The tragic shooting at an Oregon elementary school hit close to home for some families in Connecticut.
“I have lived the devastation of what a school shooting can do, and my heart breaks for everybody that’s involved. So, my prayers are squarely with them,” Jennifer Hubbard said. She’s the mother of Catherine Violet Hubbard, one of the young students lost in the Sandy Hook shooting almost 14 years ago.
Following the tragedy in Oregon, Hubbard said she hopes those affected can see the goodness of the community that’s going to support them.
“I know for a fact that our healing, and our steps forward was because of the outpouring of kindness that came in from across the world,” Hubbard said.
Part of Hubbard’s healing journey and path forward was opening the Cathering Violet Hubbard Sanctuary, which honors the life and legacy of her 6-year-old.
As the community in Bend, Oregon, grieves the lives of the three children and the teacher killed, some are also calling for more action.
Sandy Hook Promise is urging greater prevention efforts, including recognizing the warning signs of someone who might be in a crisis.
“We are grateful that the gunman was stopped, but you know, the primary plan for protecting children can’t be an armed response,” said Po Murray with the Newtown Action Alliance (NAA).
NAA is also demanding that Congress pass Ethan’s Law, which would require safe storage of guns kept in homes where a child could gain access to them. It’s a law named after Ethan Song, who accidentally shot himself in Guilford in 2018 and died.
“We will never stop school shootings if we continue to allow children to have free access to guns,” said Kristin Song, Ethan’s mother. “It will never happen.”
The investigation into how the 16-year-old suspect obtained the gun is still underway, but two law enforcement sources tell NBC News that his mother bought it around the time of his birthday back in August.
