Local officials and families of those who died in a bloody Connecticut school shooting almost one year ago are asking for privacy as the anniversary of the massacre approaches.
Family members of the 26 people who died last year at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., came together Monday to plead with the news media to let them mark Saturday’s one-year anniversary in peace.
“We are trying to respect the world’s interest in us, but we also have a real need in our community to gain a foothold,” Pat Llodra said, Newtown’s top elected official, said at a news conference with the families, the Associated Press reports.
Adam Lanza killed 20 students and six teachers before turning the gun on himself, in what was one of the worst school shootings in history.
Instead of hosting a formal memorial service, Newtown is asking people to share in acts of kindness or volunteer with charities to honor the victims.
“In the midst of our grief we have come to realize that we want our loved ones to be remembered for the lives they lived and how they touched our hearts,” said Krista Rekos, the mother of a six-year-old daughter who was one of the children killed. “We’ve been uplifted by the support of so many people, and we would like to keep that spirit of unity and love alive in all we do to remember those we so dearly miss.”
The families unveiled a website where the families of the victims can share information on how they will be honoring them on Saturday.
[AP]