Captioning sponsored by Macneil Lehrer productions earlier today a number of our citizens, beautiful children, had their life taken way from them. Woodruff a horrific shooting at a grade school in connecticut today left at least 27 people dead, most of them young children. Good evening. Im judy woodruff. Warner and im margaret warner. On the newshour tonight, we have the latest on the massacre, one of the worst mass killings in world history. Woodruff today brings back memories of past shootings, and revives the conversation about School Safety and how to talk to children about violence, subjects we address once again tonight. Warner then, ray suarez profiles three young immigrants the u. S. Illegally and seeking a reprieve from deportation. My values and customs are now american. So, you know, the idea of getting kicked out to korea and never come back to the u. S. , i just cant even imagine this woodruff mark shields and david brooks analyze the weeks news. Warner and we examine the growing turmoil in egypt on the eve of a referendum vote on a new constitution. One of the major has been one betweenslus and nonover the future of egypt and the character of the nation woodruff thats all ahead on tonights newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by bnsf. Support also comes from Carnegie Corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what Andrew Carnegie called real and permanent good. Celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie. Org. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And friends of the newshour. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff a gunman at a school, mass casualties, and emergency crews the scene was eerily familiar and, once again, horrifying. This te, tragedy struck at gradschool in a small connecticut town. 20 of the 27 dead are children. We begin our coverage with president obamas emotional address to the nation this afternoon. Weve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time i learn the news, i react not as a president but as anybody else would, as a parent. And that was especially true today. 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 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, 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. For the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children. And for the family its of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well. For as blessed as they are to have their Children Home tonight, they know that their childrens innocence has been torn away from them too early and there are no words that will ease their pain. As a country we have been through this too many times. Whether its a Elementary School in newtown or a Shopping Mall in oregon, or a temp el in wisconsin, or a movie these never aurora or a Street Corner in chicago, these neighborhoods are ou neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And were going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. This evening michelle and i will do what i know every parent in america will do which is have our children a little tighter, and well tell them that we love them. And well remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in connecticut without can to the do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come that Community Needs us to be at our best as americans, and i will do everything in my power as president to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need, to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures notust i their memories but also in ours. May god bless the memory of the victims. And in the word its of scripture, heal the broken hearted, and bind up their wounds. Woodruff ray suarez reports on how the day unfolded. Suarez the 911 call from the school came shortly after 9 30 this morning, and Law Enforcement officers, including local and state police, as well as agents from the fbi and the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms, were quickly on the scene. At an afternoon news conference, Connecticut State Police lieutenant paul vance detailed how officials proceeded once they arrived. On and off Duty Police Officers responded to the school, with 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, every crevice, every portion of that school. Suarez vance also confirmed that there were multiple people dead inside the school, including the suspected gunman. There were several fatalities at the scene, both students and staff. There is no information relative to that being released at this time until weve made complete and proper notification. The shooter is deceased inside the building. There is a great deal of work that is undertaken immediately upon locating the shooter. Suarez a Law Enforcement officer told the Associated Press the alleged gunman was a 20yearold, adam lanza, whose mother was a teacher at the school. She is reportedly one of the victims of the rampage. There were also reports the gunman died of selfinflicted gunshot wounds, and that his older brother is being questioned by authorities. The school, sandy hook elementary, is home to children from kindergarten through fourth grade. The violent episode shook students and their families in the small newtown community, 65 miles northeast of new york city. We were running really quick, so then we got to the firehouse and we sat in our classes, and i am really happy we are out alive. It doesnt even seem real, it just does not seem like its even possible. You read it in the paper or see it in the news, and youre like, oh, my god, that poor family. And then, you have something happen so close to home, its like. I think im still in shock, to honest with you. Suarez and connticut Governor Dannel Malloy addressed the shooting late this afternoon. You can never be prepared for this kind of incident. What has happened, what has transpired at that School Building will leave a mark on this community and every family impacted. Suarez todays occurrence in connecticut is the latest mass shooting this year. Most notably, in july, a gunman opened fire at a midnight screening of the latest batman movie, killing 12 and wounding 58. Todays School Attack ranks as the second deadliest crime of its kind in american history, only behind the Virginia Tech shootings, with 32 dead, in 2007. The Associated Press sid the gunmans brother is cooperating and not believed to have any questions. Ap also said three guns were found, pooh pistols including a glock and. 223 rifle in the back of a car. For more to a reporter who has been at the school and on the scene today. Craig lemoult is with wshu public radio in fairfield, connecticut. I spoke with him a short time ago from newtown. Craig lemoult, thank you for joining us. I understand you went to the sandy hook Elementary School today after the shooting. Tell us about it. Yeah, i did go this morning. Where i got was actually to, there is a fire station just around the corner from the sandy hook Elementary School that they were using as a staging area for parents to come. I got there as a lot of parents wer arriving and trying to get to where their kids are. And there was, i wouldnt call it a panic but there was a lot of concerned parents. And i saw a lot of relieved faces as they got there and saw their kids were safe. Warner did you get an opportunity to talk to any of the parents or any of the children . I did, yes. I spoke to a couple kids and to their parents. The children told me that they were in class doing just ode things, just like they ordinarily would. And they started hearing some banging. And the teachers told them that itas a lockdown. I was tually, got to say, surprised that kids knew what a lockdown was, that is a sad statement. They practiced this before. And they all raced into a coatroom before they were ultimately evacuated from the building. I spoke to other people who witnessed children being carried out of the building. And the parents that i spoke to basically were just remarkably relieved and terribly surprised that Something Like this could happen in what really is a very quiet town. Warner i know that right nowven as we speak everything, a lot of new information keeps coming inment but what you can tell us about the suspected shoot ever who has been identified in some report of this 20yearold lanza. We have confirmed that the shooter was the son of one of the teachers. There are names going around that are being reported. The officials have not identified the shooter or any of the victims yet. Officially. So i am not at liberty to say. But what the name of the shooter was but we have nfirmed th it wasthe son of the one of the teachers. Also officials, state police are confirming that there was another there was another fatality, another homicide in sandy hook today. And they do believe, of course, that that is related. Warner and then what can you tell us about newtown, one of the fathers said he couldnt believe Something Like this would happen in a small town like newtown. Yeah. Its a small, close knit community. And in a really quiet part of thetate. You know. s a suburb but its almost really more rural. And you know, i talked to a Police Official here who was asked when the last murder in this part of town was, in newtown or sandy hook. And he couldnt remember. He couldnt remember the last time. He said it had to have been more than ten years since there had been a murder in this town. Warner craig lemoult, thank you very much, from the npr affiliate in fairfield, connecticut, thank you. Woodruff now, we turn to just some of the many questions being asked about safety, security, and helping children cope in the wake theragedy. Sthen ock a pfess of School Psychology at California State University in sacramento. Hes a member of an Emergency Assistance team for the National Association of school psychologists. Dewey cornell is director of the Youth Violence project at the university of virginia. He is a forensic clinical psychologist. We hope to be joined by mo canady is the executive director of the National Association of School Resource officials, which works on school based policing and secury. For now i want to welcome both Stephen Brock and Dewey Cornell. I will start with you Stephen Brock. Youve dealt with this sort of thing before. What was your reaction when you heard this today . Well, as a school psychologist, as a father, as a person who is no stranger to this kind of loss t was quite simply devastating. Just a very sad day. Warner and Dewey Cornell. Terrible tragedy and very frustrating that we werent able to prevent this. Let me stay with you, Dewey Cornell, you have as he said wked wi this sort of thing. People look at this and think how could it happen. What do you say when your friends, your colleagues, people who know the work you do, how do you answer that question . Well, the first thing i try to point out is that calling this a School Shooting is a bit of a misnomer. It is a mass shotting that happened to occur in a school. Schools are very safe places. We know objectively that students are safer in school than almost anyplace else. But whats really critical is to understand the relationship between the shooter and the victims. We look for ways to prevent these types of shooting through two key factors. Mental Health Issues that maybe present in the shooter. Again in this case its too early to say and also some kind of interpersonal conflict that was overwhelming to the individual. We really can prevent School Shoots and other types of mass casualty shootings. But weve got to think about earlier prevention. Prevention has to start long before theres a gunman in the parking lot. Prevention has to start with Mental Health services and resources in the community to resolve problems and difficulties that people have long before they escalate into a serious violent situation. And Stephen Brock we know that in many instances that prevention is taking place. But its not happening often enough because so often these shootings occur and it is typically a young man in his late teens or early 20s, a troubled young person. Why arent why isnt, why arent communities reaching these people and what more needs tbe done . Wellagain, i would go back to what dr. Cornell just mentioned. These events are, in fact, objectively very rare in occurrence. Its like looking for a needle in a haystack. I think were doing a lot. We could do more. One of these events is clearly one too many. But again i would like to go back to what dr. Cornell just mentioned. These events are extraordinarily rare. And objectively schools are very safe places. Reporter and they normally are. And with that, that note, let me bringn mo canady with the National Association of School Resource officials. You are joining us now. Tell us what, how safe are public Elementary Schools in this country . So many parents have to be asking that question tonight. Well, in general i think theyre very safe and the comments that youve already heart regarding, you know, the nature of these type incidents that they dont occur very often. Of course when they do, theyre very high impact. I think that across the Country School officials overall do a very good job of working hard to maintain safe school environments. It doesnt mean its perfect and it certainly doesnt mean that anyone is going to be 100 safe. However, you know, as todays tragedy shows us, it can happen anywhere. Well, staying with you, mo canady, we know that today we were hearing that the school had a buzzin system. That there was somebody there checking people who came in. Still this young man was still able to get in there, reportedly the son of one of he teache. At is it that schls could be doing, should be doing to prevent Something Else like this as rare as it is. Well, and certainly theres no way to say that they were not doing the right thing today. It sounds like they probably were. Just from what i can tell. But you know, the buzzin entry system certainly are effective especially in Elementary Schools. But theyre only as effective as the person that is manning that system. But the other issue, of course, is the perimetr serity of the building. Its one of the painstaking things that has to take place but someone or some people need to be responsible to make sure that all of those perimetre doors are always secure during the day. And thats really difficult especially with children having the propensity to open those doors. Sometimes for people they dont even know. Well, is there typically a different Security System at an Elementary School. This was a kindergarten through fourth grade school than there would be say at a high school . You know, i dont know hat there is anything that i would really say is typical from what i have seen. But at the same time you do see a lot of the buzz or camera type Entry Systems at Elementary Schools. One of the things that were beginning to see at more schools from k through 12 are Visitor Management entry type systems. In other words, where the person coming in has to check in with the front desk, has to present an i. D. And has to be cleared to go into the building. Of course the gunman w enters, that is a whole different set of circumstances. And Dewey Cornell coming back to you in your comment a minute ago about the need to identify troubled individuals earlier on, you know, again, weve had this. Weve seen it happen. The aurora colorado shooting, columbine years before that, what happened recently in washington state. It happened every part of the country. What more do people tonight as they go home and have dinner with their families and as they talk to their children, what more do we need to be doing . Well, we cant turn our schools into fortresses. We cant turn movie theatres into fortresses or Shopping Malls into the fortresses. Weve got to think about prevention as something thats done far earlier. When there are conflicts, when there are troubled indivi