911 Tapes Released In Sandy Hook Massacre

Details

Category: Crime

Published on Wednesday, 04 December 2013 13:10

Ten days before the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre the community of Newtown, Connecticut will relive the tragedy as state officials released six 9-11 calls made the morning of December 14, 2012.

The Newtown community has had a quick succession of searing reminders of the events that unfolded nearly one year ago as the Connecticut Attorney General’s office recently released its official findings which stated twenty year old Adam Lanza acted alone during mass murder that claimed the lives of twenty, five and six year olds, students and six educators.

According to police reports, first responders arrived on the scene approximately four minutes into the 11 minute murder spree that began, at approximately 9:35am, when Adam Lanza shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Lanza killed himself as police were closing in on him. It was later discovered he also murdered his mother before leaving home.

Newtown and State Officials had made attempts to block the tapes citing concerns for the community, parents and children.

New Britain Superior Court Judge Eliot Prescott said in his ruling, "Delaying the release of the audio recordings, particularly where the legal justification to keep them confidential is lacking, only serves to fuel speculation about and undermine confidence in our law enforcement officials,” according to USAToday.

He also denied the tapes constituted child abuse as it was an argument used had it been won would have sealed the tapes permanently.

After listening to the 9-11 tapes, there are no sounds of screams or verbal confrontations with  the killer although sounds of gunshot can be heard.  The dispatchers’ responses, and the background intensity, reflect the escalation of the severity of the situation.

Rick Thorne, Acting Head of Custodial Service at Sandy Hook, was on the line with Newtown 9-11 for approximately ten minutes. He was ordered to shelter in place and relay as much information as possible from his position.

Another 9-11 call came from a teacher who explained the sounds and was also told to keep her students calm and away from the windows. The carnage is not known by the callers and the tapes reveal they understand “something is happening.” They are relatively calm as they relay information.

It was clear no one had any idea of what was happening.

Newtown, Connecticut is a tiny commuter community deeply and irreparably wounded, since that day. Mourning the loss of the dedicated educators and the beautiful children, unknown before that day, and still the light of their small worlds, now serve as a horrific reminder of the brutality of gun violence.

Sources: Wikipedia