The Washington Times

After shooting in Conn., community seeks solace

In the center of town, this tight-knit community’s Christmas tree has become a heartbreaking memorial to innocent children taken by a killer. Candles and hundreds of stuffed animals, along with handwritten signs bearing messages of sympathy, now surround the tree. And on Sunday night, thousands stopped to pay their respects to the victims of one of the worst tragedies in American history that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday.

Ava Staiti, 7, of New Milford, Conn., looks up at her mother Emily Staiti, not pictured, while visiting a sidewalk memorial with 26 teddy bears, each representing a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn.  (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Ava Staiti, 7, of New Milford, Conn., looks up at her mother Emily Staiti, not pictured, while visiting a sidewalk memorial with 26 teddy bears, each representing a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

More Photo Galleries

Happening Now