School Climate & Safety Report Roundup

Sandy Hook Shooting Report

By Evie Blad — December 03, 2013 | Updated: May 29, 2024 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Updated: A previous version of this article had the title School Shootings.

A much-anticipated report on the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School officially confirms some widely reported details of the Dec. 14, 2012, massacre at the Newtown, Conn., school and provides some new insights. But it does not answer the key question of why the gunman planned and carried out the attack.

Adam Lanza, 20, acted alone when he gunned down 26 people at the school, the summary report released last month says, and he used weapons and ammunition that were legally purchased by his mother. While State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky III found no clear motive, he found items that suggest Lanza had a fascination with mass killings, including a computer game called School Shooting that was found in his home.

The report is the first official information about the police response to the massacre to be made public. It concludes that Mr. Lanza had “significant mental health issues that affected his ability to live a normal life and to interact with others, even those to whom he should have been close,” but mental health professionals who treated him “did not see anything that would have predicted his future behavior.”

A version of this article appeared in the December 04, 2013 edition of Education Week as School Shootings

Events

Student Well-Being & Movement K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Teaching Students Life Skills
Join this free virtual event to explore creative ways schools have found to seamlessly integrate teaching life skills into the school day.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Bridging the Math Gap: What’s New in Dyscalculia Identification, Instruction & State Action
Discover the latest dyscalculia research insights, state-level policy trends, and classroom strategies to make math more accessible for all.
Content provided by TouchMath
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety 4 Ways Schools Can Build a Stronger, Safer Climate
A principal, a student, and a researcher discuss what makes a positive school climate.
4 min read
A 5th grade math class takes place at Lafargue Elementary School in Effie, Louisiana, on Friday, August 22. The state has implemented new professional development requirements for math teachers in grades 4-8 to help improve student achievement and address learning gaps.
Research shows that a positive school climate serves as a protective factor for young people, improving students’ education outcomes and well-being during their academic careers and beyond. A student raises her hand during a 5th grade class in Effie, La., on Aug. 22, 2025.
Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Schools Flag Safety Incidents As Driverless Cars Enter More Cities
Agencies are examining reports of Waymos illegally passing buses; in another case, one struck a student.
5 min read
In an aerial view, Waymo robotaxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025 , in San Francisco . Self-driving taxi company Waymo said it is voluntarily recalling software in its autonomous vehicles after Texas officials documented at least 19 incidents this school year in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses, including while students were getting on or off.
Waymo self-driving taxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025, in San Francisco. Federal agencies are investigating after Austin, Texas, schools documented incidents in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses. In a separate incident, a robotaxi struck a student at low speed as she ran across the street in front of her Santa Monica, Calif., elementary school.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via TNS
School Climate & Safety Informal Classroom Discipline Is Hard to Track, Raising Big Equity Concerns
Without adequate support, teachers might resort to these tactics to circumvent prohibitions on suspensions.
5 min read
Image of a student sitting outside of a doorway.
DigitalVision
School Climate & Safety Officer's Acquittal Brings Uvalde Attack's Other Criminal Case to the Forefront
Legal experts say that prosecutors will likely consider changes to how they present evidence and witness testimony.
4 min read
Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, left, talks to his defense attorney Nico LaHood during a break on the 10th day of his trial at Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, left, talks to his defense attorney Nico LaHood during a break on the 10th day of his trial at Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Jurors found Gonzales not guilty.
Sam Owens/Pool