Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Connecticut Elementary School Shooting; School Shooting Gunman Identified; What Happened Inside the School; Children Traumatized by Shooting; Two Dead In Vegas Casino Shooting; Egypt Votes For New Constitution Today; Mass Held For Pranked Nurse; New Details Emerge On Mass Shooting; Bodies Removed From School
Aired December 15, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, I'm Wolf Blitzer. We're coming to you live from Newtown, Connecticut -- the scene of a horrific, a horrific tragedy. We're here in New England, this is a New England town that became the scene of this elementary school massacre. We're watching all of the developments and there are many developments coming in right now.
We're soon going to learn for example the names of the victims of this attack, 20 children between the ages of five and 10 died in the shooting spree along with six adults. Among them, the school's beloved principal and the school's psychologist, as well.
All of these developments coming in very dramatically right now. We're live here in Newtown, Connecticut.
CNN's Nick Valencia is joining us now first of all from the CNN Center. He's got a little bit more background on what's going on. Nick we're awaiting word on the official announcement of the victims. It's going to be a very sad moment for our viewers certainly for people all over the world as we what's going on. But set the scene a little bit for us. Give us the latest.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes good morning Wolf, it's been a very somber day in the CNN NEWSROOM as well as across the United States, no doubt. Earlier this morning I spoke with one of the teachers who was there in Sandy Hook Elementary School. For all intent and purposes Wolf she's been called a hero. And from what we here happened she was.
Mary Rose Kristopik spoke to me earlier this morning from her home in Seymour, Connecticut. She was there at the school when the suspected shooter stormed inside the elementary school, Wolf.
And what happened was she was barricaded inside of a classroom, protecting a group of children, protecting her -- her children from this attacker. He was pounding on the door, she said.
I spoke to her very briefly this morning, Wolf. But it was a very emotional conversation, as you can imagine. She said it was very difficult to talk to me this morning. But she said that her heart and prayers was with her friends and the family members of those that lost loved ones -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Nick stand by. Let me update our viewers on the latest on the investigation. We're learning more disturbing details about the shooting and the 26 victims. Once again, 20 of those victims children.
Police just wrapped up a news conference here in Newtown. They say all the victims now have been identified. Their bodies have been removed from this little elementary school -- Grades kindergarten through fourth grade -- taken to the medical examiner's office. They plan to release the names shortly. Crime scene investigators are working around the clock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. PAUL VANCE, CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE: That we still have major crime detectives and Newtown detectives working at the scene in the school. That is not completed. That probably will not be completed for at least another day and a half to two days. And I'm putting a time limit on it, and it could take longer.
As I explained to you at previous press conferences, we've done everything we need to do to literally peel back the onion layer by layer and examine every crack and crevice of that facility. And that does not include or exclude I should say the outside of the building. The outside of the building is also part of the crime scene, every single vehicle in that lot.
So it's going to be a long, painstaking process. Yes the secondary crime scene as I told you was -- was a crime scene that was discovered pursuant to the investigation. Once we had a tentative identification on the suspect, we began doing a great deal of work. Again, peeling back the onion, everything we could find out about the suspect including and not limited to relatives, friends, co-workers, former students, location of residents. And all those areas had to be -- people had to be interviewed and all those areas had to be examined. Hence that caused us to discover the secondary crime scene, which was a private residence with a sole female deceased.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That woman by the way is identified as Nancy Lanza. She's the mother of the shooter identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
Police said today they have gathered what they described as good evidence on the possible motive for this deadly rampage. Bu they're not releasing that information yet. We expect information will be coming out in the hours ahead.
School employees who were inside the school during the shooting are starting to come forward to describe their harrowing ordeal. Earlier this morning, the school's librarian described what she did when she realized something terribly wrong was going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARYANN JACOB, LIBRARY CLERK, SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Everybody does what they have to do when they're confronted with a situation like that. And everybody, you know, we practiced it and -- and they knew what to do. And you just -- you think about protecting the kids and just doing the right thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How had you practiced this?
JACOB: We have lockdown drills. I don't remember how many, but there's rules about it. You have to have a certain number of fire drills, and you have a certain number of evacuation drills, and a certain number of lockdown drills. So the kids know the routine and the teachers know the routine and everyone has a spot in the room where they're supposed to go to --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you describe the spot for us?
JACOB: Well in the library it's between some book cases against a wall where you can't be seen from any windows. We had to move out of the spot because one of our doors wasn't locked we discovered. So we went to a back storage room and locked the kids in there.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How close --
JACOB: We were like this close together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you keep the children quiet?
JACOB: There was crayons and paper in the storage room in the back. And we tore some up and gave them clipboards and had them color and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you tell them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you alone?
JACOB: There were three other adults with me. They were asking what was going on we said we don't know, our job is to stay quiet. It may be a drill, it may not but we're just going to stay home.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you didn't know at that point?
JACOB: We knew. Because I called the office, and she told me there was a shooter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And once again, there are important developments unfolding right now. We're here in Newtown, Connecticut. We're awaiting word, official word of the victims, the names of the victims. We want to welcome our viewers not only here in the United States but around the world who are watching. And this story certainly has resonated around the world. We're certainly left with a lot of questions that still need to be answered this morning. We're learning possible, possible -- possible motive of the shooter, the 20-year-old Adam Lanza. Police say they have a good sense of what was going on. They haven't released that information yet. They say he killed his mother before the rampage at the school where he then took his own life.
CNN's Mary Snow is joining us from outside the Lanza home here in Newtown, Connecticut. Mary what have we learned about Adam Lanza, this 20-year-old man? Are we learning more about the motive? The police seem to think they have a pretty good idea of what was going on.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are picking up information, Wolf. And you know shortly after yesterday's horrific shooting, police were on the scene here at the Lanza home where it's believed Adam Lanza lived with his mother. And Lieutenant Paul Vance indicated that they are picking up information; they're piecing together, possibly lead to the motive. He was asked at the press conference just a short time ago about whether there were any e-mails or writings that would give investigators information.
Here is how he answered that question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: Our investigators at the crime scene, the school and secondarily at the secondary crime scene that we discussed where the female was located deceased did produce some very -- very good evidence in this investigation that our investigators will be able to use in hopefully painting the complete picture as to how and more importantly why this occurred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And that secondary crime scene that Lieutenant Vance was just referring to is the home here. You can't see it behind me, it's blocked off by police. But authorities did indicate that the -- the body of the suspect's mother was found in the home yesterday.
And as for what we're learning about the suspect from neighbors here, Wolf, you know many people are saying this was a kid who was pretty quiet, who was different in some estimates, one neighbor called him troubled. But he was seen as a good student. One neighbor just told us, you know the family was not all that social. So they didn't really know too much about the family -- Wolf.
BLITZER: There were two pistols and a rifle that were found -- high- caliber rifle, Mary. What else do we know about the weapons?
SNOW: Well CNN has been reporting as those two pistols were found, according to a law enforcement official, with the body of the shooter. And that a rifle was found in a car at the school.
Susan Candiotti earlier reporting that a law enforcement official is saying that he may have had access to as many as five weapons. But what we have been reporting is that three weapons were recovered. And CNN has also been reporting that those guns were legally purchased by the suspect's mother.
BLITZER: But we don't know how he got access or anything along those lines. I assume the police are investigating all of that. But it was a Bushmaster -- a semiautomatic caliber rifle -- and two pistols, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, two -- two pistols, as well, all found at the scene. And they're investigating obviously that.
Anything else going on over there where you are, Mary?
SNOW: There isn't, Wolf. It's just that the police are still here on the scene. It is a much different scene today than it was yesterday. As I mentioned, police, SWAT teams were here yesterday. Residents had been evacuated for several hours. They have been allowed back in their homes.
BLITZER: Mary Snow is working the story for us, a tragic story indeed. Meanwhile, investigators are working around the clock to try to answer many of the questions that still are out there. We're asking these questions, including the key question why, how could this happen.
Right now they're taking a close look exactly at this tragedy, how it unfolded, beginning with first word that a shooter was on the scene.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 6 - 7 Sandy Hook School, Caller is indicating she thinks someone is shooting in the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The front glass has been broken -- they're not sure why. All units, the individual that I have on the phone is continuing to hear what he believes to be gunfire.
Units responding to Sandy Hook at this time. The shooting appears to have stopped. (Inaudible) The school is in lockdown.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BLITZER: CNN's Anderson Cooper takes us through what we know as of now, what happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All units, the individual that I have on the phone is continuing to hear what he believes to be gunshots.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first word was chilling. It only got worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But they are reporting multiple fatalities involved in the shooting at the elementary school.
COOPER: With each new report, the horror deepened.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Reports say the number of dead closer to 30 than to 20. And sadly, most of them are children. COOPER: Every detail, every fact brought more sadness. Each fresh piece of information a part of the picture. A school, kindergarten through fourth grade, a sanctuary that was supposed to be a place of safety torn apart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She heard, like the intercom came on the school and she heard a scream and she heard a gunshot or two gunshots. And then the school went into lockdown.
COOPER: A student's teenaged big brother describing the sounds of the gunman on the loose at Sandy Hook Elementary.
VANCE: Off-duty troopers responded to the school. And with Newtown police immediately upon arrival entered the school and began a complete active shooter search of the building.
COOPER: They arrived to carnage. The killer, says a law enforcement source with detailed knowledge, was dressed for battle in black fatigues and armed for mass murder with two pistols and a military- style rifle. In parts of the school students were told to hide in corners. Teachers risked their lives to pull boys and girls to safety.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just so grateful for the teacher who saved him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, thank you. The teacher -- you think the teacher saved his life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She definitely did. He had bullets going by and then she grabbed him and another child and pulled them into a classroom.
COOPER: Eventually the kids were evacuated to a nearby fire house where frantic parents descended.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrifying. I'm still terrified. I think I'm still in shock about it all. I still don't know everything that happened. I know that there are some people missing that they have been taken to the hospital.
COOPER: His son was ok, his son's teacher was alive, as well, 20 other children and six adults were killed. The dead believed to include Sandy Hook's school psychologist and the principal. Police discovered another adult victim, the gunman's mother reportedly at home in Newtown. The gunman, too, is dead. Police say they fired no shots. A tight-knit community including a nurse who lived nearby and rushed to help shocked, distraught.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see you've been crying.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it because of what you saw?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the cops said -- the worst thing he'd 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, you know, still alive. There's 20 parents that were just told that their children are dead. It was awful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Anderson Cooper reporting for us. Please be sure to tune in, by the way, to CNN's "AC 360" special later tonight on the tragic school massacre live from here in Newtown, Connecticut. Anderson will have the latest developments, the reaction from the people here and a whole lot more. Tonight, a special "AC 360", 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
For more information on how you can help those affected by the shooting, go to cnn.com/impact. You will have a chance to impact your world.
As we say, as we've been reporting, three weapons were found at the school. Two semiautomatic pistols and a Bushmaster assault rifle. All belonged to Adam Lanza's mother, Nancy Lanza.
CNN contributor and former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes is joining us now from Washington. Deborah Feyerick is joining us as well. Tom, first to you. These are some high-powered guns there. You obviously don't want to get them in the wrong hands.
Connecticut does have pretty strict gun control laws on the books right now. What do we know. How did the young Adam Lanza, 20-year-old, get these weapons?
TOM FUENTES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hi, Wolf. So far we don't know for sure how he got them. You know, the reports are that his mother legally purchased the weapons and legally had them in the house, had registered them and followed all of the laws of Connecticut.
But if he went ahead and stole them from his mother and then actually used them against her and the other children, then that's where the problem comes in that she may have obtained the guns legally, but he didn't. He basically would have stolen the weapons.
BLITZER: How popular out there are these three kinds of weapons? These two pistols, one rifle? How popular out there are they generally across the country?
FUENTES: Well, they're popular because the Glock and the Sig Sauer pistols are professional, top-of-the-line quality. So they're carried by most law enforcement officers, federal, state, and local throughout the United States because they're top-quality weaponry.
The Bushmaster is basically kind of a spinoff or a non- fully automatic version of the AR-15 or the M-16 or the M-4 firing that .223 bullet which is very, very lethal. It's a military-grade weapon basically. And the fact that it's not fully automatic doesn't mean it isn't very lethal.
BLITZER: Tom, Deborah Feyerick is going to join is the question. Deb, go ahead. DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, one of the big questions I have, Tom, and I know that you've worked a number of cases like this. And that is, why not just kill yourself? Why go after people who are the most vulnerable? What does that tell you about the shooter?
FUENTES: Well, you know, it's very hard to say. What was in his mind or on his mind at the time he carried all these actions out, we'll probably never know for sure. And I know many experts are going to theorize this is what he was thinking, or this is why he did it, or he wanted his 15 minutes of fame by doing a horrendous act that would obtain worldwide media attention and fame for him.
But we don't know that for sure. We don't know what triggered him to actually take this out. And unfortunately, he's not available to ask and he may not have been honest even if he did survive. His mother certainly should know him best. And she's not available to question and ask what was on her son's mind. So we don't know, and we may never know.
FEYERICK: And out of curiosity, do you know in these kinds of situations with somebody who is intent on doing something, is there a moment where somebody can intercede, where somebody can try to talk them down from what it is they're doing. Or once they're in, are they committed to carrying out this kind of horror?
FUENTES: Well, they may be committed. And this brings up a whole other touchy subject. And that is, the mental health system in the United States. Parents report repeatedly how helpless they feel in terms of being able to call the police and say, "I think my son's out of control, I think he's going to do a terrible thing." And unfortunately, until that person does the terrible thing, there's not much in our system to stop them or get them institutionalized so that it's prevented.
So we have a very inadequate mental health system, and it's going to require a lot of resources and changes in the law to make it more effective and to give parents and family members and law enforcement and doctors the ability to intervene and try to do something before somebody goes off the edge like he did, if they know that's coming.
In some cases that may still not be clear that it's preventable. But probably a large number would be preventable in the future if we had that system. So the issues that come up in these mass shootings are a combination of an inadequate mental health system and just a tremendous availability of high-power weapons throughout our society.
FEYERICK: Yes. And Wolf, I'm sure you're seeing it there on the ground in terms of people asking was there a motive. In the end, Wolf, I'm sure the answer you're getting is it doesn't really matter that there's a motive. You've got 26 people, 27 people who are dead right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, it's a sad story, indeed.
But Tom, we did learn something -- two important nuggets from the Connecticut state police, Lieutenant Paul Vance, who just spoke to reporters here. First thing he pointed out -- and I want your reaction to this. He said our investigations at the crime scene did produce some very good evidence in this investigation that our investigators will be able to use to paint a complete picture.
So what -- when you hear that from the Connecticut state police, what are you -- what do you think? What kind of evidence did they produce at the crime scene -- did they find at the crime scene that helps all of us better understand why this could happen?
FUENTES: There's a possibility that the shooter may have been carrying some type of a note or personal manifesto where he's saying good-bye to the world. And indicating through that why he wants to do this. We don't know that for sure. But certainly that's possible that he may have had something on his person or around his body that -- that is useful for the investigators to try to find out what the motive was or have an indication of motive.
That could be -- one of the things he could have said to somebody that hasn't been made public yet. So that's another possibility from the crime scene. So those things -- again, the paperwork that was with him, the wallet that he was carrying, and anything -- comments he may have made prior to taking his own life may be what he's talking about.
BLITZER: And the other nugget, the other new piece of information that the Connecticut state police spokesman said, it was the shooter -- and I'm being specific -- it's the shooter forced his way into the school. So maybe the doors were locked. He forced his way, what does that say to you?
FUENTES: Well, that -- people have talked about this great security system they had. And essentially, it's a locked door with a doorbell and a camera where somebody in the front office can buzz people in if they recognize them or go to the door and have them produce an ID and say why they're at the school, what purpose they've come for.
So in this case, we don't know, there were some reports that he shot the door, shot the glass, and allowed himself in. Someone might have -- he may have buzzed and someone came to the door, and then he pushed it open when they opened to see identification. Again, that's something that they're still holding closely in terms of the investigation as to how exactly he made that entry.
BLITZER: The picture is beginning to become little bit more complete, but there are still so many unanswered questions. Tom Fuentes, you're going to stay with us. Deborah Feyerick's going to stay with us.
President Obama dedicated his entire weekly address this morning to the mass shooting here in Connecticut. He called on the nation to rally around the families of those killed and the families of the surviving students, saying their innocence has been torn away far too early.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This weekend, Michelle and I are doing what I know every parent is doing -- holding our children as close as we can and reminding them how much we love them.
There are families in Connecticut who can't do that today. And they need all of us right now because while nothing can take the place of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need. To remind them that we're there for them, that we're praying for them, and that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their own memories but also in their communities and in their country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Many of us, all of us, I think people here in the United States, indeed around the world, trying to make some sense out of this tragedy. The questions continue.
How do you turn around and explain what has happened to your young children? We're going to have some expert advice on that. Our special coverage from here in Connecticut continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Deb.
FEYERICK: -- in Connecticut has changed the lives of some elementary school children forever. As the kids from Sandy Hook School rushed into the arms of frantic parents after cowering in closets, hiding under desks, many of them recall the chaos and the fear that they witnessed just a few moments ago. Our Brian Todd has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The account of a young boy said to be delivering an attendance report to the office at Sandy Hook Elementary School when the shootings took place is surreal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.
TODD: He said he heard a sound like someone kicking a door. His mother clinging to him had words of thanks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just so grateful to the teacher who saved him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok. Thank you. The teacher -- you think the teacher saved his life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She definitely did. He had bullets going by him and she grabbed him and another child and pulled them into a classroom.
TODD (voice-over): Brendan Murray, a fourth grader, described the chaos.
BRENDAN MURRAY, SANDY HOOK STUDENT: I was in the gym at the time, and so the teachers -- we heard like lots of bangs, and we thought that it was the custodian knocking stuff down. Then we heard screaming. And so we -- so we -- we went on to, like we went to the wall and we sat down.
And then a police came in, it's like, is he in here? Then he ran out. Then our teacher -- then somebody yelled, get to a safe place. So we went to the closet in the gym and we sat there for a little while. And then the police like were knocking on the door and they are like, "We are evacuating people, we are evacuating people."
TODD: CNN is only airing sound of children whose parents gave permission.
As one woman walked away from the school she was heard crying, "Why? Why?" A policeman was heard saying it was the worst thing he'd seen in his career.
A nurse from nearby Danbury Hospital described the scene there as parents waited for word about their children.
MAUREEN KERINS, NURSE, DANBURY HOSPITAL: All these parents were waiting for their children to come out. They thought that they were, you know, still alive. There was 20 parents that were just told that their children are dead. It was awful.
TODD: The father of a young girl who survived was just trying to process it all.
JOE WASIK, FATHER OF SURVIVOR: It was shocking. I got the call at work this morning and I can't believe a small town like this would ever have anything like this happen. And to be in an elementary school, that's unheard of.
TODD: By late Friday afternoon and into the evening, evacuated children were being cared for and reuniting with their parents at a nearby firehouse.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti has joined me here in Connecticut, Newtown. Susan, you've been investigating what happened, you're getting new information. Update our viewers.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All right, first thing that is new, we want to talk about, are the three guns that we've already been identifying. The Glock, the Sig Sauer, and the Bushmaster, that up until now we have reported that that semiautomatic Bushmaster was found in the mother's car belonging -- that the shooter was using parked outside the school.
The new information is that all three of those guns were inside, next to the shooter in the classroom. It is unclear at this time whether there was another weapon found at the crime scene somewhere else.
BLITZER: In addition to those three?
CANDIOTTI: That is correct. However, we do have this new information. Authorities are tracing three more guns that the shooter may have had access to. They are doing a full trace on all of these guns.
The three additional guns are described by law enforcement sources as single-action rifles of various calibers. So they are conducting, we have the makes and models. They are conducting a full trace to see whether they belong to the mother, where they belong to the father, whether they might have belonged to both.
But authorities including Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is currently doing a trace on these weapons. They're also looking at various sporting goods stores, gun ranges, this kind of thing, to find out whether the shooter in this case visited any of those places.
In fact, another source tells me that they have information that the shooter may have tried to purchase a weapon, but was unsuccessful on Tuesday of this year. Tried to buy a gun but was unable to do so.
BLITZER: Because of a background check or whatever?
CANDIOTTI: I am told he didn't have a proper permit and remember, he was 20 years old. Now that might mean that he had a fake I.D. at the time, but I'm told that he didn't have the proper permit in addition to what other specifications he didn't have or requirements, and he didn't want to wait.
BLITZER: Because as you know, there are reports he did have his older brother's I.D. on his body, 24-year-old Ryan Lanza. That was -- apparently the result, causing that you will confusion who shooter was originally when the original information came out because he did have some sort of I.D. on his body that suggested he was Ryan as opposed to Adam Lanza.
CANDIOTTI: There are reports about that, and certainly if that is the case, that might be an explanation for him going into a gun store and trying to make a purchase.
BLITZER: Do we know if the three weapons that they were discovered inside the school, the Bushmaster, Glock, the Sig Sauer, were they all fired? Were they all used?
CANDIOTTI: I've been unable to confirm that, but I did ask this, do you know which one of those he used to commit suicide. And I was told they do know, but they will not reveal that at this time.
BLITZER: Was there a lot of ammunition that was still usable on the scene or did he go through all the bullets that he have?
CANDIOTTI: I've been asking that question and I don't have an answer to that. As you know, they're currently still working that crime scene, trying to figure out how many bullets were fired.
We're still trying to find out whether there was additional ammo. As you said those are all important questions and certainly one that investigators either know and aren't yet revealing or are still looking into.
BLITZER: I think they know a lot more than they're revealing right now. To their credit, they want to be precise. They don't want to give information that they have to later walk back and -- I admire them for doing that.
CANDIOTTI: Trying to be very careful.
BLITZER: This is obviously a tragedy that has so resonated not only in Connecticut but all over the country, indeed all over the world right now. They want to be -- to be precise. We'll be getting more information. Connecticut state police, are taking the lead in this investigation?
CANDIOTTI: They are taking the lead on this, but they've acknowledged that they're getting a lot of cooperation from the FBI, from the ATF, and from any other agencies that they've been asking for help. They're getting it, and it's helping advance what they're doing.
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti, working her sources for us and getting information. Once again, just repeating the headline, all three of these weapons were found inside because originally we thought the rifle was still in the vehicle that this individual drove to the school.
CANDIOTTI: That's correct and that he may have had access to three additional guns.
BLITZER: There may have been -- we don't know how he got them, but we know the three that were found were registered in his mother's name.
CANDIOTTI: That is correct. She owned them.
BLITZER: Susan, thanks very, very much. This tragedy is difficult for all of us to grasp. For children, it is so, so confusing, so sad, it is obviously downright scary. So how do you explain to your kids what happened when they ask? CNN's Lisa Sylvester brings us some expert advice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If there is an image that sums up this story, it is this. Any parent out there can relate. Psychiatrist Charles Raison is with the University of Arizona's College of Medicine.
DR. CHARLES RAISON, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: How do you wrap your mind around something like this? With a good deal of heart break with the understanding that will it take a while and there will be people that were closely impacted by this who will never wrap their minds around this.
The human minds are not infinite. This is appearing to be probably the worst school catastrophe in history. There will be a huge fallout for this that will also impact the people's emotional well being and we need to gear ourselves up for that fallout because it's coming. This is a horrible thing.
SYLVESTER: The news out of Newtown is traumatic for parents and for children. This happened at a school where kids are supposed to feel safe.
RAISON: How do you explain it to children? Well, again, it depends on the age of the child, but I think simple forthright explanations are the best. I think one of the things that I tell children is there some bad people in the world and sometimes bad people do really terrible things.
A terrible thing happened and there have been some children killed. This is terrible, but you are safe and you are in a situation now where you are not going to be harmed.
SYLVESTER: The American Academy of Pediatrics offers this advice take into account the age of the child and provide basic information without offering details that may only alarm them. Ask your children what they know and answer questions. Parents can share their own feelings in the ways they are coping and find meaningful ways to help others.
RAISON: Children are resilient and what really matters now is how we help them understand what's happened and even I think more important is the sense of protection and safety that we give them starting this moment and for the next weeks and months.
SYLVESTER: For those who witnessed, those children who saw, those who covered their eyes and ears to shut out the horror, they need time, love, and prayers. President Obama said it, that parents are going to go home, hug their children. Even to process this as a nation, that's just going to take time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Lisa Sylvester reporting for us. What a powerful, powerful story with some important advice for all of us. We're going to have much more on what's going on in this investigation. It's continuing here in Newtown, Connecticut.
Let's check back with Deborah Feyerick though. She's got a quick look at some of the other top stories this hour -- Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a quick look, Wolf. Well, checking some of the other news this hour, two people are dead in an apparent murder/suicide at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The female victim is being described as a vendor working at the concierge desk. The male shooter is believed to have died of a self- inflicted gunshot wound.
In Egypt, President Mohamed Morsi cast his ballot today for a new draft constitution. Voters there are deciding whether the controversial document goes into effect. The days leading up to today's vote have been marred by many protests and lots of violence.
In the U.K. a mass was held today for the nurse who apparently hanged herself following a prank call. Her husband and children spoke publicly about their loss for the first time since her death.
Jacintha Saldanha took the hoax call from two Australian deejays regarding Prince William's pregnant wife Katherine. The nurse's funeral will be held on Monday in Southern India. Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Deb, thanks very much. Let's get to the latest developments now on this mass shooting here in Connecticut. The Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that's where we are right now.
Here's what we know as of right now, the bodies of all 26 victims, 20 of them children, six adults, have now been taken out of the small elementary school, transported to the medical examiner's office.
Investigators will remain at the school, though, for the next day or two, at the very least gathering more evidence. Police say the shooter identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza forced his way into the school. But they're not revealing exactly how he got in.
Police also say they found what they describe as -- I'm quoting them now -- good evidence about how and why Lanza carried out this deadly rampage. They say they discovered that information at the school and a secondary crime scene as well, that would be the Lanza family home where the suspect's mother was found shot to death.
As we just mentioned Connecticut State Police say all of the victims have been removed from this elementary school even though we know -- we don't know what happened inside, investigators are painstakingly re-creating the crime scene from beginning to end to make sure we know what's going on.
HLN's law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks is joining us, Deborah Feyerick still with us, of course, as well. Mike, these people are professionals, the investigators, they have to do this extremely difficult work to re-create in effect every one of those minutes if not seconds of what unfolded. Walk us through what they are doing now and why they're doing it.
MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, you heard from Lieutenant Vance of the Connecticut State Police that they will be there at the school, Wolf, at least for another day and a half, two days even more if they need that time.
Now we know that the bodies have been removed. They are undergoing autopsy at the medical examiner's office. That evidence that they collect there will also be analyzed by a crime lab.
But back at the school, you still have crime team -- crime scene technicians. You said they have three major case squads that are going over that school with a fine tooth comb, both inside and outside. Wolf, we don't know exactly how many rounds were fired in that school.
We're hearing witness accounts of maybe 100 or more. And now that makes sense with the new information Susan Candiotti has that that .223 Bushmaster was inside with the magazines with 30 rounds each. So all those rounds, they will try to account for every one of those rounds, Wolf.
And they will try to re-create through still pictures and vide video, fingerprint, DNA, what exactly happened inside that school. One of the other questions, we know the school upgraded their security system, Wolf and that they had some kind of surveillance camera at the front door.
The other question is, were there surveillance cameras throughout the school? If there was, that will also help them recreate exactly what happened and put together a timeline from the time he came up to the time he drove his car up to the school, got out, possibly broke a window and forced his way into the school, to the time he went through the school just wreaking havoc with those three weapons.
BLITZER: Yes, police say they now say they know for a fact he did force his way into that school. He was determined to get inside that small elementary school and start killing people. The question is why would anyone want to do that? We don't have any answers, although the police do say, Mike, they have a pretty good idea of why he did this. When they say that, what does that say to you?
BROOKS: That says to me that they have gleaned some information from either there at the school, his car, the secondary crime scene where his mother was found dead, or possibly also the interviews that they've done with all of his friends, his associates.
We know that in Hoboken, New Jersey, his brother Ryan was taken into custody for a while yesterday and questioned, and possibly a computer taken from his apartment. They've also spoken with his father, I'm sure he was able to give a pretty good history of his background, Wolf.
And do we know if there are any more writings inside of that secondary crime scene back at that house, there could have been. They went over that house, I guarantee you, with a fine tooth comb, taking any computers, any laptops, you name it, to try to get information on the how and the why all this happened.
And I think that we're probably going to hear over the next week exactly what happened because I'm sure that they have some good information.
BLITZER: Deb, like me, all of us, we've covered way too many of those horrific, horrific tragedies. And unfortunately after each one we hope that it's the last, but we know there will be more tragedies down the road. I know you want to ask Mike a question.
FEYERICK: And there are so many questions that have to be answered people say, well, what was the motive? Will there be a motive and to a lot of the families, it's probably like, well, it doesn't matter whether there's a motive. My child is dead.
The bodies are now with the medical examiner. How long, Mike, does the process take before the bodies are turned over to the families, and when you do forensics on a child, a victim, an adult, there were six adults as well, to what end? Is it just so they know the timeline?
BROOKS: Well, you also have to determine a cause of death. We know the manner is most likely homicide in this particular case. By law they have to fill out a death certificate. It's not a very pleasant thing to talk about, but they have to fill out a death certificate for each one of the children and each one of the six adults that was killed there at the scene as well as the shooter.
And so they're going to go through an autopsy just like they would for anyone else. But when you're dealing with that many bodies, you know, most likely they have asked for help from maybe another medical examiner there in the state or even outside the state to come in to assist them because of the sheer number of bodies.
You know, when you have 27, you know, 26, 27 bodies, it takes a long time to do that to do a thorough job. But it's something they have to do, not a pleasant task, but something they have to do.
FEYERICK: Sure, absolutely no question. The one thing that you can't get away with, you know as many guns as there are, you get the sense that if somebody wants to do something like this, sadly and tragically they're going to -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, if they're determined to start killing little children in an elementary school, how do you prevent that? And that's a question that's going to be asked. Mike, we'll continue this conversation, stand by for that.
Meanwhile, a country and a president grieving for victims of this horrific, horrific tragedy. We'll continue our special coverage right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Shock and sadness across the nation, indeed so much of the world following a mass shooting at an elementary school right here in Newtown, Connecticut.
A few hours after the rampage, President Obama delivered a statement, a powerful statement on this horrific tragedy. He got very emotional, sometimes -- typically doesn't get that emotional at least in public, but he actually started to tear up as he spoke about these young victims. Want to play in its entirety the statement that the president made.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation and made it clear he will have condolences and will give him every resource he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, and counsel their families.
We've 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 there is not a parent in America who does not 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 parent and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children and for the families of the adults who were lost.
Our hearts are broken for the parent of the survivors as well. For as blessed as they are 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.
As a country, we have been through this too many times, whether it's an elementary school in Newtown or a shopping mall in Oregon or a temple in Wisconsin or a movie theatre in Aurora or a street corner in Chicago, these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children.
And we're 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 hug our children tighter and remind each other how deeply we love one another.
But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight and they need us right now to come together as Americans and I will do everything in my power as president to help.
Because while nothing can fill the space of the lot of child lost child or a loved one, all of us can remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours.
May God bless the memories of the victims and in the words of scripture, heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Not often you see a president of the United States wiping away tears, holding back those tears, speaking so emotionally, so personally, not only as the president but also as a father.
In that initial statement, he didn't directly address the very sensitive issue of gun control in the United States. But the White House Press Secretary Jay Carney did tell reporters the president supports reinstating a federal ban on the assault -- on assault weapons.
That was from the White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney. The harrowing words from the students who witnessed something that no child should ever have to see are such a powerful reminder of the enormity of this tragedy. To give us a little better idea of what happened, CNN Josh Levs is joining us now with a 3D look at the school. Take us through what happened, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'm going to take you through some new information, Wolf, that we got this morning. What you're seeing next to me, folks, right here is a 3D image of the school in Connecticut and there are two major things I want to tell you at the top.
That we've learned this morning, one is that police are saying that the entire thing is and remains a crime scene. They say they are searching each and every room and in the words of the police, each and every week in the parking lot.
We do not know if there are specific things they are looking for, but we do know that they are searching absolutely everything, scouring the area. Another important thing that really strikes me is police put out a statement this morning saying that the first 911 call about this came in at about 9:30 a.m.
Now I want our viewers in this country and around the world to understand that every minute in the case like this count as police try to reconstruct, even fractions of a minute what happened.
If that first 911 call came in around 9:30 a.m., that moves the time frame back about 10 minutes from what we believed last night and that can introduce new questions. During this time frame, when school was beginning, was the gunman already there? Was he hiding in certain places?
Were there certain things that someone might have notices? Was there something that someone could have seen might have ultimately made a difference? Let me also talk you through a little bit about what we've been hearing this morning about this actual attack.
We do know now that this gunman forced his way into the building. There's a security system at this building. We don't know exactly how he did, but one of the chief questions that schools around the country, people will be asking, how does someone force his way into the school with a weapon?
We heard something that can turn out to be very significant. It's believed that this area right here is where the shootings took place and that the weapons were found right near him. But we have to find out exactly what happened step by step inside this school and what potential evidence that might otherwise -- or ultimately end up finding at any part inside that school, Wolf.
I also want to mention, there were windows that were broken around the school and that leads people to believe that maybe this gunman broke one of the windows to get in. Police said this morning don't jump to that conclusion. They are cautioning against it.
They say when these police arrived, when authorities arrived to respond, they had to force their way in. That involved breaking windows so, again, new questions about all that.
And, folks, while I do this, I want to remind you all, I'm putting my hands all over this as if it's a crime scene, but we're talking about a children's elementary school, something that should never, ever be a crime scene.
Wolf, I'm a father, you are a father, as parents we are obviously sharing this horror and people all around the world are sharing this horror right there with us.
BLITZER: Such a powerful, powerful reminder of the fragile nature of our society and you go to -- you take your kids to school in the morning and you never, ever, ever should have to expect anything like this.
LEVS: That's what we're all grappling with.
BLITZER: Josh, thank you very much for that report.
LEVS: Sure.
BLITZER: We're going to take a quick break. Our special coverage will resume right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
