This week, the F.B.I. released documents detailing the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and 6 adults were murdered by a 20-year-old gunman using guns legally owned by his mother. The documents are full of interviews and information on the investigation into the shooter, Adam Lanza, with large portions and even pages redacted. But one document from 2008 resurfaced during the 2012 investigation —a man knew what Lanza was going to do and reported it to the Newtown Police Department.
According to the New York Times, the man (his name was redacted) had knowledge of a conversation where Lanza said “said he had an assault weapon and was planning to kill children at Sandy Hook Elementary School and his mother.” This must not have been a casual conversation, as the man took it to the police as a serious concern.
Unsealed FBI docs paint a disturbing portrait of the Sandy Hook shooter https://t.co/8wjZS9xiQ4
— CNN (@CNN) October 24, 2017
However, the police reportedly did nothing about it. The man says he was told that because Lanza’s mother Nancy owned the guns they couldn’t just take them away. What else could they have done if “All firearms in the Lanza home had been legally purchased”?
This is especially troubling because of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, where there is simply no evidence of shooter Steven Paddock’s intention to murder 58 people. Some say that if his family or the police knew of his plans, it never would have happened. However, here is a situation where the police department were made aware of a dangerous person with access to guns and intent to do harm and could do nothing.
In the search for a motive of such a horrifying crime, it’s of course not just about guns. However, for advocates of gun control policy, the new information reveals a deeply disturbing blind spot for our authorities to prevent potential tragedies.