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==Political aftermath==
==Political aftermath==
President Obama asked Joe Biden to lead a task force and report to him in January 2013. Obama had a press conference that month and announced gun control measures on January 16, 2013. {{cn|date=January 2013}}<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/politics/gun-laws-battle/index.html?hpt=hp_t2</ref>
President Obama asked Joe Biden to lead a task force and report to him in January 2013. Obama had a press conference that month and announced gun control measures on January 16, 2013. {{cn|date=January 2013}}<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/politics/gun-laws-battle/index.html?hpt=hp_t2</ref>

==Conspiracy theories==
Following the shooting, individuals began posting videos on Web sites like [[Youtube]] claiming that the Sandy Hook massacre was either fabricated or orchestrated by a secretive U.S. government cabal. The purpose of the alleged hoax may have been to create a political environment favorable to gun control, which would supposedly allow the government to invoke [[martial law]] or otherwise implement draconian policies.<ref>http://gawker.com/5976204/behind-the-sandy-hook-truther-conspiracy-video-that-five-million-people-have-watched-in-one-week</ref>

Other theories have been proposed, including:<ref>http://gawker.com/5969532</ref>
*[[The Hunger Games]] was part of a plot to drug accused shooter [[Adam Lanza]] and get him to commit the crime.
*[[Barack Obama]] orchestrated the shootings to force [[Cerebus Capital Management]] to sell<ref>http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/18/news/cerberus-bushmaster/index.html</ref> firearms manufacturer [[Freedom Group]], maker of the Bushmaster rifle used in the Newtown, Connecticut shooting.
*The fathers of [[Adam Lanza]] and [[James Holmes]] were scheduled to testify before Congress on different issues. Shootings involving their sons were orchestrated for shadowy purposes related to cancelling the hearings.

Robert Goldberg, a [[University of Utah]] historian, places the Sandy Hook theories in the context of other alternative theories regarding recent violent incidents in the United States: "Whether it’s the [[Oklahoma City bombing]], or the [[Waco siege|Waco incident]], or [[Ruby Ridge]], or [[9/11 conspiracy theories|9/11]], or Sandy Hook, the idea is that these are modern [[Reichstag fire|Reichstags]] (the event that occurred in Germany in 1933), which is an excuse that the government is going to use to declare an emergency to take the guns away from the patriots, and then confine the patriots."<ref>http://www.salon.com/2013/01/16/newtown_truthers_where_conspiracy_theories_come_from/</ref>




==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:52, 17 January 2013

In December 2012, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting received attention around the world. World leaders and governments offered their condolences, while tributes and vigils by people were made in honor of the victims killed.

Nations

  •  United States – President Barack Obama gave a televised address at 3:16 p.m. EST on the day of the shootings, saying, "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."[1] Obama paused twice during the address to compose himself and wipe away tears, and expressed "enormous sympathy for families that are affected".[2][3][4][5] He also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast at the White House and other US federal government facilities worldwide in respect for the victims.[6] Within 15 hours of the massacre, 100,000 Americans signed up at the Obama administration's We the People petitioning website in support of a renewed national debate on gun control.[7] Obama attended and spoke at an interfaith vigil on December 16, in Newtown.[8]
  •  Australia – Prime Minister Julia Gillard issued a press release, stating that the Australian people "share America’s shock at this senseless and incomprehensible act of evil. As parents and grandparents, as brothers and sisters, as friends of the American people, we mourn the loss of children, aged only five to ten years, whose futures lay before them. We mourn the loss of brave teachers who sought only to lead their students into that future but were brutally murdered in a place of refuge and learning".[9]
  •  Azerbaijan – President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter of condolence to Barack Obama, saying: "I was deeply astonished and grieved to hear about the terrible tragedy that happened at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. Sharing in your grief on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own, I would like to express my sincere condolences to you, families and friends of those killed and all the American people".[10]
  •  Canada – Prime Minister Stephen Harper wrote on Twitter: "The news is just awful. The thoughts and prayers of Canadians are with the students and families in Connecticut affected by this senseless violence."[11]
  •  China (People's Republic) – Chinese netizens gave a lot of condolences for Americans affected by the shootings in Newton.[12] On the same day as Sandy Hook there was a knife attack at an elementary school in China in which 23 children were left wounded. A number of commentators have drawn comparisons between the two incidents.[13][14][15]
  •  Commonwealth of Nations – Queen Elizabeth II said in a message to President Obama, "I have been deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dreadful loss of life today in Newtown, Connecticut; particularly the news that so many of the dead are children." She added that Prince Philip joined her in extending their heartfelt sympathy to Obama and the American people.[16]
  •  European Union – Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement "I want to express my shock after the tragic shooting at a school in Connecticut today," She also said, "I think of the victims, their families and the American people at this difficult time," European Commission Chief José Manuel Barroso said, "It is with deep shock and horror that I learned of the tragic shooting in Connecticut," European Commission Chief José Manuel Barroso said. "On behalf of the European Commission and myself, I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy,"[17]
  •  France – President François Hollande commented that he was "horrified" upon hearing about the event.[18]
  •  Hungary – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs "wishes to express its deep dismay at the tragic events." Gábor Kaleta, head of the Foreign Ministry’s press department, told the MTI that the Ministry extends its sympathy to the bereaved families.[19]
  •  Iran – Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast condemned "the massacre of American children" and expressed his condolences to the families of victims.[20] An Iranian state-run newspaper claimed that Israeli "Mossad death squads" were the actual perpetrators of the shooting and that Lanza was merely a patsy.[21]
  •  Israel – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a letter to Obama on the day of the tragedy. ‘We in Israel have experienced such cruel acts of slaughter and we know the shock and agony that they bring. I want to express my profound grief, and that of all the people of Israel, to the families that lost their loved ones. I hope that you and the American people will find the strength to overcome this unspeakable tragedy.”[22]
  •  Japan – Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda sent a condolence message to President Obama saying, "We express our condolences to the families of the victims... the sympathy of the Japanese people is with the American people."[23]
  •  Lithuania – President Dalia Grybauskaitė stated that she was deeply distressed by the Connecticut tragedy. Grybauskaitė wished "great strength" to the families of those who had perished.[8]
  •  Malaysia – Prime Minister Najib Razak extended his deepest condolences to the families of victims. "It's a tragic incident and Malaysia stands by your side," stated the Prime Minister via Twitter.[24]
  •  Mexico – President Enrique Peña Nieto expressed his condolences via Twitter, saying, "My solidarity is with the American people and President Obama".[25][26][27]
  •  Norway – Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Facebook: "My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones in the horrible shooting in Connecticut."[28] King Harald also sent a personal condolence letter to President Obama.[29][30]
  •  Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III stated that he and the Filipino people stand with the United States "with bowed heads, yet in deep admiration over the manner in which the American people have reached out to comfort the afflicted, and to search for answers that will give meaning and hope to this grim event." "We pray for healing, and that this heartbreak will never be visited on any community ever again," he added, in a statement tweeted by deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte.[23]
  •  Russia – Vladimir Putin, President sent a telegram to Barack Obama expressing Russia's heartfelt condolences and "grief" at the fact that the victims were mostly children. He asked Barack Obama to convey words of compassion and sympathy to the victims' relatives, saying he empathized with the entire American nation.[31]
  •  Singapore – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote a message to Obama saying that he was "deeply shocked and saddened" to hear of the shooting." "An event like this reminds us of our common humanity, regardless of nationality or where we live in the world." "This was a senseless loss of innocent young lives, especially since schools should be sanctuaries for our children. I wish you success in your efforts to prevent such tragedies from recurring in the future." He also expressed condolences on Facebook.[32] Similarly, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam expressed his condolences in a Facebook post saying that "Children are innocent, full of life and promise. Cut down in a hail of bullets by a person with a rifle. There have been so many shootings in the US over the years we no longer get surprised that this happens", he went on to say that in no other developed country do school shootings happen so regularly.[33]
  •  Spain – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation announced that Spain expressed its "deepest condolences" and that "in these sad moments, Spain shares the pain of the families of the victims and their friends, the people of the United States.[34]
  •  Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a message to Barack Obama saying “Mr. President; I am very sorry to hear about the shootings. We deeply share your sadness. In the name of Turkish People, our government and myself we hope well beings for the wounded.”[35]
  •  United Kingdom – Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts are with those who've been devastated by the Connecticut shootings."[36]
  •  United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his "deepest condolences" over the victims, calling the rampage "shocking murders," spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York. "The secretary-general said that the targeting of children is heinous and unthinkable, and extended his thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims and all others traumatized by this horrendous crime," said the spokesman.[16]
  •  Vatican City – Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone issued a letter of condolence on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, which was read aloud at a Newtown vigil, saying, "In the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, [the Holy Father] asks God, our Father, to console all those who mourn and to sustain the entire community with the spiritual strength which triumphs over violence by the power of forgiveness, hope and reconciling love."[37][38]

Reactions by leading newspapers, people, and other organizations

There were tributes and vigils by people in Moscow, Bangalore,[39] Karachi[40] and in Monrovia, Liberia.[41] An organized candle light vigil was held in India and a make shift memorial set up at the US embassy in Moscow.[42][43][44] Media in the United Kingdom compared the shooting to the Dunblane school massacre, another school shooting that occurred in 1996, in which 16 children and one teacher were killed before the shooter, 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton, committed suicide.[45] In the Marshall Islands students of Majuro Cooperative school dressed in the green and white colors of Sandy Hook Elementary and presented a condolence card to the American ambassador.[46]

The day after the shooting, Saturday Night Live paid tribute to the Sandy Hook victims with a performance of "Silent Night" by the New York City Children's Chorus in place of its usual comedic cold open.[47] Two days later The Voice made a similar tribute at the opening of its first night of live finals. Coaches, judges and contestants performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", surrounded by candles, each holding the name of a victim.[48]

On December 16, 2012, every NFL team held a moment of silence in honor of the Sandy Hook victims and lowered their flags to half-mast. Many teams put Newtown or "SHES" decals on their helmets. The New England Patriots launched 26 flares into the night sky.[49] The Patriots also took the muskets away from its "End Zone Militia" - Revolutionary War re-enactors who celebrate every score with gunfire. The team felt the memory of the shooting only 150 miles away was too fresh in people's minds for the sight of firearms and the smell of gunpowder.[50]

Victor Cruz of the New York Giants was the idol of young Jack Pinto. After learning that Jack's family planned to bury their son in a Victor Cruz jersey, Cruz called the family and wrote "RIP Jack Pinto" and "Jack Pinto my hero" on his shoes during the December 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He later travelled to Newtown and visited with the Pinto family.[51]

Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords traveled to Newtown and met with the families of the victims of the shooting on January 4, 2013.[52]

Political aftermath

President Obama asked Joe Biden to lead a task force and report to him in January 2013. Obama had a press conference that month and announced gun control measures on January 16, 2013. [citation needed][53]

Conspiracy theories

Following the shooting, individuals began posting videos on Web sites like Youtube claiming that the Sandy Hook massacre was either fabricated or orchestrated by a secretive U.S. government cabal. The purpose of the alleged hoax may have been to create a political environment favorable to gun control, which would supposedly allow the government to invoke martial law or otherwise implement draconian policies.[54]

Other theories have been proposed, including:[55]

Robert Goldberg, a University of Utah historian, places the Sandy Hook theories in the context of other alternative theories regarding recent violent incidents in the United States: "Whether it’s the Oklahoma City bombing, or the Waco incident, or Ruby Ridge, or 9/11, or Sandy Hook, the idea is that these are modern Reichstags (the event that occurred in Germany in 1933), which is an excuse that the government is going to use to declare an emergency to take the guns away from the patriots, and then confine the patriots."[57]


References

  1. ^ White House, ed. (December 14, 2012). "Statement by the President on the School Shooting in Newtown, CT".
  2. ^ Mark Kelly: Action on guns ‘can no longer wait’
  3. ^ "Official with knowledge of Conn. school shooting: 27 dead, including 18 children". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  4. ^ Sabrina Siddiqui and Elise Foley (December 14, 2012). "Obama On Connecticut Shooting: We Need 'Meaningful Action'". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  5. ^ Jim O'Sullivan (December 14, 2012). "Emotional Obama Calls for 'Meaningful Action' After Newtown Shooting". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  6. ^ "Presidential Proclamation – Honoring the Victims of the Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut". White House Press Office. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "After school massacre, 100,000 Americans petition White House for gun control". The Daily Caller. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  8. ^ a b "President Obama To Visit Newtown Sunday". The Courant. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Cite error: The named reference "President Obama To Visit Newtown Sunday" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Live updates: US school shooting massacre". CNBC News. December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  10. ^ "Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev offers condolences to Barack Obama". Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA). December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  11. ^ Bruce Cheadle (December 14, 2012). "Politicians recoil from politics of shootings while online debate rages". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  12. ^ "In China, Newtown hits home". Globalpost. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  13. ^ Hutzler, Charles (15 December 2012). "Schools and students are targets worldwide". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  14. ^ Evan Osnos (15 December 2012). "China Watches Newtown: Guns and American Credibility". New Yorker.
  15. ^ McAuliff, Michael (15 December 2012). "On Gun Control, Jerry Nadler Explains What Congress Could Do Right Now". The Huffington Post.
  16. ^ a b "World shocked by school shooting in US". Global Times. Xinhua News Agency. December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  17. ^ "26 killed in Connecticut school shooting". YNet News. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  18. ^ "20 children among 27 dead in Conn. school shooting, police say". Azcentral.com. Associated Press. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  19. ^ "Press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in reaction to the Connecticut shootings". December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  20. ^ "Condoléances de l'Iran après la fusillade mortelle dans une école américaine" (in French). L'Orient-Le Jour. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  21. ^ "Iran's state-run news network blames 'Israeli death squads' for Sandy Hook shooting".
  22. ^ "'We in Israel understand the shock and agony,' Netanyahu tells Obama after Connecticut slaughter". The Times of Israel. December 15, 2012.
  23. ^ a b "Sympathy over US school shooting stretches globe". CT Post. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  24. ^ "Najib Conveys Condolence to Families of Connecticut Shooting Victims". Bernama. December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  25. ^ "Peña Nieto y Mancera envían sus condolencias a Obama por tiroteo". Excélsior (in Spanish). December 15, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  26. ^ "EU agradece a Peña solidaridad tras tiroteo en escuela". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish). Notimex. December 15, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  27. ^ "Peña manifiesta solidaridad por masacre en Connecticut" (in Spanish). El Informador. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  28. ^ Jens Stoltenberg (December 14, 2012). "Jens Stoltenberg". Facebook. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  29. ^ "Uttrykker sin sorg til Obama" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  30. ^ "Følgende kondolansebudskap overbringes fra Hans Majestet Kong Harald til H.E. President Barack Obama" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  31. ^ "Putin offers condolences on Connecticut tragedy to Obama". December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  32. ^ "PM Lee sends letter of condolence to President Obama". Straits Times. Dec 16, 2012.
  33. ^ "K Shanmugam offers condolences to victims of US school shooting". MSN.
  34. ^ "183-2012. CONDOLENCIAS POR LOS FALLECIDOS EN EL TIROTEO EN CONNECTICUT". Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación de España. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  35. ^ Template:Tr icon "Erdoğan'dan Obama'ya taziye mesajı" ("Obama, Erdogan condolence message") Hürriyet Planet
  36. ^ Andy Rudd (December 14, 2012). "Connecticut school shooting: Madman kills at least 26, including 20 children, in horrific gun rampage". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  37. ^ "Hundreds Pack Connecticut Churches For Prayer Vigils After Newtown Rampage". CBS New York. December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  38. ^ Allison Linn (December 14, 2012). "Massacre leaves America shocked and grieving ... again". NBC News. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  39. ^ Questions of `Why' and `How' fill pews in CT town
  40. ^ Pakistan sends condolences to U.S. over deadly shooting
  41. ^ "Liberian schoolchildren send condolences to Conn". The Miami Herald. 2012-12-18.
  42. ^ US Ambassador Thanks Muscovites for Support over Connecticut Shooting
  43. ^ Moscow rallies for school shooting victims
  44. ^ US: shooting overshadows Christmas joy
  45. ^ "From Sandy Hook to Dunblane, shootings leave unforgettable legacies". USA Today. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  46. ^ Marshall Islands Students Honor the Victims of Sandy Hook
  47. ^ [1]
  48. ^ [2]
  49. ^ [3]
  50. ^ [4]
  51. ^ [5]
  52. ^ "CONN. LT. GOV.'S OFFICE: GIFFORDS MEETING PLANNED". AP. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  53. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/politics/gun-laws-battle/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
  54. ^ http://gawker.com/5976204/behind-the-sandy-hook-truther-conspiracy-video-that-five-million-people-have-watched-in-one-week
  55. ^ http://gawker.com/5969532
  56. ^ http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/18/news/cerberus-bushmaster/index.html
  57. ^ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/16/newtown_truthers_where_conspiracy_theories_come_from/
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