# Shooting at CT Elementary School **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 14, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044 "2012-12-14T17:55:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/101 "2012-12-14T20:50:51Z")
The State Police just publicly announced 20 children, 6 adults, plus the murdering fuck dead at the school. One more adult dead at another crime scene, presumably the shooter’s home. ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/102 "2012-12-14T20:52:33Z")
> [@chargerrich](#): > > My wife called me in tears, we have an amazing two year old and she is now determined that we will home school, something that I always found awkward and creepy in the past (probably from my youth and some experiences and influences that are probably outdated and myopic). > > Anyway, after seeing something like this, I am starting to think home schooling is a better option… how sad, so very sad. My wife is a teacher. The amount of education, training, planning and hard work that goes into her teaching a single subject to a single grade level is astounding. How a couple of ordinary parents can hope to provide a good, well rounded education from pre-k though high school is something I cannot really understand. English. History. Math (high school algebra??). General science. Biology. Physics. Foreign language. Art. Music. Physican education. You and your wife might have some knowledge in some of these, but ALL of them? I personally think public schooling is a better option. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/103 "2012-12-14T20:53:51Z")
Updated totals: 20 kids, 7 adults. Just awful. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/104 "2012-12-14T20:54:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Schools need to take a more active stance and provide guards at the primary access point of a school, a person who does a physical search of visitors and their bags during school hours, prior to their being let past the hardline. While the teachers did their jobs and possibly saved lives in the process, the guy never should have gotten past the front door. Schools have a hard time coming up with the money to pay teachers. I highly doubt most schools (where weapon violence isn’t a big threat) would have the resources to pay someone to do this who would do it well and do it properly. ETA: 20 kids. Good Lord… ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/105 "2012-12-14T20:54:51Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > When I was in high school I made a foot long knife in shop class and carried it with me from class to class while making it. I took a hand gun safety training course at school. The rural kids in my area took guns to school for target practice. > > Times have changed. Heh when I was in grade 6 I took a crossbow I made with my dad to school (to be honest he didd most of the work - though I did carve the stock) - the teacher was so thrilled that our whole class was allowed out early so I could demonstrate its use in the little woods behind the school. The teacher took a shot as well. There was never any suggestion by anyone (and it never even crossed my mind) that this was inappropriate. This was in the '70s, in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/106 "2012-12-14T20:58:45Z")
This is unfortunate, and sad that yet _another_ situation like this must take place, before there is a real discussion (with action), on the issue. > [@KermitTheFrig](#): > > My wife is a teacher. The amount of education, training, planning and hard work that goes into her teaching a single subject to a single grade level is astounding. And I’ll add, it’s one of the most under-appreciated professions in the country, to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/107 "2012-12-14T21:02:54Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > She was murdered by her son, so she won’t be around to deal with any parental guilt. The person who presumably let him into the school, not the mother. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/108 "2012-12-14T21:09:29Z")
Obama’s speech made me tear up. It was _really_ hard to watch when he got too choked up to speak for several seconds. I feel for the shooter’s brother. Two states away, lost both mother and brother, his brother responsible for something so horrific, and he gets blamed for it for a couple hours, which in social media terms is an eternity. People posting “burn in hell” on Facebook even though his friends were telling everyone Ryan was still alive. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/109 "2012-12-14T21:09:46Z")
> [@KermitTheFrig](#): > > My wife is a teacher. The amount of education, training, planning and hard work that goes into her teaching a single subject to a single grade level is astounding. How a couple of ordinary parents can hope to provide a good, well rounded education from pre-k though high school is something I cannot really understand. English. History. Math (high school algebra??). General science. Biology. Physics. Foreign language. Art. Music. Physican education. You and your wife might have some knowledge in some of these, but ALL of them? Briefly: around here, “home schooling” is typically associative. You can get into one of several existing networks of other home-school families. Among all the parents/relative/friends of all these families, subject-matter experts are found (or occasionally, hired) when necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/110 "2012-12-14T21:10:31Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Schools have a hard time coming up with the money to pay teachers. I highly doubt most schools (where weapon violence isn’t a big threat) would have the resources to pay someone to do this who would do it well and do it properly. > > ETA: 20 kids. Good Lord… Lack of money doesn’t negate the need, and this sort of work is done all over the world at our embassies, so there are lots of well-qualified contractors out there. It’s really not that difficult to build a hardline at the front door of a building; hell, I could design one myself. Perhaps the money needs to come from federal sources. It’s not a difficult choice between dead kids and live kids. Perhaps our billionaires could help out, instead of donating hundreds of millions to political campaigns. You know, philanthropy instead of purchasing politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/111 "2012-12-14T21:11:59Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > She was murdered by her son, so she won’t be around to deal with any parental guilt. You mean she let him in? Or was it somebody in the administrative office? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/112 "2012-12-14T21:14:02Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > But you don’t want to tell the gunman what the kids are doing. Either way he is going to notice. This isn’t a Tom Clancy thriller situation. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/113 "2012-12-14T21:14:23Z")
Oh god. CNN is reporting that the shooter’s brother was found dead in Hoboken. Suicide? ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/114 "2012-12-14T21:15:54Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > And just after the shooting here in Portland. Makes you wonder if there was any connection. This is definitely going to bring back up some serious gun regulation discussion. But, since it’s America, I’m not holding my breath that anything significant will be accomplished. > > Ugh just…what kind of sick bastard shoots up an elementary school? Or there’ll be a round of mental health “think of the children” crackdowns. More people prevented from attending school due to mental health histories, more involuntary commitments (“He’s one of _those_ guys who we are afraid might shoot up a school someday”). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/115 "2012-12-14T21:20:27Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Or there’ll be a round of mental health “think of the children” crackdowns. More people prevented from attending school due to mental health histories, more involuntary commitments (“He’s one of _those_ guys who we are afraid might shoot up a school someday”). People have talked about that after other massacres, but as far as I know it hasn’t happened. Mental health issues have been pretty well destigmatized overall. I remember dumbass stories about kids getting suspended for writing violent stories in school, but I don’t think there’s been a crackdown on people with mental illness. Even among people who are really sick, most aren’t violent. That seems to be generally understood. The issue, I think, is making treatment available and helping people recognize it to some extent. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/116 "2012-12-14T21:21:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > You mean she let him in? Or was it somebody in the administrative office? I took your comment to mean that the killer’s mom would obviously feel guilty because he was allowed access to the school by virtue of being known as a teacher’s son, and therefore allowed to enter the building… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/117 "2012-12-14T21:23:54Z")
Have the conspiracy theories in the wacko-sphere started yet? I’m fully expecting a slew of “It’s a plot! Obama and the CIA programmed the shooter so they can confiscate all our guns!” ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/118 "2012-12-14T21:25:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Have the conspiracy theories in the wacko-sphere started yet? I’m fully expecting a slew of “It’s a plot! Obama and the CIA programmed the shooter so they can confiscate all our guns!” Yep. Per the Something Awful forums the freepers assert that it’s a liberal Obama conspiracy to force gun control down our throats. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/119 "2012-12-14T21:26:38Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Oh god. CNN is reporting that the shooter’s brother was found dead in Hoboken. Suicide? Last I heard on the radio about 40 mins ago was that they had his brother in custody and was questioning him. Your news a new update? Gonna search for it… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044/120 "2012-12-14T21:28:42Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Obama’s speech made me tear up. It was _really_ hard to watch when he got too choked up to speak for several seconds. Here’s the video for others who’d like to watch: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIA0W69U2\_Y](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIA0W69U2_Y) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-at-ct-elementary-school/644044.md?page=7)