Transcripts For CNNW EarlyStart 20121217

On this special edition of early start, a community and a nation in mourning. Newtown, you are not alone. The president , offering words of comfort and inspiration, to those trying to make sense of a senseless tragedy. The face of indescribable violence. In the face of unconscionable evil. Youve looked out of each other. And you cared for one another. And youve loved one another. Were remembering the victims, 20 children and 6 adults. Some who gave their lives to save others. She was truly selfless. She would not hesitate to save anyone else before herself, especially children. As more details emerge, people in the Small Community search for strength to face the difficult days ahead. We will move on. We will never forget. We will, in many ways, be made stronger for what has transpired. And we will get better. Good morning. And welcome to this special edition of early start. It is 5 00 a. M. In the east. Were coming to you live from newtown, connecticut, this morning. It is a raw and rainy morning here. Griefstricken neighbors are holding each other tight, preparing for the first funerals today, in the aftermath of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Heres the latest. President obama came here last night, offering comfort to the inconsolable in private. Then, in an interfaith service, telling those who lost loved ones, you are not alone. And promising to use all of his powers as president to stop these kinds of tragedies. Today, newtown will begin burying its dead. Funerals for jack pinto, and noah pozner. Well get to know more about ana marquezgreen. She is a little girl who liked to sing while her brother played the piano. Well bring the latest on the suspected shooter. How police say he got into the school. And why he may have been targeting it. And also, an exclusive, heartbreaking, wrenching interview, with the sandy hook principal, dawn hochsprung. What her daughters want you to know about their mother. Funeral services this afternoon for the two, beautiful little boys. Jack pinto, just 6 years old, and noah pozner, just turned 6 last month. This closeknit community is beginning to say goodbye. Absolutely. This griefstricken community now has the heartbreaking task of laying their loved ones to rest. Last night, president obama spoke to residents here in newtown, to offer words of comfort. Offer condolences from an entire nation. Saying tragedies like these must end. As a community, youve inspired us, newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, youve looked out for each other. Youve cared for one another. And youve loved one another. This is how newtown will be remembered. And with time and gods grace, that love will see you through. Reporter the president also met with victims family members at a vigil to remember the lives lost in fridays tragedy. Today, the first of many funerals. Being laid to rest this afternoon, 6yearold noah pozner. He has a twin sister, who family members say doesnt know the exact way her brother died. Also being laid to rest, jack pinto. Hes a big giants fan. Cruz wrote a tribute to jack pinto on his cleats, saying jack pinto, my hero. This is hard to talk about. The whole concept of returning to school. I know theres a plan for sandy hook kids to return to school. What are they . Right now, all schools here in newtown will be closed today, so that staff can talk to experts to see how best to talk to their students, to handle the aftermath of fridays shooting. Tomorrow, school will resume, except for sandy hook elementary. They are talking to schools in a neighboring town to see if students can be accommodated there. Connecticut state police are painstakingly piecing together the evidence from fridays massacre. They have positively identified adam lanza as the man who opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School and took his own life. We dont know why he targeted that school and the people inside. Good morning, allison. Whats the latest . Reporter good morning, john. Actually, police have moved us much closer, up to the lanza home. In fact, its right over my shoulder here. Its a huge house that sits on a hill. Right now, theres a couple of police cars still sitting in front of this house. As newtown continues to grieve, though, this Investigation Continues in earnest. Especially about what this gunman was up to, the days and the weeks and the months leading up to this massacre at sandy hook elementary. Investigators say they have proof that the gunman was at one gun range. But they wont say where or when. They say his mother, nancy lanza, who the gunman killed before he went to the school, was also as a gun range. Visited a gun range multiple times. Theyre not saying when or where, either. Investigators say theyve got an immense amount of witnesses to still talk to, including children. Theyve got to interview a lot of people. And they say theyve got weeks worth of work ahead of them. Theyre not yet ready to say what the motive is behind the shooting. Again, motive, as i discussed earlier, that will come as we finish the investigation. We didnt piecemeal it. We dont have a specific reason to stand here and say this occurred. We will. And we are searching diligently and nonstop to answer that question. Federal agents continue chasing leads. Theyre looking at as many as 30 gun ranges, hundreds of gun dealers in a 4county area, surrounding the newtown area. Theyre trying to get answers as to what this gunman was up to, before he opened fire inside this Elementary School. John . As you say, allison, theres so many questions. Alison kosik, outside the lanza house here. And the gun control debate is raging in america. President obama says we need more meaningful action to prevent future tragedies. Opponents of gun control in congress, maintain that americans have a right to bear arms. But supporters of gun rights question the right to own certain types of guns. These are assault weapons. You dont hunt deer with these types of things. I think thats the question that a lot of people have to resolve in their own minds. Where should this line get drawn . A free people should be an armed people. It ensures against the tyranny of the government, if they know that the biggest army is the american people. A number of gun control measures have been introduced in congress over the past few years. But not a single one has made it to the floor for a vote. Senator Dianne Feinstein of california says she plans to introduce a bill next month that places a ban on assault weapons. Today is the first day students across the country return to school since the massacre in connecticut. And from coasttocoast, School Districts are expected to review their security plans to satisfy anxious parents, students, teachers. I was receiving memos from my kids school all weekend. Police departments around the country are expected to increase patrols. And many districts will offer additional Counseling Services to frightened students. And saturday night live, known to take on the news with comedy, took a different approach this weekend. The new york citys childrens chorus opened the show singing silent night. Silent night holy night all is calm all is bright round yon virgin mother and child and coming up, a cnn exclusive. Were going to hear from the family of the sandy hook elementary principal who lost her life trying to confront a killer. [ female announcer ] born from the naturally sweet monk fruit, something this delicious could only come from nature. Now from the maker of splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse. The only 100 natural, nocalorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. The rich, sweet taste of sugar. Nothing artificial. Its all that sweet ever needs to be. New nectresse. Sweetness naturally. I get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. Welcome back to this special edition of early start this morning from newtown, connecticut. She was the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Now, dawn hochsprung is being remembered as a hero, who tried to subdue the gunman before she was killed. We sat down with a conversation with her family. Reporter principal dawn hochsprung was quite a bit younger than her husband, george. But when they got married, for the second time, george was marrying his boss. She was an assistant principal at our school. And i was a seventh grade math teacher at that time. And i just fell in love with her. Reporter george made the big decision. The time had come to propose. She turned me down five times. Reporter you asked her to marry her. And she turned you down . Five times. Reporter what happened the sixth time . The sixth time, i waited until it wasnt so rough sailing. Reporter george had been popping the question on a sailboat they bought together. We got married on a sloop. Reporter beth, amy and ann are his daughters from his first marriage. The other daughter, tina, was out while we were at the house. They are a close but blended family. The dream was, chronological dream. It was going to be dawns house. I was going to die. Im much older than dawn. It was going to be dawns house. All of the children and the grandchildren could use the house on the lake. We built rooms downstairs for kids. It was going to be dawns house ultimately, with all of the children. All the children. And now, its me. I cant i dont think i can do that. Reporter but i want to reiterate to you, george. You have these beautiful daughters and sonsinlaw and grandchildren. And everyone will be here to take care of you. Is that right, ladies . My job is to take care of other people. Reporter its all right if someone takes care of you for a while. Stop being so stubborn. Reporter george still taught at the middle school where they met. In the middle of the day friday, this is how george found out what happened. One of the kids came up with a computer. And said, somethings happening at Sandy Hook School. And your wifes been killed. Reporter george raced out of school. And into a nightmare. Like all of the families of victims, they want to know more. And on this day, they have learned more. Two teachers who survived told george they were having a meeting with dawn when the shots started ringing out. Dawn put herself in jeopardy. And i have been angry about that. Angry. Until just now, when i met two women that she told to go under shelter while she actually confronted the gunman. She could have avoided that. And she didnt. I knew she wouldnt. So, im not angry anymore. Im not angry. Im not angry at anyone. Im not angry. Im just very sad. They were at the meeting. There were gunshots. Somebody shot the window. Somebody came in, into the not into the office, but into the building, the foyer of the building. And dawn told us to go hide. And she and at least one other teacher went out and actually tried to subdue the killer. I dont know where that comes from. Dawn was 52. Reporter everyone here is so proud. No one more so than erica, who said her mom was there for her daughters. Every game, she was there. Every cheerleading stuff, she was there. Every dance competition. She was doing homework on the bleachers. But she was there. And she was my rock. My rock. Reporter and now, she is a hero, too. Final thing i want to ask you is, what would you say to your mom right now . Come back. Just come back. Yes, yes, yes. That was gary tuchman reporting. Its really difficult, i would imagine, for the families. But for all of us to hear their stories and know how they were in life, is really, i think, spectacular. It is. It helps with closure and hope. Its tough to hear this man say that he was supposed to die first. That they bought the house. And she was supposed to live in it. And she doesnt wahe doesnt wa care of. It makes it really, real. Well be right back. Woman ] r mixes with pollen and dust. I get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. You wont just find us online, youll also find us in person, with dedicated support teams at over 500 branches nationwide. 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Talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. Xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. You are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. Ready to change your routine . Ask your doctor about onceaday xarelto®. For more information including cost support options, call 1888xarelto or visit goxarelto. Com. Welcome back. We are in newtown, connecticut, where this morning a grieving community preparing for the first of more than two dozen funerals. Today, they will bury two 6yearold boys. Jack pinto, a big new york giants fans. And noah pozner, two that were slain friday at the sandy hook memorial school. Police are trying to piece together everything that went on. Were trying to find out more about the shooter this morning. Why he may have been targeting the Sandy Hook School. And how he got in those doors to begin this deadly rampage. And for a look at some of the other stories making news this morning, were going to go to Christine Romans. Killed in the line of duty, two Kansas Police officers shot while responding to reports of a suspicious car at a grocery store. They died last night at topeka hospital. A third officer on the scene was not hit. The suspected shooter, 22yearold David Tiscareno is on the run. He is considered dangerous. The state department is expected to get the results on the terror attack on the consulate in benghazi. Hearings on the floor of the house and the senate start thursday. Senator john kerry is expected to be president obamas nominee for next secretary of state. In his current role as Senate Foreign relations committee, kerry had traveled the world to smooth over strained relationship, is including to pakistan after the death of osama bin laden. All eyes remain on washington to see if lawmakers can strike a deal to avoid tax increases and spending cuts over the next decade. The nikkei 225 index in japan is trading higher today. The win will most likely result in a loosening of japans monetary policy. Despite upbeat on the economic data, markets ended lower last week. Its all about the fiscal cliff, right . Could washington be making strides . Yesterday, a source familiar with the talks told cnn that House Speaker john boehner is willing to extend the debt limit for a year. The ceiling stands at 16. 4 trillion. Raising it further, requires an acted of congress, something the republicans have opposed since gaining the house in 2010. That news came a day after a source said boehner had suggested higher taxes on americans with annual incomes over 1 million. Higher than what the president wants. President wants higher taxes on everybody over 250,000. Thank you very much. And coming up, much more live from newtown, connecticut, where the nation looked to president obama for comfort last night. And where detectives continue to look for answers today. [ woman ] dear cat, your hair mixes with pollen and dust. I get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. Something this delicious could only come from nature. New nectresse. The 100 natural nocalorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. New nectresse. Sweetness naturally. And you must know that whatever measure of comfort we can provide, we will provide it. Whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear it. Newtown, you are not alone. Nowtown, you are not alone. President obama offering comfort to this grieving community, as newtown prepares to begin burying the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Welcome back to this special edition of early start. It is a raw and gray morning here in newtown, connecticut. This Close Knit Community is still reeling, still numb, three days after the senseless slaughter at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on friday. President obama paid a visit last night. First, he comforted family members in private. Then, publicly assuring them, you are not alone. He promised to use all the powers he has as president to stop these kinds of tragedies. Today, newtown begins burying its dead, starting with two 6yearold boys. Jack pinto, who loved his new york giants. And noah pozner. He is the youngest victim who was shot 11 times. Police trying to piece together the puzzle here. How the shooter got into the school. And why sandy hook may have been his target. And the brokenhearted family of principal dawn hochsprung speaking exclusively to cnn, with the final moments and her legacy. First, we go to sandra outside a church in newtown, connecticut. This closeknit community is coming together to say goodbye. Absolutely. Very heavy hearts, indeed, in this entire community. And last night, president obama came here to address the residents in newtown, to talk about how he is vowing to make sure tragedies like this dont happen again. In the coming weeks, ill use whatever power this office holds, to engage Law Enforcement, Mental Health professionals and educators, in an effort aimed to preventing more tragedies like this. Reporter the president also met with victims family members at a vigil to remember the lives lost in fridays tragedy. He expressed condolences from an entire nation. I come to offer the love and prayers of the nation. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow. Nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that youre not alone in your grief. Reporter definitely not alone. Today, the first of many funerals. Being laid to rest this afternoon, 6yearold noah pozner. He has a twin sister, who family members say still does not know the exact way her brother died. Also being buried today, 6yearold jack pinto. He was a huge sports fan. And idolized giants receiver victor cruz. Cruz paid tribute to pinto, writing on his cheats, rest in peace, jack pinto. So many and will continue to be so many more. Hard to see. There are a lot of kids, sandra, in this community, who want to know whats next for them. When will they be returning to school . And what do we know about whats going to happen with the Sandy Hook Elementary School . Reporter its a delicate balance. Administrators want to return to a sense of normalcy for a lot of these kids. At the same time, this is such a tragic event. Schools in this community will remain closed today, so the staff can talk to experts to figure out how to deal with this tragedy. All classes will resume tomorrow, except for sandy hook elementary. They are working out with a neighboring town how to accommodate all of those communities. Thank you very much. Connecticut state police have not yet revealed a possible motive for the shootings. But as their Investigation Continues, were starting to learn a bit more. The gunman has been positively identified. And we now know he shot his way into the school and was not buzzed in. Alison kosik is in newtown. Good morning, alison. Reporter good morning. Linking on what you said. How he got into the Elementary School. Sources are telling us, that he blasted his way in. He shot his way, creating an entrance to get inside the school. Despite, yes, the doors were locked as of 9 30. You had to be buzzed in to get into the school. And authorities are saying, once inside the school, he focused his shooting on two classrooms and in the hallway. Police say they found three weapons on him inside the school, that he fired dozens of bull bullets, a semiautomatic rifle on his victims and a handgun to kill himself. The weapon that was utilized most of the time during this crime, was a bushmaster ar15 assault weapon. It had addition aal magazines. And he had a glock and a 6 millimeter. All weapons had additional magazines and additional ammunition. The fourth weapon we recovered was a shotgun, recovered from the suspects vehicle, that was parked outside of a school. Reporter he talks about ammunition that he still had with him, hes talking about he had hundreds of bullets with him that were not used. As for the motive, investigators say they have a lot of work ahead of them, they have an immense amount of witnesses to talk with including children. I was watching the press conference yesterday. They said theyre being very thorough and exhaustive in their investigation here. Do we know anything about the gunmans activetictivities lead to the shooting . Reporter thats what they want to know. The days and weeks and months leading up to the shooting. They already have proof in a the gunman was at least one gun range. Theyre not telling us with when or where. They say his mother was also at multiple gun ranges. Theyre not giving a timeline for that, either. Federal agents continue chasing leads, though. They are, you know, looking at as many as 30 gun ranges, 400 gun dealers in the surrounding area, trying to understand what the activities were of this gunman leading up to this massacre. Alison kosik, reporting live for us. John, yesterday, when i was watching, he said they are going to trace that gun. Theyll know where it was sold, how much it traveled. They have a lot more to figure out. Its been true that gun control has not been on the National Radar for many years now. Now, the debate is raging again. For stricter gun laws. Theres so many weapons in this country. And people are saying enough is enough. Of course, opponents of gun control say, if people in the school had had guns, they would have been able to defend themselves. David axelrod, the man who ran president obamas Reelection Campaign more than three people in recent history, has been in a place where guns were prohibited. And it happens again and again. There was another shooting yesterday. Three people killed, i think, in a hospital. We kill people in schools. We kill them in hospitals. We kill them in religious organizations. We kill them when they are young. We kill them when they are old. And we just have to stop this. David axelrod, the man who helped run president obamas Reelection Campaign tweeted this yesterday. Check this out. He said, in nfl postgame, an ad for shoot em up video games. Shouldnt we quit marketing murder as a game . That raised eyebrows after the Football Game from david axelrod. Im hopeful, as im sure you are, its going to be thoughtful dialogue. And at the end of the day, there will be change. It is sad to think this would have spurned it. Theres been an enormous amount of talk. The discussion is raging all weekend. It will continue this week. But the question is, will there or when will there be action . The newtown tragedy was felt in the nfl on sunday. Victor cruz honored one of the victims. Watching jack prisinto, on his cleats. And sandy hook elementary on his helmet. Victor cruz spoke to the father after learning his son was a big fan. And he spent time talking to the parents and to the little brother, as well. He said it was his way to be able to give back a little bit because he was devastated by this. And i think across the country, thats what we see. Everybody is trying to figure out, what can i do . They feel helpless in a tragedy like this. The new England Patriots wore an insignia on their helmets. And everyone coming together as a town, a state and a country. For information about how you can help those who are affected, go to cnn. Com impact. On one of americas darkest days, the selfless final act of a teacher will be remembered. Well have her story, coming up. [ woman ] dear cat, your hair mixes with pollen and dust. I get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. 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Administrators and teachers at sandy hook are being hailed for their heroism, for saving the lives of the children before worrying about themselves. One of those teachers was 27yearold victoria soto. She led her first graders away from the classroom door, only to be shot and killed by the gunman. Vicki sotos family says the first grade teacher died doing what she loved. And spent her final moments protecting the children that meant the world to her. There are kids now that will be able to say that theyre here today because she sacrificed her life so they could live another day. Reporter soto is being called a hero for shielding her Young Students from harm. She hid her first graders in a closet. But her mother, donna soto, is not surprised by her 27yearold daughters actions. She was truly selfless. She would not hesitate to save anyone else before herself. And especially children. She loved them more than life. And she would definitely put herself in front of them any day. Any day and for any reason. It doesnt surprise anybody that knows vicki that she did this. Reporter donna soto says that vicki knew since the age of 3, she wanted to be a teacher. Thats all she wanted to do. She just loved her kids. He talked about them all the time with such fondness and caring. And she just adored them. Reporter this weekend, family found comfort at vigils for vicki. One in her hometown of stratford. Its great to know that everyone in stratford has been touched somehow. And that came here to celebrate her life. Reporter also celebrating her life, president obama, who spent time with the family, prior to a vigil for victims in newtown. He was very caring and very supportive. And told us he knew all about vicki and what she did and what a hero she was. And he was just very, very kind to us. And gave us the time we needed with him. And it was it was very comforting. Victoria was one of six adults, all women, killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School. 20 children and 6 adults in all, were gunned down at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. We want to honor all of the victims. Like 6yearold charlotte bacon. Charlotte begged her mom to let her wear a new pink dress and boots to school, a holiday outfit. 7yearold daniel barden. A budding athlete. He swam. He played soccer. His family called him fearless. Olivia engle, was just 6 years old. She did ballet and played soccer. And her family said she loved school. Joseph gay, just turned 7 last tuesday. She loved the color purple. Josephine gay, i should say. And ana marquezgreene just 6 years old. Ana grew up with music in her ears. Her father writes music. And there was a 2009 song he wrote about her, ana grace. I was thinking, you did the lovely piece about the teacher. Victoria soto. Just 27 years old. Her life was teaching. Her life was education. Like the six women killed at that school, their lives were education. And they gave their lives for it. When you hear their stories of heroism, as parents, you hope thats whats in the classroom. You never think of teachers having to give their lives for their students. Its heartbreaking. President obama, of course, last night was playing the role of comforter in chief. Telling the people of newtown, they are not alone. Well have more from the emotional and moving vigil, emotional and moving vigil, get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. [ male announcer ] campbells green bean casserole. Its amazing what soup can do something this delicious could only come from nature. New nectresse. The 100 natural nocalorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. New nectresse. Sweetness naturally. Welcome back, everyone, to our special coverage of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Well have more of our coverage. But first, heres Christine Romans in new york. Only 15 days to go before the country goes over the fiscal cliff. House Speaker John Boehner making the latest move in the negotiations. He has agreed to allow tax rates to rise on Household Incomes of more than 1 million a year. And boehner has offered to extend the debt limit of one year as part of a proposed deal. Secretary of state clinton will work from home as she recovers from a concussion. She fainted due to dehydration. May have been due to a stomach flu she battled last week. Blizzard conditions deadly in washington state. A tow truck driver was struck and killed on interstate 90 while trying to tow a car in near whiteout conditions. Its the worst storm to hit that state in more than five years. Lets go to rob marciano. Good morning, rob. This is a doozy. The snows have been piling up. Columbia river bar traffic, to get in to use the river to deliver the goods has been pretty much shut down. More rain and snow on the way here. Theyre measuring in feet. Not only across oregon but northern california, as well. The winds, incredible. Especially at the high elevations. Marys peak, oregon, 101. But in the low lands. And lincoln city, at sea level, 81mileperhour wind gusts. The winds are going to push inland today. So, a larger swath of real estate will be enduring these, at times, damaging winds. And the snow will push inland. Thats good news for the areas of Salt Lake City and around the colorado rockies, where they could use the snow. But the snow will create avalanche conditions across the cascades, where theyve seen several feet of snow. Nice across the midsection. But this storm, if you live in the east coast, youre dealing with it right now, especially in the northeast. You go north of newtown, and brad ford, and southern massachusetts, freezing rain in some spots. Other parts of northern new england, in the form of snow. New york city through southern connecticut, cold, damp, and at times, miserable rainfall. And the thunderstorms will roll across parts of the south today, as they had v last night. 44 degrees in chicago. A chilly, raw 46 degrees in new york city. And, john, up in connecticut, a few degrees cooler in that, as youre enduring right now. Back up to you. Thanks, rob. As you mentioned, it is a gray, rainy day here in newtown, connecticut. Fitting. Funerals will be held today for two of the children killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting. Last night, president obama attended an interfaith memorial service, in his role as comforter in chief, as the community tries to move on in tragedy. We ask god to grant those lost a special place in paradise. And we ask the families to be able to endure the undurable. It is in these times of loss that we seek the comfort of our creator. And that faith reveals mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. We will go on. We will find strength. Faith is a gift, as is our ability to support one another in our greater community. To all of you, i extend my most profound condolences on behalf of all of your fellow citizens for what you have seen, what you have witnessed and what you have personally experienced. As a community, youve inspired us, newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, youve looked out for each other, youve cared for one another. And youve loved one another. This is how newtown will be remembered. And with time and gods grace, that love will see you through. Just some of the moving words we saw last night at this vigil. In a short while, well talk to jason grays. One of the men you saw there. And coming up now, remembering the victims of the Sandy Hook School shooting. And well have the latest, of course, on the police investigation. Well be right back. Mixes with. I get congested. But now, with zyrtecd®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. Zyrtecd® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtecd®. Behind the pharmacy counter. No prescription needed. How theyll live tomorrow. For more than 116 years, Ameriprise Financial has worked for their clients futures. Helping millions of americans retire on their terms. When they want. Where they want. Doing what they want. Ameriprise. The strength of a leader in retirement planning. The heart of 10,000 advisors working with you onetoone. Together for your future. Till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] theres a better way. V8 vfusion. Vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. Couldve had a v8. Or. Try kids boxes [ male announcer ] the way it moves. The way it cleans. 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And more important details emerge about the worst day, people in the small connecticut community, search for strength to face the difficult days ahead. We will move on, we will never forget, we will in many ways be made stronger for what has transpired. And we will get better. Good morning, welcome, everybody. Coming to you live this morning from newtown, connecticut. Im soledad, obrien. And im john berman. This is a special edition of early start. Today, its still dark out, of course, but it will be a very raw and cold and pretty miserable morning, not just, of course, because of the weather this will be the day that the very first funerals are held in the aftermath of fridays massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here is the latest that we know. President obama was here last night, trying to bring some comfort to really what is impossible to comfort. Trying to assure those who lost loved ones they are not alone. Promising to use all of his powers as president of the United States to try to stop these kinds of tragedies and today newtown will begin to bury its dead. They will start with two 6yearold boys. And jack pinto, a big new york giants football fan. And noah posner, littlest of all of the victims. We are beginning learn more about the victims, like anna marqu marquez greene, who loved to write love letters to her parents. How the shooter made his way into the school and why he may have been targeting sandy hook to begin with and an exclusive, heart wrenching moving interview with the family of principal dawn hochsprung. What her daughters would like you to know about their mother the final moments she was alive. Lots of tears and lots of pain in newtown today. Sandra endo, outside a church in a community that is absolutely grief stricken. Today the process of saying goodbye begins. Today, the first of many funerals to come in the days ahead. Last night, president obama came here to speak to residents to offer comfort, but also he vowed to do more. In the coming weeks, ill use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens from Law Enforcement, to Mental Health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. The president also met with victims family members at a vigil last night and spoke about the spirit of this town in the face of such tragedy. As a community, have you inspired us, newtown. In the face of indescribable violence. In the face of unconscionable evil, you have looked out for each other. Youve cared for one another, and you have loved one another. This is how newtown will be remembered and with time and gods grace, that love will see you through. Now this afternoon, 6yearold noah posner will it laid to rest. Also laid to rest, jack pinto. Soledad. Quick question about schools return. We know connecticut kids will go back overall across the state today, but for these kids in this school which is still a crime scene, obviously not going to head back to that school, when do they go back to school and where do they go back to school . All Newtown Schools will be closed today as staff talks with experts to figure out a way to best deal with the tragedy for their students. Tomorrow, all classes will resume except for sandy hook elementary, they will be accommodated by a neighboring school in a neighboring town as soon as they can work out the details. Again, residents and Community Members trying to get a sense of normalcy back for students who have suffered so much. Sandra endo, thank you for the update. Appreciate it. John. Of course, here in connecticut, our focus as much as we can is on the victims, but this is a crime scene and investigators in the pain staying process of piecing together what happened here. Its an around the clock investigation by connecticut state police, and as they gather evidence, police have positively identified adam lanza as the gunman who opened fire. They also confirm that he did kill himself. What we dont know yet . Why . Why did he target the school . Why did he target those innocent children inside . Alison kosik with the latest on the investigation outside the suspects home. Good morning, allison. Good morning, john. And it may be a while before we know that motive. At this moment, we are getting a closer look at where adam lanza lived with his mother nancy, who he also shot and killed before he went to Sandy Hook Elementary School. A house, big house, sitting on top of the hill to my left. All the lights are on, a couple of police cars are in the driveway. Were also learning new details of how this gunman blasted his way into the Elementary School, how many weapons he on him, and how much ammunition he was carrying. The gunman, adam lanza, fired dozens of bullets, using a semi automatic rifle on his victims, using a pistol to kill himself. The victim utilized most of the time during this horrific crime, was identified a bushmaster ar15 assault weapon. It had multiple magazines. The suspect also had a glock 10 millimeter, and one other weapon. A fourth weapon, a shotgun was found in the car parked outside the school. They continue to focus the effort on the school crime scene, were learning more about the shooters activities in the days, weeks and months leading up to the second worst School Shooting in the nations history. Lanza visited a gun range. We do not know where or when. An atf spokesperson says his mother nancy lanza visited a shooting range multiple times. Her son also kid her. As for motive, authorities are searching for answers. Were pleased with the work thats been done so far. Im hoping that helps answer that question. Were pleased with the progress that were making. This is a very long, tedious process. And federal agents continue chasing many leads, including visiting as many as 30 gun ranges in the area and hundreds of gun shops, of gun dealers in the surrounding area, at least four counties. What they are really looking fork john, trying to figure out what the gunman was up to in the days, weeks, months, leading up to the massacre on friday. John. Alison kosik, outside the lanza home. One of the crime scenes, one of the sites that investigators are still looking into in connecticut. Thank you, allison. The School Massacre has reignited the gun control debate in america. President obama, insisting early on that there was more meaningful action that needed to be taken to prevent future tragedies, opponents of gun control say americans have the right to bear arms, but supporters of stricter gun laws question anybodys right to own automatic weapons. These are assault weapons. You dont hunt deer with these things and thats the question that a lot of people have to resolve this their own minds. Where should this line get drawn . A free people should be an armed people it ensures against the tyranny of the government if they know the biggest army is the american people. A number of gun control measures have been introduced in congress, but not one single measure has made it to the floor for a vote. And Dianne Feinstein said yesterday she will introduce a bill that will ban assault weapons. Coming up at 6 40, well talk more about gun control and whether congress will take up the issue and there will be any type of change. Well talk to Mary Bono Mack and connie mack. Well talk about Mental Health. A real passion for congresswoman mack. We just finished a president ial campaign 18 months long, and gun control hardly came up at all. Almost never. Now that issue very much back on the table. Today, first day that kids return to School Across the country since the connecticut massacre. Schools are expected to review security plans to satisfy anxious students, parents and teachers. I was receiving updates from my kids school all week. Departments are expected to increase school patrols, and many districts offering additional Counseling Services to students today. You know they need it in the wake of this. Saturday night live, normally known to take kind of a funny and satiric look in the news, a much more subdued approach in the wake of this. The new york city childrens chorus opened the show singing silent night. It was beautiful. Silent night holy night all is calm all is bright round yon virgin. Bravo, saturday night live. A beautiful, moving tribute. A question a lot of people have been asking, ive been asking. How to talk to your children about the Newtown School tragedy. Well discuss that, coming up next. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. 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By the end of this, our fifth year, our total can reach almost 25 million dollars. Its a nice reflection on us all. Now through january 2nd. Welcome back, everyone, to a special edition of early start, as newtown and the entire nation grieves this morning. We are examining how the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School maybe could have been prevented. We have the head of columbia universitys National Center for disaster preparedness, also president and cofounder of the Childrens Health fund. Are you often brought in after disasters, spent a lot of time at katrina, bp oil spill, Hurricane Sandy as well. In this particular case at this particular school, they did everything right. This is an amazingly prepared faculty and administration of this school, and we were very impressed. I was expecting to see, you know, chaos, disorganization, so forth. What we saw instead was heroism, and a really defined plan of action that either came because people knew what they were doing and figured it out on the spot, but a lot of this was practice beforehand which is really critical. And i think the teachers deserve a tremendous amount of credit as obviously does the administration. And the students for that matter. They had trained. They had trained in these exercises for these types of events. Yeah. This is the kind of thing we would hope to see in every school in the country that the schools are prepared for all kinds of emergencies. This particular thing, so powerfully dangerous, and very important that people are keeping their plans, following a plan, know what to do. Keeping things under control as much as possible under the worst possible circumstances. We created the lockdown scenario after columbine and part of that, because had you teenage shooters and teenagers in the schools and the idea, if you had instead of chaos of everyone in the hallways, people couldnt expect who was a suspect and who was a student who needed help. Very chaotic. I wonder if schools need to go further in some capacity. A lot of those children, you would hear the parents describe it as if they were in lockdown in a classroom and stuck there. How can you make a school physically safer . First of all, there are number of things you can control access into the school. Step number one. And this school did a pretty good job. All sorts of procedures for getting into the school. This is a shooter, as we know, forced himself into the school under a very violent situation. I dont think there was much more they could have done about it. We will see a lot of discussion, controversy, on whether we need to do more about that. Whether anybody needs to be armed in the school which i certainly would oppose personally, but on the other hand, many schools in virginia, fairfax county, high schools and junior high schools who have police officers, Public Safety officer whos are there, where there is a physical presence, as a reassuring presence, may or may not be a food idea. A lot of things now will be explored. Were really in unchartered territory now. Now absolutely nomans land in terms of understanding what needs to be done. An Elementary School situation. One example in 2006 where the school in lancaster, pennsylvania, was invaded, and a lot of children were massacred there and nothing much happened. With this event, i think well see some action, a lot of discussion about what well do next in terms of protecting children and dont forget, this is a very, very rare occurrence. Let me play a little of what president obama said in the vigil. I thought it was a beautiful, very emotional vigil last night. Lets play a little of what the president said. In the coming weeks, i will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from Law Enforcement, to Mental Health professionals to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. He basically said we have to engage everybody in finding a solution to this, and he mentioned Mental Health as well. There is this intersection between access to guns which the killer relied on heavily in this case, and also we know descriptions of him being disturbed. Anyone who commits a mass murder, thats fair to say, and other information coming up about his childhood as well. What what should the focus be on Mental Health . Which people dont discuss very much until there is some kind of tragedy like this . First of all, there are millions and millions of people that have all sorts of Mental Health issues from anxiety and stress to much more serious disorders. There is the whole spectrum, autism spectrum, many, many issues, all of us know people, we have issues. No correlation between autism thats what i was going to say. No correlation between autism or the autism spectrum with this kind of violent behavior. So all im saying, we have a great mix of all kinds of issues we have to deal with in society and a lot of guns, and you have somebody that gets to that tipping point, for whatever reasons, and there are these kinds of weapons available, we have a toxic stew problems, and those who become shooters is virtually impossible. I mean, a lot of warning signs that people need to get Mental Health Mental Health assistance and professional help and in terms of picking up individuals become violent shooters like this, its very, very challenging. Doctor, thank you very much. We appreciate your time. Gone much too soon obviously. The victims of the horrible, horrible shooting. But not forgotten, when we come back, well take a closer look at the victims who lost their lives in newtown, connecticut. E a shooting star make a wish i wish we could lie here forever. I wish this test drive was over, so we could head back to the dealership. [ male announcer ] its practically yours. Test drive but we still need your signature. Volkswagen sign then drive is back. And its never been easier to get a jetta. Thats the power of german engineering. Get 0 down, 0 due at signing, 0 deposit, and 0 first months payment on any new volkswagen. Visit vwdealer. Com today. On any new volkswagen. Alriwoah did you get that . And. Flip yep, look at this. It takes like 20 pictures at a time. I never miss anything. Isnt that awesome . Uh thats really cool. You should upload these. I know, right . That is really amazing. The pictures are so clear. Kevins a Handsome Devil that phone does everything search dog tricks. Okay, see if we can teach him something cool. Look at how lazy kevin is. Kevin, get it together dude cmon, kevin take 20 pictures with burst shot on the galaxy s3. Welcome back, everyone. Were in a gray, rainy newtown, connecticut, this morning. Gray in so many ways. A grieving community prepares for the first of more than two dozen funerals. Today, they bury two 6yearold boys, jack pinto, a big new york giants football fans, and noah pozner, the youngest of the victims. A brutal day. Police are still trying to put together the pieces of what exactly what happened. An ongoing investigation. Lots of questions. Very Little Information is known about the shooter and why he might be targeting the Sandy Hook Elementary School and why this community would be a focus of his rage. So many questions, and the investigation does continue. A lot of other news in the world this morning. Other top stories, well go to Christine Romans in new york. Killed in the line of duty. Two Kansas City Police officers. Shot while reporting to a suspicious car at a grocery store. They died lastnight at topeka hospital. A third officer on the scene not hit. The suspected shooter, 22yearold David Tiscareno on the run, considered armed and extremely dangerous. The state department is expected to get the results of an independent review board investigation on the terror attack at the u. S. Consulate in benghazi. Hearings and testimony in the house and senate begin on thursday. Senator john kerry, expected to be president obamas pick to be the next secretary of state. According to a democratic source, a formal announcement could come next week. His current role as chair of the Senate Foreign relations committee, kerry has traveled the world to soothe strained relations, including traveling to pakistan after the death of osama bin laden. All eyes on washington to see if lawmakers can strike a deal to avoid tax increases and spending cuts. And in japan, the nikkei is trading higher. Despite economic upbeat data on the global economy, u. S. Markets ended lower. Can u. S. Be making strides in the fiscal cliff negotiations . John boehner has offered to extend the debt limit for a year as part of the deficit reduction deal. The debt limit stands at 16 16. Trillion. Raising it further requires an act of congress, something republicans strongly oppose. Boehnaioehner proposed higher t rates for those americans making more than 1 million. The president would like to raise taxes on those earning 250,000. Still a bit of a gap of what they are positive posing and what the president wants. A lot of people say the tragedy here may make a deal happen more quickly. No one wants to be seen as petty or playing petty politics after Something Like this. It just doesnt fit. Throughout the morning, well tell you more about the victims of the newtown School Shooting. Each fallen child, every adult who perished. Zoraida sambolin has a look at that this morning. Thank you, soledad. Were remembering dylan huockle this morning. Only 6 years old. His mom described the area as a wonderful place to live with incredible neighbors and wonderful schools. Then there is 6yearold madeline hsu. Little mady, and a neighbor who shared rides to school remembers her as a sweet and wonderful girl. Were remembering Catherine Violet hubbard, she loves n s animals, and instead of flowers, her family requests donations to the newtown animal shelter. Chase cow wa kowalskki loved sports, and jesse lewis learning to ride a horse. Two miniatures, three dogs and a flock of chickens. His mother said he loved to tell stories and lived life brave, and he lived life true. Coming up, much more live from newtown, connecticut, where the nation looked to president obama for comfort last night and where detectives continue to look for answers today. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isnt a thing at all . Its lots of things. All waking up. Becoming part of the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. 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Whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear it. Newtown, you are not alone. That was president obama from last night, you can hear him offering comfort to a grieving community. Newtown prepares to begin burying the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. That will happen today. Welcome back, everybody. Soledad obrien, live in newtown, connecticut this morning. Im john berman this is a special edition of early start. Im Zoraida Sambolin. At the Media Briefing location. At newtown, police talked to report reporters in about two hours. Well continue to monitor that. Zoraida, thank you. The police have been really good on the investigation and also how the families are doing. A closeknit, Small Community. They are still reeling and numb. Three days since the senseless massacre took place at the Elementary School friday morning. President obama paid a visit last night. Comforting family members in private and publicly assuring them you are not alone. He promised to use all of his powers as president to stop these kinds of tragedies. Remains to be seen what that means exactly. Today, newtown begins burying its dead, starting with two 6yearold boys. Jack pinto, loved new york giants and noah pozner, the youngest victim, shot 11 times. Every time you look at these beautiful little boys, breaks your heart all over again. It looks like my boys, breaks me up. Cant think of your own kids or nieces or nephews or grandchildren. So many questions remain in this investigation. How exactly the shooter made his way around the school, why would he target an Elementary School, did he have a connection to this Elementary School . And, of course, the family of the principal speaking. Brokenhearted family of principal dawn hochsprung spoke last night. And a gripping interview with our gary tuchman. So were going to bring that interview to you later this morning. It is absolutely heartbreaking. I feel its a word were overusing, because we say it all the time. But i dont know what other words to use as you try to describe peoples grief. Even the people who tell the story of the children running out of the classroom surviving and so happy because their children are alive, and yet they are so grief stricken, because their childrens classmates are not. This is a community all weekend who has been going through this together. Sandra endoin a church in newtown, connecticut, the process of saying goodbye, sand sandra, about to begin today. Absolutely, john. This grovestricken community now in the process of laying their loved ones to rest. Today, the first of many funerals in the days to come. Comfort and support from president obama to the residents of newtown. Without mentioning specifics, he vowed to do more. Ill use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from Law Enforcement to Mental Health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Reporter the president attended a vigil, with victims family members, to offer condolences from an entire nation. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that you are not alone in your grief. But the grove strickief stri community now has the heartbreaking task of laying loved ones to rest. Today, the first funerals. This afternoon 6yearold noah pozner will be laid to rest. He has a twin sister who family members say still doesnt know the exact way her brother died. Also being buried, 6yearold jack pinto, a huge sports fan. His idol, star receiver victor cruz. Cruz paid tribute to pinto, writing jack pinto, my hero on his cleat, and on the other, rest in peace jack pinto. All Newtown Schools will be closed today for staff to work with experts on how best to deal with students in the aftermath. Administrators are working out a plan with a neighboring town to accommodate sandy hook students as soon as possible. The impact on schools extends far beyond this community. Schools across the country will likely be revisiting their security plans and have to deal with students questions that may be unanswerable. John. So, sandra, kids in connecticut going back to school today. What are the plans here in newtown, connecticut . What are the plans for the Sandy Hook Elementary School . Well, sandy hook Elementary Students will not be going back to school until they can be accommodated by a neighboring town school. And all schools in newtown will be closed so staff can talk to experts on how to deal with this tragedy and talk to students after they do return. Classes are to resume tomorrow. Sandra, thanks so much. How do you tell your child whose twin brother was killed . I am the parents of twins. Every time i hear it, its a punch in the gut. They were separated, so this little girl doesnt know how her brother died. Investigators described it as peeling back the layers of an onion. A painstaking process. Connecticut police say they dont know, certainly havent revealed the motive of shootings, lots of evidence. And evidence gathering continues. We are learning moany more key details. The gunman, positively identified. Shot his way into the school. Basically used the highpowered Assault Rifle to blow through. Shot through the glass. More to know about the shooter that is not known. Alison kosik with the latest on the investigation in newtown. Alison. The gunman lived in a quiet, affluent neighborhood. A big house on top of a hill. Right now, the lights are on, two police cars in the driveway. You talked about how he literally blasted his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, once he was inside, police say what he did, he concentrated his shooting on two classrooms and in the hallway. Police say he had three weapons on him. Inside the school is what they found, he had he fired dozens of bullets, using a semi automatic rifle on most of his victims, using a handgun to kill himself. The weapon that was utilized most of the time during this horrific crime was identified as a bushmaster ar15 assault type weapon. It had high capacity magazines. In addition to that the subject had in his possession a glock 10 meter, a sig sauer. 9 millimeter. All weapons had additional ammunition. The fourth weapon, a shotgun recovered from the suspects vehicle outside of the school. Whats really devastating. You think about how much ammunition this gunman had on him. Hundreds of bullets with him that werent even used. Soledad. Alison kosik for us, outside the gunmans home that he shared with his mother, both now deceased. Lets get back to Zoraida Sambolin with more information in the wake of the shooting. Zoraida. I do, soledad. Actually, im at treadwell park, where most of the press conferences take place. I want to point something out behind me, is a soccer field. You have to wonder how many kids and families enjoyed time here. We want to learn a little more about these kids. We find out more about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings and victims. And were learning of acts of heroism victims, including sandy hook principal dawn hochsprung. Their family spoke exclusively with cnns gary tuchman. They are devastated, but proud. Dawn put herself in jeopardy and i have been angry about that. Angry, until just now today, when i met the two women that she told to go run to shelter, while she actually confronted the gunman and she could not she could have avoided that and she didnt. I knew they wouldnt. I dont think i want to ask you this. What would you say to your mom right now . Come back. Just come back. Just breaks your heart. Dawns daughter says her mother was her rock, and now their hero. The newtown tragedy was felt all across the nfl on sunday as well. New york giants wide receiver victor cruz honored one of the victims, little 6yearold jack pinto. Writing jack winter york my hero. And they worry she on helmets for sandy hook elementary. Cruz spoke with the boys family after learning their boy was a big fan. They are considering burying their son in cruz jersey. A really emotional moment. Cruz wanted to be able to somehow express his condolences, john and soledad, so he called the family and you know, trying to figure out what he also can do to help. A lot of people are feeling that way across the country. I think thats very true. Very hard what do you do. You look at pictures of the kids and feel very powerless. United way, other places have set up charities to send money, but people want to do more than that. Thanks, zoraida. Not a hot topic during the 2012 campaign. You know what . It wasnt a topic at all. But now gun control is a topic. Well speak with Mary Bono Mack and connie mack, both here together when we come back. So, this board gives me rates for progressive direct and other Car Insurance companies . Yes. But youre progressive, and theyre them. Yes. But theyre here. Yes. Are you. . There . Yes. No. Are you them . Im me. But those rates are for. Them. So them are here. Yes you want to run through it again . No, im good. You got it . Yes. Rates for us and them now thats progressive. Call or click today. A hybrid . Most are just no fun to drive. Now, heres one that will make you feel alive. Meet the fivepassenger ford cmax hybrid. Cmax says ha. Cmax says wheeee. Which is what you get, dont you see . Cause cmax has lots more horsepower than prius v, a hybrid that cmax also bests in mpg. Say hi to the allnew 47 combined mpg cmax hybrid. [ sniffs ] i took dayquil but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesnt treat that. Really . [ male announcer ] alkaseltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. Thats the cold truth in the aftermath of the tragedy here in newtown, connecticut, we are hearing two familiar arguments renewed, really throughout the country, over gun control and the state of americas Mental Health system. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper who endured its own massacre at a theater in aurora told cnns state of the union this. What you can do is expand your capacity, your framework within a state or in the country to have more people paying attention and trying to detect folks that are unstable, on the verge of real trouble, trying to catch them at a sooner level. California congresswoman, Mary Bono Mack has concerns about the Mental Health system. Were also joined by her husband, florida congressman connie mack. Both are leaving congress when this term is up. I want to talk about Mental Health. First, i want to talk about the president last night at this vigil. He did speak about measures that sounded like he was talking about gun control. Lets take a listen to what he said. In the coming weeks i had use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens from Law Enforcement, to Mental Health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. So what can be done to prevent these tragedies . I think the president is on the right path here. There has to be an awful lot that is done. To simply throw out one quick answer is not doing justice to any of the victims and their families right now. We have to look at Mental Health. I think the question of gun control, of course, we should debate that question. There is going to be so much we really have to delve into and not look for the quick, quick, quick fix. I think that everyone is willing, able, and eager to talk about the full range of issues right now. One of the things the president said last night, one of the most interesting questions, i have been asking myself, have we done everything we can to keep our kids safe . He said when he searched his own feelings, the answer was no. Let me ask you this, congressman mack, have you been doing everything you can to keep americas kids safe . Let me say this is the first time weve been here, and our hearts and prayers are with the families, with this community, such a tragic event that happened, it should never happen to any of our children or our citizens, but the question you asked, have we done enough . There is nothing you cant do everything it would take to keep everybody safe, but we need to try to do more. Look, were hearing about the challenges that this this young man had, the stories that his mother was telling friends. There are warning signs left and right about this young man, and we need to have our communities in a position where they can recognize those warning signs and act on those warning signs. The president himself seemed to address your statement right there. He said helplessness isnt a reason not to try to do something. So on the subject of Mental Health, such a big concern of yours, congressman mack what is the Government Role when it comes to Mental Health . Is there a role . For me, i have been focused a lot on the Prescription Drug epidemic and moving to the Mental Health issues, i supported the well stone Mental Health parody act. Mental health is part of physical health and treat it as such. It isnt just a Government Role. A family role, a societal role, a cultural role, its everywh e everywhere, in our homes. Every person in america has to ask the question, we cant just look to the government for the answer, although there will be some answers there. Just this morning on the drive over here, i researched that the center of Disease Control has an agency or program look into these types of violence. I had never heard of that before until now, so i would like know is it funded at the level it should be funded, is it doing what it should be doing . Who is it reporting to . One of the greatest sources of funding for Mental Health issues comes from medicaid, of course. I dont want to make this a partisan issue, its not a partisan issue, but the ryan budget, for instance, included very big cuts in some instances for medicaid. Would Mental Health issues be affected by the kind of cuts that have been discussed over the past couple of years. With all due respect, i dont know that question really gets to the heart of this. You see members of congress understand that there is a lot thats unknown about Mental Health. Mental health there, is a stigma in our society about meantality health, which there shouldnt be. This is an issue that is obviously important to the safety of our communities, and so making sure that there is funding available and that we understand what were when we say Mental Health, people dont even really understand what that is. But when we have young men in our communities like the the young man that committed this tragedy, these murders, there were warning signs everywhere, and we need to have a society that is looking for those warning signs and know how to act. Right now, no one would know how to act on those issues. Thats what we need to do. Senator joe liberman, his last few weeks as senator, has suggested doing a National Commission of some kind to look into all of these issues, i think. The Mental Health issues, gun control. Would this be a good idea . What would you like to see come that . I think its a great idea. I think we should have a national dialog, put everything on the table. Every parent or grandparent should expect that. Everything should be on the table and have a reasoned debate. Back to the question about the ryan budget, the reason its important to say this, although i support the ryan budget, its so hard to always put these things in the terms of budgets. The country is faced with cuts, but i support increasing medicaid and supported s chip and increased medicaid funding on the state level. We look at political answers, we shouldnt jump on something and oversimplify it. Parents deserve better. The victims of this heinous tragedy deserve better, and i think we as a country need to quit shouting at each other and try to find the instant problems and exploit them. Everything should be on the table. Senator liberman is right. The macks, thank you, both, so much. I know you just did arrive here. So moving to be here in this town where the tragedy did happen. And as you said, sometimes words like budgets and funding, this and that, cold words dealing with the tragedy. Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it. Of course, as we mentioned, president obama did play the role as comforter in chief in newtown, telling people in this community, they are not alone and they are not alone. More from last nights vigil, coming up. Lie here forever. 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