Six-year-olds James Mattioli (left) Olivia Engel (right) were slain in the senseless attack. (Facebook)
Victims Charlotte Bacon (left) and Noah Pozner (right), both six. (
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Victims Jessica Rekos, 6, (left) and Lauren Rousseau, 30 (right), a teacher, (Facebook)
State Police spokesman Paul Vance briefs the media today. in Newtown today. (Splash News)
The gunman who murdered 20 elementary-school students in Newtown, Conn. shot some of the children as many as 11 times — leaving his little victims with wounds the state medical examiner today called “devastating.”
Chief Medical Examiner H. Wayne Carver II said all of the children killed in yesterday’s massacre were shot more than once, and most were first-graders. Two of the seven children he examined were shot at close range.
All of the children were shot with a “long rifle,” that was one of three weapons madman Adam Lanza, 20, was armed with when he drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School and carried out his killing spree yesterday.
The madman’s father, Peter Lanza, issued a statement today where he said the family is in “a state of disbelief” in the aftermath of the murder spree.
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones and to all those who were injured. Our family is grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy. No words can truly express how heartbroken we are,” the statement read.
“We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why. We have cooperated fully with law enforcement and will continue to do so. Like so many of you, we are saddened, but struggling to make sense of what has transpired.”
More details about the victims emerged today:
First-grader Jesse Lewis loved working on his mom’s farm. Emilie Parker was an upbeat 6-year-old who always put others’ feelings first.
Their principal, Dawn Hochsprung, adored her students so much she tweeted about their projects nearly every day.
They all went to school on Friday as they always did but would never return home.
The savage gunman stole the tender lives of 20 children, many as young as 5 years old. He randomly slaughtered sons and daughters, and one child’s twin sister. He cut down six adults, including mothers and wives.
Teacher Vicki Leigh Soto, 27, was killed when she tried to hide her students in a classroom closet. She was found huddled next to them.
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6, daughter of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Greene, was gunned down but her older brother escaped unharmed.
“None of her kids got hurt. Not one,” said Carmen Soto, the victim’s aunt. “She’s a hero . . . because she protected those kids.”
School psychologist Mary Sherlach, 56, was looking forward to retirement with her husband of more than three decades. Now his life partner is gone, and their two daughters, in their 20s, are without a mom.
Meanwhile, it emerged today Lanza’s mother — who was also killed in the spree — was a gun nut who took her troubled son to shooting ranges.
“She’d take them to the range a lot. … Nancy was an enthusiast — so much so that she wanted to pass it on to her kids,” said her former landscaper, and occasional drinking buddy, Dan Holmes.
“She took her two sons to the gun ranges quite a bit to practice their aim. She was a really great shot from what she told me. Whenever I finished work and went inside to chit chat, she spoke often about her fascination with firearms. Nancy had an extensive gun collection and she was really quite proud of it.”
THE POST’S COVERAGE OF THE CONNECTICUT MASSACRE
VICTIMS ID’D AS POLICE UNCOVER ‘VERY GOOD EVIDENCE’ OF SHOOTER’S MOTIVES
PHOTOS: SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING
Nancy collected rifles, he said — and smiled when she looked at one antique gun.
“I remember one time she brought a nice case out and when she opened it up, she pulled out this beautiful old rifle,” he said. “I don’t know a lot about guns, but to me it looked really beautiful and old. She was really proud of that one. It was a beautiful old hand crafted rifle with a wooden handle. She would just smile when she looked at it.”
Cops have recovered “very good evidence” at Adam Lanza’s house and hoped it would provide motive in the shocking killings.
Lanza busted his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people — most of which were children — after killing his mom in their house.
“She would often talk about her son having social issues. She told me he was a brilliant kid and very book smart but that he was very awkward around people and wanted to be by himself,” he said. “He was a very fearful kid.”
Nancy took her son Ryan to New Orleans last year around the holidays, but Adam stayed behind. “Apparently he didn’t like to travel,” he said.
The doting mom was flirty at her local bar, but was guarded didn’t date much “probably because of her autistic son,” he said.
THE VICTIMS:
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeleine F Hsu, 6
Catherine V Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnel
l, 7
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison N Wyatt, 6
Victoria Soto, 27
Rachel Davino, 29
Dawn Hocksprung, 47
Mary Sherlach, 56
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Lauren Rousseau, 30
— Additional reporting by Pedro Oliveira Jr. and Dana Sauchelli