As the nation grieves the murder of 20 children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the gunman has emerged to be 20 year old Adam Lanza. People who knew Lanza have described him as a very troubled young man, with a possible personality disorder.
Lanza shot his mother before driving her car to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. There, it appears he forced his way into the school and began to fire. Testimonies from witnesses say he did not speak as he went through the Kindergarten class, then the next class. Police now think Lanza shot himself as police began to surround the building.
A picture of Lanza has emerged, as a child who was unable to connect emotionally with people, highly intelligent, a nerd.
“Adam Lanza has been a weird kid since we were five years old,” said Tim Dalton, a neighbour and former classmate, on Twitter. “As horrible as this was, I can’t say I am surprised.”
It is thought that Lanza may have been on the autistic spectrum, others have suggested that Lanza suffered from an anti-social disorder, sociopathy, often associated with criminal behaviour where the individual feels no empathy or remorse.
It has also emerged that Lanza’s mother was passionate about guns, that she taught her boys how to shoot, and her home was full of them.
She also withdrew Lanza from school, after battling with education authorities over his education. Relatives have described Lanza as very bright and that his home education may have been a result of his needs not being addressed by the school system.
