel the same overwhelming grief that i do. The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of five and ten years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them birthdays, graduations, wedding, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today. Reporter the president also said the nation has endured too many of these Mass Shootings and for the first time in his presidency he said washington must take meaningful action to prevent similar atrocities. As the president spoke his press secretary jay carney and white house chief of staff sat feet away clutching each others hands, tears welling in their eyes. Pelley major, thank you. Well be hearing from more of the parents here in newtown, connecticut, whs cbs evening news continues. To the best vacation spot on earth. all the gulf it doesnt matter which of our great states folks visit. Mississippi, alabama, louisia or florida, theyre gonna love it. Shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. Thanks, karen. Love your mississippi outdoors. I vote for your florida beaches, dawn. Bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. Were having such a great year on the gulf, weve decided to put aside our rivalry. Now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. 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Of course, everyone did. Michelle miller met some of them today. We just ran to the fire station and we didnt really even know what we were finding at the fire station, if it was children, if it was adults telling us when we could get our children. Reporter Melissa Makris was among hundreds of parents desperate to find their children. We went in and you just saw lots and lots of kids and crying and parents and you just search for your childs teacher, for your childs face and i heard mommy, mommy. And there he was sitting there waiting for us. Reporter makriss tenyearold son phillip was in the school gym when the shooting began. My son says that those teachers gathered them in a corner and kept them safe. Reporter so the teachers are the heroes of today . Absolutely. They did i was a teacher before i became a mom and you always wonder are you going to do what you need to do to protect your kids and those teachers did. Phillip describes being pushed in a corner and they kept them safe there and when the Police Officers came in and said run, run to the fire station they ran and that school should be very proud. That principal would be very proud. Reporter makris says her son doesnt understand what happened today and shes not ready to tell him. Not yet. Its why she didnt want us to show him on camera. We got a miracle. My little boy is okay. And theres a lot of parents tonight that have not gotten that miracle. Reporter what would you say to parents in this community who lost their children. There are no words. There are no words. We have our children and want to raise them and love them and were not equipped for this. You dont lose your children. And i get to put my kids to bed tonight and im very lucky. Reporter Melissa Makris told us shes taking her son and the rest of her family and shes leaving town for the weekend, if not for longer. Scott, there were so many people whose children didnt even go to this school who are still reeling. We saw a woman as she watched her daughter get off the bus, she grabbed her, she hyperventilated, she started crying. And that is the test. They say this used to be a place where they they felt their kids were safe, but tonight they say newtown will never be the same. Pelley thanks, michelle. A lot of parents will put their children to bed with a tear in their eye tonight. What happened today seems beyond imagination and yet the police do extensive training for just this kind of thing. Well have a story in just a moment. The usual, bob . Not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib Atrial Fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. I dont think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. But not anymore. 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Aids is strong. Aids is strong. But we are stronger. And aids. Aids is going to lose. Aids is going to lose. Aids is going to lose. Aids is going to lose. Pelley the horror here in newtown, connecticut, brought back memories of the 1999 columbine shoot this is colorado. Then two students killed 12 schoolmates and a teacher. That attack forced police to rethink their response to School Shootings. And we asked Wyatt Andrews to tell us how those Police Tactics have changed. Reporter when the police first arrived at the sandy hook school, their Standing Orders were, without hesitation, to go straight inside and confront the gunman. Connecticut state Police Lieutenant paul vance. Newtown police immediately upon arrival entered the school and began a complete active shooter search of the building. That included checking every door, every crack, sr ef visio, every portion of that school. Reporter that phrase begin active search means do not wait. Its a reaction to the columbine massacre 13 years ago when dozens of officers waited 46 minutes outside as the shooting continued and at least one victim bled to death. Captain drew tracey, then with the Montgomery County police in maryland, was incensed by columbine and helped invent the active shooter tactics used today. We have to go where we hear the sounds of shoots, we have to go where the broken glass is, where we see the casings on the ground, but we need to corner that threat so that individual or individual cans not take more lives. Reporter now the mindset is, in the minds of the police, not one more victim. Exactly. Reporter after