Newtown Marks Third Anniversary Of Massacre At Sandy Hook Elementary School

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Flags were flying at half-staff Monday across Connecticut in honor of the 26 people killed three years ago in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

The town did not have any memorial events planned, although houses of worship held remembrance events and local groups offered counseling and support services for residents who might want to use them.

It was on the morning of Dec. 14, 2012, that a gunman shot his way into the school and gunned down 20 first-grade children and six educators. Adam Lanza fatally shot his mother inside their home before carrying out the rampage and then killing himself.

The anniversary fell on a school day this year for the first time, and Newtown education officials deliberated before deciding to leave schools open. They were trying to keep to routines Monday, but staff at lower-grade schools offered parents, if requested, talking points on how to discuss the shootings with their children.

A new Sandy Hook school is set to open in the fall of 2016 at the site of the school that was demolished after the shooting. In the meantime, Sandy Hook students are taking classes in a building in the neighboring town of Monroe.

Following the shooting, a nationwide outpouring of support flooded to Newtown victims.

Whitney, a 10-year-old Lincoln girl, was so overcome with sadness after the Sandy Hook shooting that she decided she had to do something to help the students cope: send 600 teddy bears to students at the school.

"I just thought, you know, they could use a little bit of cheering up, so I just thought of teddy bears, because you know it's always something good to hold when you're sad," Whitney said.

What started with humble beginnings is growing into a nationwide movement. Whitney and her mom made fliers and a Facebook page Sunday night at their Lincoln home. In a few days, the page has 6,400 shares. One post reads "sent a donation with love from Colorado."

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