On December 14th 2012, exactly 10 years ago today, this country had the worst school shooting in its history at Sandy Hooks Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It took the lives of 20 first grade students who were just six and seven years old, and six staff members.

Today there should be 20 more juniors who are stressing about SAT’s and ACT’s and what to wear to prom.  Instead they are at rest in the ground, their lives cut short.

12 children die each day from gun violence in America. Since Sandy Hook, mass shootings have only become an increasing problem for this country.

The morning of December 14th, 2012 was just like any other for families in Newtown, Connecticut. Many got their kids up and ready for school. It was a Friday, so many students were excited for fun Christmas festivities that awaited them in their classroom. As parents dropped off their kids or watched them ride away on the bus that morning, they all assumed they would see their kids later that afternoon.  But for twenty parents it was the last time they saw their children alive and well.

When the kids got to school that morning it was just like any other day. They said the pledge of allegiance, then many jumped straight into Christmas activities. Everything was good and calm until about 9:00am.

After killing his mother, Nancy, Adam Lanza drove to Sandy Hook Elementary school and according to Newsweek at around 9:30 he entered the classroom of Laura Rousseau and killed her and fourteen of her students. He then went to Victoria Soto’s classroom.  She tried to lie to Lanza and tell him her students were in the auditorium across the school but he ended up killing her and six of her students when they tried to escape.

The rest of the school was rushed to a nearby fire station and parents came swarming in hoping and praying that their children were alive. Parents started to reunite with their children although for twenty parents they soon realized the reality of what was coming to them. The children who lost their lives that day were Charlotte Bacon (6), Daniel Barden (7), Olivia Engel (6), Josephine Gay (7), Dylan Hockley (6), Madeleine Hsu (6), Catherine Hubbard (6), Chase Kowalski (7), Jesse Lewis (6), Ana Marquez-Greene (6), James Mattioli (6), Grace McDonnell (7), Emilie Parker (6), Jack Pinto (6), Noah Pozner (6), Caroline Previdi (6), Jessica Rekos (6), Avielle Richman (6), Benjamin Wheeler (6), and Allison Wyatt (6). The six staff members that died that day were Rachel D’Avino (29), Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung (47), Anne Marie Murphy (52), Lauren Rousseau (30), Mary Sherlach (56),  and Victoria Soto (27).

Each of these people had so much life to live. Many were looking forward to having a fun Christmas with their families.  Instead, twenty-six families had to plan a funeral. Many never thought something so unimaginable could ever happen in a small town like Newtown.  but time has taught us that the violence in this world know no borders. These twenty-six people will never get their lives back, but we will never forget Sandy Hook Elementary School and those who died that day.