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CNN Newsroom

Reporting on Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

Aired December 14, 2012 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, everyone, I am Ashleigh Banfield and we are following breaking news in Newtown, Connecticut, a small town midway between Stanford and Hartford.

If you know southwest Connecticut, this is off-the-grid somewhat. It is quite a ways away. We are following this report that there has been a shooting at an elementary school, an elementary school named Sandy Hook.

Very few details, one photograph to share with you right now as crews rush to the scene. Police, also, rushing to the scene.

Let me bring in my colleague, Jason Carroll, who has been working his sources, as well, to find out some of the latest details in what we know. What do we know?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's a disturbing story that we're getting here, Ashleigh.

Again, the shooting happening at Sandy Hook Elementary School, apparently on Dickerson Drive. This coming to us from one of our affiliates there in Connecticut.

Police, they say, are reporting a number of injuries. The nature of the injuries at this point are unclear. Of course, we're going to be checking that throughout the morning.

State police sources say that one shooter is dead. This is according to one of our affiliates there in Connecticut. Earlier reports of a second shooter, that has not been confirmed at this point.

A few more details that we're getting in, again, from Connecticut. Apparently the shooting was reported shortly after 9:40 a.m. this morning. Police reported that a shooter was in the -- apparently in the main office of the school.

BANFIELD: Which is hard to tell with this image that we're looking at ...

CARROLL: It is.

BANFIELD: ... because that's sort of bird's-eye view of the school layout doesn't tell you where any part of this is. We should also mention that one of the TV stations that has been reporting on this told -- was told by a witness that she saw two children, one with a bloody face and the other with what appeared to be a hand injury. Again, that coming in to News 8 Connecticut, one of the local stations in the area.

CAROLL: And, Ashleigh, that falls in step with one of the reports that we're hearing that a person in one of the rooms has, quote, "numerous gunshot wounds" and that according to police.

Again, it's difficult to tell from some of these images that we're just now getting into our newsroom exactly where all of this is happening at the school.

BANFIELD: Is there any reporting at all, Jason? I mean, I know this is awfully early, this just having broken within the last few moments, but any reports that the shooter may have been a student or perhaps was this staff-related?

Whenever you hear about an elementary school, the last thing that you can imagine is a child that might have brought a gun to school and I do have something from the website that says this is a school that begins in kindergarten and only goes up to fourth grade. These are very young children.

CARROLL: We're just getting in here now, one of our producers is telling me that she spoke to a father from the district who reported that one child was, in fact, taken away and that child was seriously injured, quote, "seriously injured." That's one child taken away with serious injuries.

BANFIELD: By ambulance?

CAROLL: By ambulance. And that falls in step with what we heard about numerous gunshot wounds.

Also, we're being told that groups of students, some of them crying, some of them holding hands were escorted away from the school by their teachers. Some of the students were still in school as of 10:30 a.m. That's according to what some of the parents are saying.

BANFIELD: Now, there is something on the website and it's unknown whether this was posted before or after this incident, but it doesn't make any mention of an emergency or a shooting. But it does say afternoon kindergarten is canceled today. There will be no midday bus runs, is on the website of Sandy Hook Elementary.

But again, no other inclination that there's an emergency of this magnitude that may be under way, but we can confirm to you that police were called and have responded because of what they were told was a shooting.

CARROLL: And I'm sure we'll be getting more details that are coming in because, again, dozens of state troopers are there on the scene. They are assisting local police. We are told that heavily armed police are gathered in front of the school and that a number of stretchers have been set up as a precaution. A staging area, also, set up for student and their parents near their school, as you can imagine.

A number of parents who may be sitting at home watching this or people who know families that have kids at this school are going to be watching this, wanting to -- are going to be wanting to know where they should go, what they should do to pick up their children and make sure that they are indeed safe.

BANFIELD: And what's remarkable about this, as well, Jason, is that Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, is -- it's quite a ways away from some of the main cities in Connecticut like Hartford and Stanford, sort of midway north-south between Stanford which would be in the bottom, left-hand ...

CARROLL: Right. I think it's just northeast of Danbury?

BANFIELD: Yeah, very close to Danbury. About a 20, 30 minute drive from Danbury, Connecticut, but a long way away from the coast which is what most people are familiar with and those -- the metro train lines, et cetera.

But -- and, also, very, very difficult for not only reporters to get there, but also police having to respond there, as well.

I think we have someone on the phone for us right now. Lou Palumbo joining us now. He's a retired Nassau County police officer.

Lou, I know you've had these calls in your past. And I'm just wondering what is the protocol? What happens immediately when a call comes in to authorities that it is an elementary school that they are dealing with a possible shooter.

LOU PALUMBO, FORMER NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK, POLICE OFFICER (via telephone): Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: Hi, Lou. Can you hear me?

PALUMBO (via telephone): Hello? Hello?

BANFIELD: Lou? Lou, it's Ashleigh. Can you hear me?

PALUMBO (via telephone): Yes, I can barely hear you, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Just trying to get a read from you with your past experience, when a call comes in that there may be a shooter at an elementary school, is there a kind of protocol?

Can you walk me through what these responding officers are doing right now?

PALUMBO (via telephone): Well, I can tell you this, especially with incidents involving children, whether they are struck by autos or incidents at their schools, you know, our feeling is you just can't get there fast enough.

And we really don't expect to have incidents of this type taking place at our school, so I'm sure it's a little bit of a shock to their system, but, you know, the basic feeling is get there as quickly as you can.

BANFIELD: Lou, stand by for a moment.

I think on the line with us now is Mike Branchwell. Mr. Branchwell, I'm not sure if I've got your name right. I think being told that you have four children in this school?

Mr. Branchwell, can you hear me?

We just lost that connection. We'll try to re-establish our connection with Mike Branchwell.

In the meantime, if you're just joining us, there is so little, unfortunately, to report on this which is worrisome in itself that the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, is on lockdown at this point.

I think we might have Mike Branchwell back on the line. Mike, can you hear me?

MIKE BRANCHFLOWER, PARENT (via telephone): Yes.

BANFIELD: Mike, can you tell me? I have an initial report just from our producers that I think you have four children. Are they all in this school?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): We have two that have graduated the high school. No one's been through the Sandy Hook school.

BANFIELD: But is this your -- is there something you can add to this? Is this your community? Is this your neighborhood?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): Yes, it's our community, our neighborhood and our children have friends who go to that school.

We have a daughter who is in an elementary school, but not that actual school.

BANFIELD: So what do you know about what is happening? There seems to be a real vacuum, right now, of information.

Have you seen anything? Have you seen responders going by? I mean, what do you know?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): We know that there are a number of responders at the school. I mean, the school has a very good system of communicating to parents.

We've got e-mails and texts and updated communications that there was an incident, that the school is on lockdown. We have a freshman at the high school who's been texting us. They're allowed to text us that he's in lockdown in the science lab at the moment. But ...

BANFIELD: So, your child, the freshman in high school, has been able to text you that there is a lockdown, in fact, at that school?

Because we did have a report that the whole district is in lockdown, so that would square with what we're being told.

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): That's correct. They do practice this. I would say we've been here since 2005 and the schools are very forward-thinking and very proactive and, sadly, in this type of situation.

So, the kids know what to expect and what to do and we do currently have a freshman who's in lockdown.

BANFIELD: And that freshman, is that a son or daughter?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): It's our son.

BANFIELD: And has your son been able to text you any other kinds of information that he may be hearing within the school itself, not the elementary school, but, of course, the high school?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): No, I think that they're all in classrooms and they've -- you know, the teachers have got the situation under control.

But, you know, he knows less because they don't access other than threw their phones and PDAs to the media. They don't have the streaming media that we access to.

BANFIELD: Can you tell me a little bit about Newtown, the size and just the proximity to what other people in the United States might glean from, if you could give us a description of your town?

BRANCHFLOWER (via telephone): Sure. I mean, it is a small town. It's -- I mean, a very large square footage -- square miles, but low population. It's a very quiet town.

You know, a great sense of community and people move here, we moved here because of the school district. The schools are very highly rated.

BANFIELD: All right. I want to just ask you to stand by, if you will, for a moment.

My colleague, Jason Carroll, has been collecting more information. What do you have?

CARROLL: Well, just getting some more information, I think, will be important for parents who are, obviously, concerned about what's going on out there. We're told that there is a staging area, sort of impromptu, informal staging area, that's being set up at Village Restaurant and Pizza, apparently the parking lot there. The school, apparently, is just over the hill from that location, just about a five-minute walk away from there and, apparently, a number of parents are gathered there, trying to get information. That is being set up as some sort of informal staging area for the parents who are trying to get information about their children, about what is happening there at the school ...

BANFIELD: Again, that was called the Village Restaurant?

CARROLL: Villa Restaurant and Pizza. The owner had called in to our newsroom, saying that a number of parents were there, that they were doing what they can to help in this very difficult situation.

BANFIELD: I can't imagine the fear that is struck in the hearts of so many people in that community when they hear it is an elementary -- just to recap this for you -- in elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. You can see it on your map there in the southwestern part.

This is the aerial view of what the school looks like and, comparatively, to the parking lot size of the cars that'll tell you how big the layout of this school is.

But the "Hartford Courant," a newspaper, is saying that police say one person had numerous wounds. We're not being given any information at this time, though, if there are other injuries or where those children are in that school right now.

But we're going to squeeze in a quick break, gather more information and be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: To update you on what we've been covering, these are some of the first pictures that are coming in to us here at CNN of what appears to be a school shooting at an elementary school, this coming to us courtesy of our affiliate, WTNH.

This is in Newtown, Connecticut. It's a town about midway between Stanford and Hartford in southwestern Connecticut.

Reports came in early this morning of a shooting and the response was quick and furious. You can see now from the aerial shots some of the officers, one of them with a canine unit on the scene.

We also have reports from one of the locals affiliates there that a witness saw two children, one with a bloody face and the other with what appeared to be a hand injury.

We can tell you, as well, that parents have been advised to stay at home. Parents have been told to stay at home.

These pictures just shot moments ago and feeding in to us of what appears, perhaps, to be the parking lot at Newtown Elementary -- or, at least, Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. You can see a number of police responders as well as ambulance.

One witness also saying that they saw a child being taken away by ambulance and, obviously, some parents you can see in this -- that shot just walking through, carrying their children. Another one holding on to kids there, too.

We also heard that some of those children, if not all of them, have been evacuated to a nearby firehouse.

The ground pictures showing things fairly calm, but certainly a strong police presence and, what that canine unit is doing, I'm not clear, but they certainly seem to be interested in that container. At least, there's a signal that looks to be coming from the dog sitting and then spending some time, some extra time at that container.

Jason Carroll is also monitoring some of the details coming in. What do you know?

CARROLL: And, again, we are getting a lot of these details coming in from our affiliates and, according to some of the affiliates there in Connecticut, obviously, police are reporting a number of injuries.

There is a report that state police sources say that one shooter may, in fact, be dead, Ashleigh.

The shooting was reported at about 9:40 a.m. That's when police reported that a shooter was in the main office of the school. A person in one room had, quote, "numerous gunshot wounds."

A father had called in to our desk here in New York just a few moments ago ...

BANFIELD: I have a sad report. I just want to break in for a moment. A sad report that's coming, as well, from the "Hartford Courant." They are now confirming one child dead as a result of this school shooting.

The "Hartford Courant" reporting, again, one child dead as a result of this school shooting. We don't know anything else about additional shooting victims.

Again, these pictures are just coming in from News 12 New Jersey. This is an empty stretcher that's being wheeled through the parking lot, possibly towards the school at this point.

You can see some of the children with, I can only imagine, some parents who've been responding as well as first-responders. Parents have been asked to stay home, though, although you can imagine what it would be like if you had children in that school. That might be the last thing you would think to do is to stay home.

You can see the police also branching out into the surrounding area, the brush around the school. That school is sort of a square formation. It's a large campus for an elementary school and you can see that they are heading out into the brush trying -- perhaps looking for evidence.

I want to just welcome our viewers from around the world. This is CNN's reporting of a school shooting reported in Connecticut at an elementary school, an elementary school called Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut.

Reports that early this morning, probably just after school had gotten under way, reports of a shooting in which officers responded to very quickly. Very little information right now.

But the "Hartford Courant," a notable newspaper in Connecticut, is reporting that there is one child confirmed dead in this very terrible shooting situation.

We had heard reports that there could have been multiple shooters. That is unconfirmed at this point.

But parents, obviously, nervous about these reports, some of them responding on the site. You can see these pictures just coming in to us.

The roads, we're also told, have been shut down and traffic has been bottlenecked in this area.

The way I can describe it best, if you know Connecticut, it's not far from Danbury. It's to the south and west of Danbury. Geographically speaking, probably about an hour, 40 minute drive from New York City, if you're heading up the coast and then inland somewhat, essentially between Stanford down in the southwest corner and Hartford as you can see up in the center, the capital of the state.

Jason?

CARROLL: And, Ashleigh, just as we were looking at some of those images there when we saw the picture of the man with the young boy, you just can imagine how traumatizing this must be for these young children. And this is an elementary school.

You know, some of those kids, we are told, obviously, they were crying. They were holding hands. They were being escorted away by the -- from the school by their teachers.

And we're told that some of the students were still in the school, all the way up until just about a half and hour ago.

BANFIELD: Because they have these protocols when anything like this -- of this magnitude, there are these protocols to lock down and barricade yourself inside the classroom, find safe positions until some kind of an all-clear is indicated to get the kids out of the school.

CARROLL: And, obviously, what -- you know, as the hours move on, what we're going to be trying to be getting information is the motive for the shooting.

BANFIELD: Or who? Is it a student or is it an adult? I mean ... CARROLL: It's always difficult to try to understand why these types of things happen, but we do know that Lieutenant Paul Vance (ph) with the Connecticut state police will be holding a press conference just about two hours from now.

And, so, perhaps at that point more information will be surfacing about exactly why this happened, the motive behind the shooting.

BANFIELD: And just, again ...

CARROLL: But, once again, it's always hard to understand why these things happen.

BANFIELD: I want to dip into some our affiliate coverage, but just to let you know that Bridgeport Hospital, which is probably, again, about a half hour drive by a guess-timation from Newtown, Connecticut, Bridgeport Hospital's trauma team began getting calls this morning.

Let's listen in to some of the local coverage in this area.

... hospital's trauma team began getting calls this morning.

Let's listen in to some of the local coverage in this area.

... hospital's trauma team began getting calls this morning.

Let's listen in to some of the local coverage in this area.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But parents, I know, are just so hungry for information. We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

We are staying on air and as soon as we do have crews on the scene, many of them have just been arriving ...

BANFIELD: ... if we can continue to get that signal from WFSB, but I do want to let you know that just as we were going to that local coverage, I told you that Bridgeport Hospital, their trauma team had been readied after getting calls at about 9:40 a.m., local time.

That would be just after school starts. For many schools in Connecticut, elementary schools, anyway, school is often an 8:00 a.m. start. I can tell you I have two children in a Connecticut elementary school and that is an 8:00 a.m. start. This entire district, though, is on lockdown in Newtown.

We also know that Danbury Hospital, not far away, has now been reportedly the recipients of three people as a result of this shooting. I have no idea what the extent of these injuries might be, but Danbury Hospital now having confirmed that three people -- in a local report, that three people have gone for treatment at that hospital.

Not sure if Bridgeport has received any injured, but they certainly got the calls early this morning.

Also want to let you know that the children have apparently been evacuated to a nearby fire house, but interestingly enough, had been inside that school for quite some time.

As you know, so many schools have a very strict protocol for an emergency situation in which they barricade themselves in the classrooms, best they can, staying low until they get some kind of indication that it's safe to evacuate the school.

As we continue to collect more information on this shooting at Sandy Hook -- Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, we will bring it to you.

We're going to take a quick break. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: And we're following the breaking news of a school shooting at an elementary school, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

These are some of the images that are coming in to CNN. On the right- hand side of your screen, you can see a gurney being wheeled through the parking lot. At the top of your screen, you can see some of the emergency vehicles.

We're told about six ambulances are now on the scene as well as numerous first responders and canine units that searching not only the school property, but the woods, as well, that surround it.

And on your left-hand side of your screen is an aerial view of Sandy Hook Elementary School. About 400 students go to school there.

Let's listen to one of our affiliates coverage as they do this. It's WFSB.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this scene right here, it looks a little more calm but, again, our people who are a little bit closer in have said it has been completely chaotic and they've been watching as law enforcement officials have been responding to the scene trying to ascertain exactly how many people are hurt and injured or possibly dead at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you can see the large area set up there. You can tell from that shot, our shot on the ground, our live shot, as we take, again, a look at the pictures from our helicopter that is there at the scene, but from the ground shot, you can get an idea and you can really see it here if you look, as well, how many Crown Victorias, how many state police cruisers you can see in these shots.

Now, there is this vehicle that appears to be sort of the center of their focus at this point. That is right outside of the entrance to the school, the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

Again, to give people an idea of where we are talking about to orient you within the state, we're down between exits 10 and 11 on I-84 as you head out on I-84 west towards Danbury.

And you can see that this is a shot of that school. It's a K-through- 4 school and they have about 600 students at that school.

The call came in at 9:41 this morning, reporting that there had been a shooting at that school and that police were responding.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we are hearing, again, from CBS News with their reporter on the scene, Bob Orr, has said that at least one shooter has been killed and there are some other reports coming out that it's being looked at as a different scene now.

The question is, was there one or two shooters? We don't know yet, but the reports from CBS News that at least one gunman is dead.

Again, if you're a parent and you're just joining us, the orders have been to not go to the school.

We have aerial photos that we've showing you from a helicopter in the sky and I believe we're efforting to actually be able to get some dictation of what they're seeing a they over.

This is live on the ground there and just by watching this, Eric, I would say that the scene seems to be different than it was 20 minutes ago and that would be, as if they already captured the gunman, things would change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you're watching our continuing eyewitness news coverage here. Also on WFSB.com. We'll keep streaming our coverage as well as our WFSB iPhone app and iPad, as well, if you want to keep up with us on our very latest coverage.

But you can see this is a helicopter from WCBS in New York. They are at the scene.

We do know at least one person transported with a gunshot wound and Bob Orr from CBS News is reporting that the gunman is dead there at the scene.

BANFIELD: And I want to just break into some of that local coverage for a moment. As you were hearing, one of those vehicles in the center of your screen, at the center-top portion of your screen is roped off. Maybe a vehicle of interest.

There are tactical officers, as well, that are on the roof of the building and, not only that, but they have been looking up on a hillside behind the school. Officers with canine units have been up behind the school. Three state troopers, in fact, looking for someone or something in the woods up behind the school.

Our Susan Candiotti has raced to the scene, as well, amid the morning reports that there were shots fired. Susan, are you there? Can you hear me?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ashleigh. I am hearing you. It's not a terrific connection, but let me tell you the new information that we have.

We understand from a source with knowledge of the investigation that the suspected shooter in this case is dead, is deceased, on the scene, and that police have recovered two weapons from him. Again, this is according to our source.

It is not known at this time whether police killed the alleged shooter or whether he took his own life.

There are also unconfirmed reports that another shooter might be on the scene -- might remain on the scene, but again, that is unconfirmed information and authorities are trying to see whether that is the case.

Ashleigh?