Sandy Hook families and others in Conn. grieve following Georgia mass shooting

A heartbreaking day felt in Georgia and across the country, including right here in Connecticut following a school shooting that left four dead and another nine hurt.

“When there is a school shooting, it absolutely is re-traumatizing for every family that has lost a child to violence, whether it’s in a school or not,” Scarlett Lewis, Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement founder, said.

After losing her six-year-old son in the Sandy Hook tragedy, Lewis launched the “Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement” which teaches people how to deal with difficult times in their life and grow from them.

“Why are our kids so angry? Because they’re in a tremendous amount of emotional pain and they don’t have the skills and tools to manage that pain. And so they take it out on other people,” Lewis said.

Nicole Hockley’s son Dylan was killed at Sandy Hook elementary and then she co-founded Sandy Hook Promise.

In a statement, Hockley wrote in part:

“This crisis demands action from all of us, no matter what divides us. By working together, we can create a future where all children are free from the threat of gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities.”

Sandy Hook Promise has promoted violence prevention programs and has called for new gun laws to help keep firearms from those who might be a danger to themselves or others.

Tougher gun laws is something Newtown Action Alliance is also demanding.

The shooting’s impact is being felt by others here in the state.

UConn alum and Connecticut Sun player Olivia Nelson-Ododa wrote on X, “never in a million years would I imagined this happening in my hometown.”

She adds her heart is broken and she is praying for people there.