CONNECTICUT (WABC) — Saturday marks 12 years since one of the deadliest mass school shootings in American history.

On December 14, 2012, a gunman opened fired inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooting killed 20 first-grade students and six educators.

“The tragedy that occurred on this day twelve years ago is one of the most horrific and heartbreaking events in Connecticut history, and we owe it to those we lost, as well as their families and loved ones, to keep their memory alive by rededicating ourselves to being sources of love, healing, joy, and humanity, not just on this anniversary but every day,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont in a statement.

Meanwhile, all flags in the state will be lowered to half-staff to remember and honor the victims.

President Joe Biden issued his own statement on the shooting’s anniversary, saying in part, “Jill and I still grieve this unimaginable loss and continue topray for the victims’ families and others traumatized by this senseless violence.” The president also called upon Congress to take action to help prevent gun violence in schools.

More than a decade since the shooting, many of the Sandy Hook survivors and victims’ families have become leading voices in the nationwide debate over school safety and gun law reform.

The 12-year mark also comes just a few months after some Sandy Hook survivors opened up to GMA about their memories of the shooting and their plans for the future after graduating from high school.

RELATED | Sandy Hook survivors share memories, future plans ahead of graduation

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