State Police Release Full Sandy Hook Report

Police in Connecticut released thousands of pages of documents Friday from the investigation into last year's school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, shedding new light on the world of the 20-year-old gunman but offering no conclusions on what may have been his motive.

Included in the more than 7,000 pages of paperwork were investigative files, 911 call transcripts, crime scene reports. So were thousands of photographs, a tour of the home the gunman's home and dashcam video from police speeding to the scene of the shooting, as well as hours of video investigators shot inside the school.

All of the paperwork was heavily redacted, according to state law, which bars the release of crime scene photos showing victims' bodies.

Gunman Adam Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six educators with a semi-automatic rifle at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14, 2012, after killing his mother inside their home. He committed suicide with a handgun as police arrived at the school.

Among the documents included in the report released Friday was a note dated June 10, 1999, that appeared to confirm that the gunman's mother Nancy Lanza had been a volunteer at the school.

"Dear Mrs. Lanza, thank you for being such a special volunteer. The children achieved a most successful year with the dedication from your active involvement," the note read.

There had been much debate earlier in the investigation as to Nancy Lanza's possible involvement with the school, whose officials denied reports that she had worked there.

Also included in Friday's documents was a statement that a relative of the Lanzas gave to FBI investigators after the shooting, regarding what the relative said was the gunman's attitude toward his mother's volunteer work.

"Lanza hated his mother and Sandy Hook, because his mother worked there. Lanza apparently felt that his mother loved the students more than him," that relative's statement read.

The report's trove of documents also included thousands of photographs, including detailed photos of the scene at Sandy Hook, some showing its shattered windows and blood-stained carpets as well as bullet casings and guns.

Photos of items from the Lanza home were included as well, some depicting Nancy Lanza's National Rifle Association basic pistol training course certificate, as well as various knives and articles on school shootings.

Photos of the clothing the gunman wore during the shooting were included, but any images of the victims' clothing appeared to be redacted.

"Balancing the often-competing interests of government transparency and individual privacy has been difficult," wrote Reuben F. Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in a letter accompanying the report. "I believe that the redacted report that is being released includes as much detail as possible while protecting confidential information."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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