The Most Heartbreaking New Detail From the Ongoing Newtown Investigation

The Most Heartbreaking New Detail From the Ongoing Newtown Investigation
Friday, October 18, 2013, at 1:50 PM EDT

Connecticut police are expected to release a long-awaited report soon detailing their investigation into exactly what happened on the day of the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, but the Hartford Courant's Dave Altimari and Steven Goode have worked their sources to put together a rather chilling preview of some the investigation's major takeaways. You can, and should, go read the full Courant report, but below you'll find a sampling of the more noteworthy revelations, from details about the sophisticated technology investigators are using to reconstruct the gunman's path to the latest heartbreaking revelation in a tragedy full of them.

One note before we start: the paper's reporting is based largely on unnamed sources familiar with probe, so keep in mind that there's always a chance for some of the findings' nuances to have been lost along the way. We'll have a more complete picture when the police release their final report.

Lanza May Have Been Planning to Ambush Police: Adam Lanza parked his car with the passenger's side facing a small brick wall near the school's front entrance, and left a shotgun leaning against the passenger's side door. Given that, police believe that he may have been setting himself up to ambush police officers. "The spot gave him potentially a perfect line of sight to shoot at unsuspecting police driving down the long driveway, around a curve and into his line of fire," the paper reports. "It also provided him cover since the school and woods were behind him."

He Shot His Mother at Close Range: Investigators believe that Lanza began his rampage by shooting his mother, Nancy, in the head four times with a 22-riffle. The gun, the paper reports, "was pressed directly against her forehead and found at her bedside." The bedroom shades were still drawn when police arrive, suggesting to police that she was killed in the day's pre-dawn hours.

The Police Set Up Their Command Center Before Clearing the Room: Two school employees—a secretary and a nurse—who had taken shelter in a closet in the principal's office when the shooting began remained there for "several hours" unbeknownst to the state police who were using the office as their command center.

full article
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/10/18/new_newtown_details_police_piece_together_the_path_of_adam_lanza_s_rampage.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content