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CNN Sunday Morning

Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

Aired December 16, 2012 - 08:00   ET

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

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Just in time for the holidays. I'll have more news from around the world in 15 minutes.

Our coverage of the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting continues right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm John Berman.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you for joining us this morning.

We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and, of course, those joining us from around the world this morning. You're watching our special coverage of the Connecticut school shooting here in Newtown. We're live in Newtown, Connecticut.

BERMAN: And here in Newtown, the president will be coming. He'll be arriving later today. He's expected to meet with some of the victims of the families and he will speak at a vigil tonight remembering the victims. President Obama spoke about the hear heartbreak hours after the shooting on Friday, again during his weekly address yesterday.

Now, of course, we have the names of all the victims in this shooting. There were 20 -- 20 of them were children, I should say, all 6 all of them were just 6 or 7 years old. There's been a fund set up to help the families of the victims.

Here's the address if you'd like to send a donation, the sandy hook school support fund, 39 Main Street in Newtown, the zip code is 06470.

BOLDUAN: Meanwhile, investigators here in Newtown are still trying to piece it altogether. They found more information on the shooter, but still no motive. We get more now from CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti who's been following the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Investigators are learning more each day that may explain what led 20- year-old Adam Lanza to launch a vicious attack on young children and adults at an elementary school. LT. J. PAUL VANCE, CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE: Our investigators at the crime scene, the school, and secondarily, the secondary crime scene that we discussed, with the female located, deceased, did produce some -- a very good evidence in this investigation, that our investigators will be able to use and hopefully painting a complete picture as to how and, more importantly, why this occurred.

CANDIOTTI: Police won't say what the evidence is. However, investigators have been checking out gun ranges and sporting good stores. They followed a lead the shooter tried to buy a gun Tuesday at this location. After searching store surveillance videos, the tip didn't pan out.

GENE MARQUEZ, ATF ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT: To date, ATF has not uncovered any information that would substantiate the fact he tried to acquire guns recently. We're out there actively investigating.

CANDIOTTI: Federal gun agents also said they recovered weapons at the home the shooter shared with his mother. Sources say three more guns were found. These three rifle models, all older, they're being traced. At least once has been connected to the mother.

Three more weapons were discovered with the shooter in a classroom where he took his own life. According to law enforcement officials, the two handguns and semiautomatic long gun, called a Bushmaster, were bought legally by his mother.

The chief medical examiner says that long gun was used to kill several victims.

H. WAYNE CARVER II, CONNECTICUT CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: I only did seven autopsies. The victims I had range from three to 11 wounds apiece, and I only saw two of them with close range shooting. All the wounds that I know of at this point were caused by the long weapon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: And Susan Candiotti is joining us now live here in Newtown, Connecticut, as well.

Susan, what do we know about what investigators are looking into today and what they're doing today?

CANDIOTTI: Well, we know that they will be continuing to pound the streets chasing down more leading they tell us. For example, going to more gun stores and more gun ranges to see whether the suspected shooter in this case spent in time there in the days leading up to the shooting and ultimately to try to learn what was in his mind to make him target so many innocent lives.

Back to you.

BOLDUAN: Susan Candiotti, thank you so much.

BERMAN: For a lot of people right now, of course, the biggest question is why? Why did the shooter kill this mother and then walk into the elementary school and kill 26 more people including 20 children, all 6 and 7 years old?

Brian Todd spoke with people -- some people who knew the quiet 20-year-old. Brian tried to dig for some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His motive for this unspeakable act is still not clear. Law enforcement officials say that. And in digging for details about shooter Adam Lanza and his family accounting emerge that are confusing and conflicting. A neighbor who knew him in recent years describes him as troubled but listen to this account from a young man that knew him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just a kid.

REPORTER: Just a kid?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a kid.

REPORTER: Never antisocial?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

REPORTER: Troublemaker?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, definitely not.

REPORTER: Noticeable? Did he just kind of blend into the background?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Nothing that would warrant any of this.

TODD: Ryan Kraft says he baby sat Adam about 10 years ago, when Lanza was 10 and Kraft was 15. He described Lanza as focused, quiet, introverted. He never saw evidence of violence, Craft says, but says Lanza did throw the occasional temper tantrum.

RYAN KRAFT, BABYSITTER FOR ADAM LANZA (via telephone): It's generally stuff, like, you know, we have to put him to bed and he wouldn't like that. And we had to stop watching TV and he wouldn't like that. You know, normal stuff that a kid would do about I guess at 10 years old. Most kids get out of that phase, and that wasn't the case for Adam.

TODD: Kraft was only a year older than Adam's older brother Ryan. He says their mother told them to let Ryan do whatever he wanted, but as for Adam --

KRAFT: What I remember clearly is that Nancy always asked me to always be with him in the room no matter what. Don't go to the bathroom, don't ever leave him without supervision.

TODD: Kraft says Adam had a contentious relationship with his mother, Nancy. She split from the boy's father, Peter Lanza, who is described by the job networking website LinkedIn as tax director and vice president at G.E. Energy Financial Services. But Kraft says Nancy was an engaged mother, always setting up play dates for his two sons and taking part in activities. Neighbors and friends say Nancy Lanza enjoyed gardening and took time off from a job in finance.

GINA MCDADE, NEIGHBOR: Just like anybody else in this neighborhood. Decorate the house and the house was always, you know, pristine. I mean, she was like any other housewife.

TODD (on camera): But like her son, there are gaps in Nancy Lanza's story that still need to be filled in. She owned the weapons that Adam Lanza used in the killings including a semi-automatic rifle, according to a law enforcement source, and it's not clear why she purchased them.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Brian Todd, thank you so much.

Many here in Newtown are heading to church services this morning to seek comfort and mourn the loss of their loved ones.

We now know 12 little girls and eight boys were shot to death inside Sandy Hook Elementary School. All of them were either 6 or 7 years old.

BERMAN: Among them was Emilie Parker. Her father says she can light up an entire room. She was an exceptional artist who always carried around markers and pencils to draw for anyone. Her father says he did give her a good-bye kiss the last time he saw her alive.

BOLDUAN: And six adults lost their lives in this tragedy, all between 27 and 56 years old. That includes 47-year-old principal Dawn Hochsprung, we've heard so much about, who was married and had two daughters and three stepdaughters. One parent said Hochsprung was always smiling.

BERMAN: And school psychologist, 56-year-old Mary Sherlach, had a history of working with disabled adults. She was married for more than 30 years and she loved to garden.

Thirty-year-old Lauren Russeau was just recently hired as a permanent substitute teacher. Her mother said she always dreamed of teaching and says, "We will miss her terribly and take comfort knowing she had achieved that dream."

BOLDUAN: The whole town is grieving for these victims. The whole world is grieving for these victims, even as their own children try to come to grips with the horror of what has happened here.

Our Kyung Lah has more on the struggle to cope with this tragic loss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE0 LAURA FERRARO, PARENT: It's just so sad how quickly all that can be taken away from you in a heartbeat.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grief has settled in for the parents.

FERRARO: It's just so senseless.

LAH: Rather than do nothing, Laura Ferraro can at least lay flowers and be grateful that her own children don't seem to understand. A luxury of the very young that most don't have. A small community they all seem to know a victim, some directly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night, we -- it was unusual, because they didn't respond on the phone calls and messages. Last night, we simply -- they called. It's the worst. This son was (INAUDIBLE) anymore.

LAH: Trying to cope and connect, signs are everywhere in the town's center. This one marked east lost victim, counting up to 27 including the shooter's mother, another reminded it wasn't just children who were lost.

Mandy Ives is thinking of the principal. Her 9-year-old son was a student at the school.

MANDY IVES, PARENT: We moved here in the middle of the school year and she was so kind to my son.

LAH: David Keane's 5-year-old daughter Alexis went to preschool with the children at Sandy Hook Elementary.

DAVID KEANE, PARENT: I'm just afraid to look at it, to recognize and see the names of our little one's playmates.

LAH: Keane sent his daughter to a different elementary school, a stroke of fate on a day when parents look for answers where there are none.

KEANE: It's just heart-wrenching right now. It's not easy to swallow what's going on in my backyard.

LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, Newtown, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: We've seen many of those makeshift memorials honoring victims really everywhere throughout the town and many other towns. Later today, there'll be another vigil for the victims. And again, President Obama will be here to speak at that event.

For more information on how you can help those affected by the shooting, you can go to CNN.com/impact.

BERMAN: And we're going to have some other news after the break. And there is a lot going on in the world including news of a possible nomination for secretary of state. We will have that news when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Vigils, prayers, words of reflection, the nation remembering the victims of this Connecticut school shooting. Everyone doing it in their own way. But shockwaves from this senseless school massacre that left 20 children and six adults dead, the shockwaves are being felt far beyond our borders. Many world leaders now offering their own condolences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: President Obama, the bereaved families, the people of America, the people of Israel grieve with you.

JULIA GILLARD, AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER: It is almost beyond comprehension that such a happy place could be reduced to a place of death and terror, but that is what we have seen today. Our heartfelt sympathies go to those families who have lost a child, to those families who have lost a loved one, to those families who are now trying to counsel their young child who is being witness to such shocking scenes and would be so distressed as a result.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: And in Brazil, 26 crosses were placed in the sand on Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana Beach in memory of the shooting victims all the way up here in Connecticut.

We'll bring much more on the school shooting tragedy here in Newtown, Connecticut, in just a moment. But first, a lot of other news.

Let's go to Victor Blackwell at the CNN Center in Atlanta, the latest on all the other stories.

Good morning, Victor.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, John. Good morning, Kate.

Sixteen days before the U.S. goes over the fiscal cliff, but there could be a deal in Washington. A source close to the talks tells CNN, House Speaker John Boehner is willing to hike taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

Now, that's something the president says must be part of any plan. Speaker Boehner previously called tax increases on the top 2 percent a nonstarter. His office says no deal has been reached.

This week, President Obama is expected to nominate Senator John Kerry as his next secretary of state. The Massachusetts Democrat has served in the Senate for almost 30 years. He's been chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past four years. The Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick would name a replacement until a special election that's held sometime in the summer.

Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is resting at home after suffering a concussion. She's been battling a stomach virus. She fainted after becoming dehydrated. Her office said it's not severe but she will be forced to skip her appearance in front of House Foreign Affairs Committee this week. Secretary Clinton was scheduled to testify on Thursday about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11th.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BLACKWELL: More gunshots. This time the frightening incident was at a shopping mall parking lot at Newport Beach, California. A man in the parking lot fired 50 shots in the air. This happened yesterday. Stores that were filled with holiday shoppers, those doors were locked quickly.

No one was hit by the bullets, but one person suffered minor injuries getting out of the way. The suspect is in custody, but police have not given a reason for the shooting.

Civil rights icon Nelson Mandela is recovering after surgery to remove gallstones. Officials say the procedure was successful. The 94-year-old former South African president has been in the hospital in Pretoria since last weekend because of a recurring lung infection.

Mr. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and spent almost three decades in prison for opposing apartheid.

And now, let's go back to CNN's John Berman and Kate Bolduan in Newtown, Connecticut.

BERMAN: Thank you so much, Victor. You know, we'll se you again for more news in a little bit.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old teacher came face to face with a gunman at Sandy Hook, and it's what she did next that grateful parents say shaved their children's lives. Now, she's begin remembered as a true hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: There was a moment of silence last night before the Miami Heat game. The players took the court with their own children in hand. It was their way of paying tribute to the children killed here in Newtown, Connecticut.

Also today, several NFL teams will honor those very victims. The New York Jets, the Giants, and the New England Patriots are also planning tributes.

One of the teachers who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School is being hailed around the world for her bravery.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS) BOLDUAN: Hundreds of people sang "Amazing Grace" at a candlelight vigil for 27-year-old Victoria Soto in her own hometown of Stratford, Connecticut, last night. The first grade teacher moved her students from the classroom door, away from the classroom door when they heard the gunshot ringing out Friday morning. To protect the children, she faced the gunman when he stormed in.

I spoke yesterday with two parents whose son by what they call a miracle made it out of that classroom alive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT LICATA, FATHER OF TWO SANDY HOOK STUDENTS: When they heard noises that he described as initially they thought were hammers falling, then they realized that it was gunshot. And Miss Soto, who was Aidan's teacher, had the presence of mind to move all the children to a distance away from the door on the side of the room furthest away from the door. That's when the gunman burst in, did not say a word, no facial expressions, and proceeded to shoot their teacher.

They basically ran right next to the guy and out the door.

BOLDUAN: They ran past the gunman?

R. LICATA: They ran past the guy. He's still standing in the door, and they ran past him and ran down the hallway. They're one of the closest rooms to the main entrance, and Aidan was -- had the presence of mind to hold the door for one of his classmates and then there was another classmate that was a little behind him, waited for him and then they all ran to the road, to the main road.

BOLDUAN: Do you think he knows what -- that she likely did not make it?

DIANE LICATA, MOTHER OF TWO SANDY HOOK STUDENTS: He keeps asking about her. He's reassuring himself that she's going to be OK. He really, really, really cared about his teacher. He was very close with her, and she really loved the class.

He keeps saying I really hope she's OK. I hope it's not her. He knows that she's been hurt, but he doesn't know the end result. He knows the kids that he saw getting shot. He doesn't know the outcome.

So I think he's reassuring himself in his 6-year-old mind, I know he's processing it. I think he's reassuring himself. I think he's telling himself that it's going to be OK.

We had to put the sign out on the front asking people not to ring the doorbell because he still hasn't internalized the fact that this gunman, bad guy is gone. He wants to know if there are more bad guys in the world, and I don't know how to answer that question properly.

And so, when someone rings the doorbell, he thinks it's him coming back, coming for him. And so, he -- you know, he -- so I think our biggest concern now is making sure that we handle his sensitive nature properly and carefully and support him and support our daughter, because she, again, does process things very differently than he does.

So, that's our job as parents now, is to stay close to them, hold them, hug them, love them, and let them know that they are safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Victoria Soto's sister and cousin say they are very proud she had the instinct to protect their students that Friday morning and that that brings them some peace about what happened. They say she's a hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Welcome back everyone. I would like to welcome our viewers not just in the U.S. but our viewers from around the world. It's about half past the hour right now. I'm John Berman here with Kate Bolduan.

We want to catch up now on what we know. This afternoon President Obama will head here to Newtown, Connecticut where he's going to meet with the families of the victims. The President is also going to speak at a vigil here tonight.

We also know that 12 of the victims were girls, eight were boys; they're ages six and seven years old. The medical examiner released all the names yesterday -- so, so young. Six victims they were adults, they were all women who worked at the school.

The United Way has set up a fund to collect donations for the victims' families in the community as a whole. It's called the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. All donations will go directly to those affected.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we want to pay tribute to those 26 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here now are their names and ages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(LIST OF VICTIMS AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a tragic, tragic situation for the teachers, the principals and those angels. That's all I can think about, is those angels.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, when things happen to your children and to other people's children, I mean, I can't look at my children's faces now without seeing the faces of every one of their schoolmates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: For more information on how you can help all of those affected by this shooting, you can go to CNN.com/impact.

Now let's go to CNN's Victor Blackwell in Atlanta with a special guest -- Victor. VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Kate, thank you. It's time now for today's "Faces of Faith".

And this morning we're talking about turning to faith to find comfort in the face of unimaginable violence. Rabbi Joshua Lesser joins me now. He's from Congregation Bet Haverim here in Atlanta. Rabbi thanks for coming in to speak with us.

There are so many questions and so many difficult conversations.

RABBI JOSHUA LESSER, CONGRESSION OF BET HAVERIM: Of course.

BLACKWELL: People are going to houses of worship. What comfort can a house of worship, your faith offer in a time like this?

LESSER: I think as a country we're grieving with the families and at this horrible tragedy stirs up our own sense of grief and this possibility of what would it -- what would it mean if it happened in our community, in our families. And I think people coming together brings a great deal of strength and comfort. I think prayer, though not the only vehicle, is a really powerful vehicle to express those really powerful emotions that grief can bring to us.

And the more that we gather, the more that we talk about this, the more that it helps us see the kind of values that we want to bring into our society. All of that for me is really positive steps towards how to deal with such an unspeakable tragedy.

BLACKWELL: We know the church in Newtown has been open 24 hours a day. We've seen the pictures of packed churches and the vigils. I want to play something that Robbie Parker the father of six year old Emilie Parker who was killed said, and then we're going to discuss it.

LESSER: Sure.

BLACKWELL: Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBBIE PARKER, FATHER OF VICTIM EMILIE PARKER: And that free agency is given to all of us to act and choose to do whatever we want. And God can't take that away from us. And I know that that's something that he was given and that's what he chose to do with it. And I know that God can't take that away. I'm not mad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So the question of fate and destiny and free agency, try to sort that out for us.

LESSER: Sure. I mean, first of all, I do believe that we have free will and that we've been given all the tools to create a society that protects our children and cares for our children. And then in some ways we have to look at how we have failed when we have moments like this. And so I understand that this idea of not being angry at God -- I do want to say that it's ok to be angry right now. That with grief we're going to have many, many feelings and I think faith can handle all of them. I think that this wasn't destined. There are things that we could have done. And in some ways the -- the piece of grief that is the hardest is how do we look at how we're responsible?

BLACKWELL: Yes.

LESSER: That may not be the first place that we go. I mean, I think right now it's really just about reaching out and, you know, blessing our children, making sure that we're able to provide the sense of safety and security that they need and frankly we need at this moment, too.

BLACKWELL: Absolutely. You know our conversation is less about specific religion but more about faith. So I want to ask you something that Mike Huckabee said -- I want to talk with you about this.

LESSER: Sure.

BLACKWELL: Former pastor, former governor and former presidential nominee. We put it up on screen if you will, he says "We ask why there's violence in our school, but we systemically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage?"

Now people will make a decision politically if they agree or not.

LESSER: Sure.

BLACKWELL: But what would you say the relationship is between faith and violence? Can you pray away the tendency for something like this to happen?

LESSER: I don't think that prayer is the only tool and I think that our schools would be much better in terms of teaching our children nonviolent communication, ways to reduce bullying. I mean these kinds of things that keep our children with a sense of un-safety that when they do feel unsafe, the way that they continue to grow.

So for me teaching values rather than prayer -- prayer can certainly help that, but I don't think that's the way to go because of the complexity of faith in this country. But a shared civil values, that we have, as multiple faith people.

BLACKWELL: We've got about 30 seconds left. And this is - this is party season. The last night of Hanukkah and Christmas is a little more than a week away. Some people probably feel guilty celebrating, dancing when this is happening.

LESSER: Sure of course.

BLACKWELL: What do you tell them? LESSER: I mean I tell them -- I mean from my faith's tradition, Judaism says you have to cling to life. And so I think that we perhaps acknowledge our loss, but it doesn't mean that we have to completely separate ourselves. Perhaps this is the time to remove excess from our sense of partying and connect to the real spirit of these days that tell us that family and a sense of gratitude for what we have is really important. And that's worth celebrating in the midst of this tragic loss.

BLACKWELL: All right, Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim thank you so much for talking with us.

LESSER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And for more stories on faith be sure to check out our widely read belief blog.

We'll be right back with more, live from Newtown, Connecticut.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: The shootings here in Newtown are stirring up memories of another horrible shooting massacre, the one at Virginia Tech University back in 2007. It does not seem it was that many years ago at this appoint. It seems like just yesterday.

Peter Read's 19-year-old daughter Mary Karen Read and 31 other people died in what is the nation's worst school shooting -- deadliest school shooting.

He's joining us now from our bureau in Washington. Mr. Read thank you so much for joining us this morning. A horrible, horrible reason and a horrible ordeal for us to be speaking with you but we appreciate your time.

You have a unique perspective that we all wish no parent should have. Tell us a little bit if you could what the families here in Newtown may be going through. Now it's really just two days after this event.

PETER READ, FATHER, VIRGINIA TECH VICTIM: Sure. First, let me say for all the families and survivors from Virginia Tech, we all identify with them and we all want to pass our condolences and our love and our best wishes to them and let them know that we're going to be there for them in whatever way we can.

The first few days are -- and let me also say that every tragedy is individual and specific, so we don't know exactly what they're going through. We have some idea what they're going through. But if their experience is similar to ours, the first few days are just surreal. That you can't describe the pit, I guess, is the best word to describe that you descend into. And the only thing that keeps you going in those first few days is the love of friends and family.

And I've been struck by how that community seems to be pulling together in their houses of worship. And they are -- just the strength of the community that seems to be carrying them through. And that's going to be critical for them in the next few days, weeks and months -- absolutely.

BERMAN: Peter, really it's remarkable. There is so much love in this town. The churches all have signs outdoors that say open 24 hours. One of the things that people here are saying, the families of the victims, is that they don't want to be defined by this shooting. They don't want this town and their families defined by this awful event. Having been through this, is that possible and how do you achieve that goal?

READ: Well, I was reading this morning a quote from Emilie Parker's father where he said that -- I was struck by how similar it was to things that were said and that some of us said amongst ourselves about Virginia Tech.

Initially for the public, I think, most of the victim names and the families will be defined by the tragedy. But I think as the stories of these children and their teachers become known, then that will change.

Now, within each family and within each group connected to each individual, it's very particular. It's not -- you're not defined by the tragedy and the name. You're defined by the particular loss that you suffered. So in each case that family now has a hole in it that's shaped like that person they lost. And that's going to go forward through their lives.

And the thing that they're going to have to learn, as we've all had to learn, is how to live around that loss. You don't move on from it. You never move on from it. When people say that, I just -- I don't know what they're thinking. But you can move forward and find ways to move forward and honor the memory of the person that you've lost in how you live your own life.

BOLDUAN: One thing that struck us, Peter, is when you mentioned Robbie Parker who was speaking about his young, young daughter last night. He said, "I'm not mad." He also sent his condolences to the family of the shooter. He sent his condolences to the family of Adam Lanza.

READ: Yes.

BOLDUAN: It struck many of us, that strength and humility. How do you square that when you know the anger that I'm sure many are still feeling?

READ: Well, we had similar emotions and similar experiences. So I can understand his expression of that. We had similar feelings for the family of the person who did what he did at Virginia Tech. You cannot hold the family accountable for the actions of the individual, and they suffer a loss as great and painful as any suffered. And they carry an additional burden because just like, you know, I would wonder or I'm sure Mr. Parker wonders what could I have done to save my child? They wonder what could we have done to make this come out differently? And the answer is, probably nothing. There is probably nothing they could have done differently. And so I can fully understand when he says he may be angry at other things, but I can understand why he says he's not angry at that family because that's -- that's just kind of a fruitless emotion at that point.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

READ: And you understand that they're suffering a loss as well.

BOLDUAN: Well, Peter Read, at this time when we pay tribute to the victims here in Connecticut, we also want to pay tribute to your daughter, the daughter you lost, 19-year-old Mary Karen. Everything that I have read and heard about her over the years is she was a very wonderful young woman with a very bright future. And we want to pay a tribute to your family as well. Thank you so much for your time today.

READ: Thank you very much.

BERMAN: We're going to have more news after the break including a possible move in Washington, a move for Senator John Kerry perhaps headed to the State Department.

But first, we want to listen to what President Obama had to say about this mass shooting. Like many of us when he started talking about what happened, the President, he could not hold back the tears.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't 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.

Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well for as blessed as they are it to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain.

This evening Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we'll tell them that we love them and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight.

May God bless the memory of the victims and in the words of scripture, "Heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Good morning again from Newtown, Connecticut; John Berman here along with Kate Bolduan. It is Sunday morning. So many people in this town now headed to church services to continue to grieve, to mourn, to remember. So we want to pause for a moment to look at all the names and the ages of the 26 people killed at this horrible tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(LIST OF VICTIMS AT THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Much more ahead on the school shooting tragedy here in Newtown, Connecticut. But first let's go to CNN's Victor Blackwell at the CNN Center in Atlanta for the latest on some of the other stories making headlines today. Hey there -- Victor.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello Kate, thank you.

In Washington we could be a step closer to a deal that would prevent the U.S. from falling off that fiscal cliff. Sources tell CNN that Speaker John Boehner is prepared to raise taxes on the wealthy, specifically those making $1 million or more as part of a plan to reduce deficits.

Tax hikes for the wealthy are something the President said must be included in any plan. It's a change from Boehner's previous position. He called any tax increases a nonstarter.

Staying in Washington, President Obama appears set to nominate Senator John Kerry as his next Secretary of State. The formal announcement could come this week. United Nations ambassador, Susan Rice was the expected choice, but you remember she pulled her name out of the running because of the controversy over her comments in the wake of the Benghazi attacks.

And Hillary Clinton was supposed to testify about Benghazi this week, but that's now on hold. She suffered a concussion and now she's resting at home. Clinton has been battling a stomach virus and she fainted after becoming dehydrated, but her office says this is not severe.

All of our hearts are heavy this weekend with the tragic story out of Newtown, Connecticut, but coming up, a reminder we could all use. That good things do still happen.

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BLACKWELL: Now a reminder that you need, especially now that there are still good people and acts of kindness happening every day.

Remember this one last month? New York City police officer made news by offering a homeless man at Times Square his shoes on a cold night? How about this, a Tennessee boy who helped his brother in a wheelchair compete in a triathlon? People doing good.

I'm Victor Blackwell at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta.