海角大神

In Newtown, Conn., Saturday, shock ever so slowly started to give way to reflection and action, like the morning frost receding in the glare of the bright sun.

Even as details of Friday鈥檚 killings were still emerging, area residents were coming together to counsel and be counseled, to wipe away each other鈥檚 tears, to bow their heads in prayer, and to wrestle with the simple unanswerable question of why a young man would shatter their peaceful town with a deadly burst of ammunition aimed at their youngest.

鈥淚鈥檝e been here 25 years 鈥� and never afraid for nothing except speeding tickets,鈥� says Anthony Paravalos, originally from Greece, as he repairs boots at Anthony鈥檚 Shoe Service in Newtown. Tears stream down his cheeks as he whispers about the families who won鈥檛 have a happy Christmas this year, and the tragedy of 鈥渒ids so angry in their hearts,鈥� in reference to shooter Adam Lanza. 鈥淚 feel it inside,鈥� he says, tapping his heart.

鈥淵ou just don鈥檛 have those kind of violent things happen here, so it鈥檚 hard to fathom,鈥� says Herb Rosenthal, the first selectman (Newtown鈥檚 mayor) from 1997 to 2007. He says he can鈥檛 help but think back to when the Columbine massacre occurred and everyone could only hope that something similar wouldn鈥檛 happen in their own town.

When tragedy strikes: a prayerful response to the shootings in Connecticut

His wife, Michelle Rosenthal, teaches middle school in nearby Danbury, Conn. For teachers, this tragedy resonates almost as strongly as it does for parents. 鈥淚t鈥檚 devastating,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e think of our students as our children sometimes.鈥�

At Always Wendy鈥檚 nail salon, owner Wendy Mezzanotte clutches a coffee cup and says, 鈥淚t was horrendous鈥�. In the end I don鈥檛 know if we鈥檙e ever going to find out the rhyme or reason for the whole thing.鈥�

At the town鈥檚 central flagpole, a giant flag hung at half-staff, and a stuffed dog and bouquet of flowers sat at the base. Other spontaneous memorials have sprung up in front of many shop windows, with candles and flowers sitting beneath homemade signs expressing love and sympathy.

The area around Sandy Hook Elementary has been blocked off as a crime scene under investigation.

Leaders of the local United Way and Newtown Savings Bank quickly set up a Sandy Hook School Support Fund to channel donations from around the world. Community leaders will decide how best to support the victims鈥� families, says Kim Morgan, CEO of United Way of Western Connecticut.

Offers of everything from free counseling to funeral caskets have been pouring into the local news website Patch.com, says Patch reporter Gary Jeanfaivre.

Volunteer crisis counselors are staffing two locations this weekend to assist grieving families or any member of the community in need of help.

At Newtown Youth and Family Services, counselors Saturday morning were 鈥渕entally preparing鈥� as they organized materials on helping young people cope with trauma. Nearby, colorful beanbag chairs and stuffed animals awaited the children who would come in later in the day.

Many area residents have been seeking solace at prayer services.

At St. John鈥檚 Episcopal Church in the heart of town, a rooster crows next door as people gather for a noon service in the small stone church.

Before it starts, a local woman who attended Sandy Hook Elementary as a child gives an emotional plea for people to not ignore kids if they seem disconnected. 鈥淐hange has to start now,鈥� she says through sobs. 鈥淟et this be the last time.鈥�

In the back pew, a boy lays his head on a woman鈥檚 lap as she weeps quietly. Another woman reads from the Bible, whispering prayers. Light filters in through small, square stained-glass windows.

Scriptural readings include this from the Book of Psalms: 鈥淚 cry aloud to God 鈥� that He may hear me 鈥� I am so troubled that I cannot speak.鈥�

The sermon by rector Mark Moore acknowledges that people are grappling with questions of senseless violence and what to do in the face of evil. He urges them to place their trust in God鈥檚 goodness and mercy: 鈥淲e are all connected. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one rejoices, we all rejoice.鈥�

He speaks of evil as 鈥渁 choice. It does not come from God.鈥� 海角大神s, he says, can help defeat evil. 鈥淲e can love each other more deeply 鈥� [and be] more determined to do good to those around us.鈥�

After the service, Donna Benner, a teacher from nearby Danbury, Conn., says, 鈥淚鈥檓 praying for the victims and the perpetrator too. I think he鈥檚 mentally ill. I mean, everybody鈥檚 angry at him, but I鈥檓 praying for him as well.鈥�

As a teacher of K-5 students, she says, 鈥渢his could happen in my school. I just feel very vulnerable, very raw鈥� We need to learn how to keep our children safe and make sure this never happens again.鈥�

Without prompting, several local residents say gun laws need to change.

鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be that easy for someone to get a gun,鈥� says Adriana Johnson, owner of Spa Naturelle. Even though she has heard that the shooter may have gotten his weapons from his mother鈥檚 home, she believes he could easily have gotten them elsewhere. 鈥淚 come from Europe. Are there crimes there? Yes鈥�. But it鈥檚 very, very seldom. It鈥檚 more controlled [when it comes to guns],鈥� she says.

While some residents, especially those out and about with children, decline to talk to reporters, they seem to be handling the crush and clamor of worldwide media attention with incredible grace.

While dozens of reporters waited for a long-delayed press conference in the cold Saturday morning, a group of them surrounded a woman who agreed to talk about being in the school on Friday.

Maryann Jacob described working in the library and calling the office when she heard strange noises over the intercom. She said that although the door was locked in the area where she and some other staff and students were taking cover, they placed file cabinets against the door as an extra barrier. After speaking for several minutes she turned to a male companion for a hug, hiding her face as she was overcome with emotion.

It will be 鈥渁 difficult road ahead 鈥� weeks and months for families trying to piece their lives back together,鈥� says Newtown resident and local United Way vice president Isabel Almeida. Although Newtown is spread out over miles of rolling hills in southwestern Connecticut, she says, 鈥淚t has that close, small-town feel.鈥�

鈥淓veryone is very interconnected, either through their place of worship or their children鈥檚 school or the mom鈥檚 club,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his will have a ripple effect across the whole town.鈥�

When tragedy strikes: a prayerful response to the shootings in Connecticut