We as a nation have failed these kids, and all of those in future school shootings. I am sorry, that nothing has changed.

the middle top girl is speaking about jesse, he really did save so many of his friends that day. such a brave young boy.

My heart goes out to the families who won’t get to see their babies graduate 🥺💕

That is going to be a super heavy graduation ceremony. Best wishes to all the kids.

The fact that 20 first-graders were murdered at school is literally the biggest tragedy that could ever happen. And the fact that it's happened many other times in the United States is even worse. I don't have kids yet but I don't know how I will send them off to school when the time comes.

and nothing has changed

i was a freshman in college studying early childhood education when this happened. i changed my major and i told myself i’d reconsider working in a classroom when change happens. it still hasn’t happened and im 30.

I remember this day so vividly in college. It's making me emotional to see the survivors grow up while the other innocent babies didn't get that chance.

I can't believe its been 12 years, I was 12 years old in 7th grade when this happened. Now these kids are approaching adulthood.

I was preparing to graduate from high school when this happened, and now they are graduating high school. I can’t believe how fast time goes. I’ll never forget that day and the heartbreak I felt for these kids.

geez, that was 12 years ago!?

I was in 8th grade. Maybe 14 at the time. Our English teacher put the tv on and we watched that day happen. I will never forget that. He wanted us to see what others are facing. I appreciate him even today for showing us. He was preparing us.

I can’t believe I was a kindergarten when this all took place. Those 20 kids should be my age, too🥺

These teens are so incredibly resilient. Best of luck to all of them.

I love how they mentions uvalde. Small town, small children all massacred in their classrooms where they were supposed to be safe. Everyone should notice every shooting,but I see a lot of people ignoring uvalde. And like sandy hook people are heartless and doubt the death of children. uvalde two year mark, just passed. All of these children deserved to live and deserved protection.

I was 13 and in 8th grade when this happened, I had gotten on the bus to go home when a classmate said that someone shot up a school in Connecticut. I thought he was making a sick joke. I turned the TV on when I got home, and there it was on the bottom of the screen “20 children dead in Newtown school shooting.” I gave my parents the biggest hug that night. I am now 24, a nurse, and I recently became an aunt. There have been multiple shootings since then. And unfortunately, little has changed. After Dunblane and Port Arthur, the gun laws changed. Why can’t the U.S. do the same? Are guns that important over our kids? Wishing these sweet souls love and light for the rest of their days. May Charlotte Bacon, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Noah Pozner, Ana Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Daniel Barden, Jack Pinto, Jesse Lewis, Grace McConnell, Emilie Parker, James Mattioli, Avielle Richman and her father, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Madeleine Hsu, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison Wyatt, Rachel D’Avino, Victoria Soto, Lauren Rousseau, Dawn Hochsprung, Mary Sherlach, and Anne Marie Murphy continue to rest in perfect peace.

They are still babies 😞 I still don’t have words all these years later 💔 I am glad to see them giggling with each other & just being regular kids. A bond that can never be broken. ❤

I was in college and crying over how can this happen..and Obama crying. fast forward it's like it's a thing daily. nothings changed and its shameful on USA and the government haven't done ANYTHING to protect our children.

Having survived the trauma and fighting for such an advocacy make them the bravest and most resilient young adults i've seen

The girl who told the story about getting told to run was talking about Jesse oh my😢that’s so sad.

My birthday is December 14th & I never go a birthday without sending out prayers &thoughts to the kids& families affected that day.

Our children should never have to go through this.

I live in Australia. And right after this happened my teacher I was in year 3 at the time told us in an aged appropriate way what happened. She said how if something ever happened like that here (fortunately it never has in Australia) she would do anything to protect us. She was also pregnant at the time and had a son younger than us. She is an amazing teacher.

People, this is what the real meaning of the word PURPOSE is...I wish these kids continued healing and the best of luck to their adulthood journey.

I remember this day and think about the parents whose children didn’t get to go through school and graduate. My child was in elementary school at the time of this as well. I honestly thought at the end of her school year, every year, thank god school is out for the summer and she didn’t have to go through this horror.

congrats to those kids for graduation and I hope there are able to help make an change in schools and make it safer, glad they all stay in touch

The survivors guilt must be tremendous. They were so young, I barely remember kindergarten, to be asked about it must be traumatic to where they blocked it out or a core memory they remember to the T. They are graduating HS! I hope change does happen no child should continue to experience this

Wow, I still think of them as babies and they are off to college. They are beautiful kids and wishing them a lifetime of peace and healing.

i was at Newtown middle school when this happened. I remember I was in Spanish class when they put us in lockdown, we had to bunch up all the desks together in a corner in the back of the room and hide underneath them because nobody knew what was going on. I remember us being scared and not knowing if something was happening in our school. One kid in our class was looking up the news and told the class what was happening at sandy hook. He let everyone use his phone to text their parents and let them know we were okay. My brother was in the school so I was worried sick.. hours later when we were all sent home, we found out that the kid who let everyone use his phone ended up losing his brother Jesse. These children and their families, our town, does not deserve the trauma that still lives deep within us, but unfortunately, i'm not hopeful gun laws will change soon.

They would have all been turning 18 this year…they never got to be adults. Bless their parents with peace on this milestone year ❤

I had a first-grade son when this happened. I couldn't breathe for the parents of those little children. I wish the best for all the graduating kids and for all the families connected to that horrible day.

I was good until he said the smiley faces filling the seats of there classmates that are supposed to be there, but aren't. Congratulations Graduates and Surviors. God Bless.

I was 11 years old in 5th grade when this happened and I can remember my mom’s heart just breaking while she watched the news coverage. I am now 23 and I have 3 kids of my own. I am absolutely terrified to send my oldest to first grade this year, but I don’t feel confident in myself to teach her. I wish things would change 😭

I was still in high school when it happened. After hearing about it, I wanted to talk to my counselor. I send prayers to those that were lost that day.

I just graduated from highschool this year and was a 1st grader in 2012. We need change now for our future kids and remember our mistakes ❤️

"It just keeps happening over and over and over again."

The online idiots better leave these kids alone! They’ve been through too much as is

We have sadly become so immune to mass shootings. How time passes

I was probably 18 or 19 when this happened and it was so shocking. This was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. I feel for all these kids and all the survivors from the near daily shootings in this country.

it’s so crazy. I was the same age as them and now we’re about to graduate. I remember when this happened, everyone was so excited because it was Christmas break. It was a Friday and both of my parents picked up my siblings and I because after school we still had to get more presents. All of the parents were hugging their kid so tight. Other parents were talking to each other and crying. I was so confused I’m on what was going on. My siblings were older like around 12 years old so they knew the severity of the whole thing. It was usually one parent that picked us up but it was the both of them this time. They had such sad looks on their faces. Later that night we got pizza and everyone was just silent in the pizza place and it was usually so loud. Everyone was just fixated at the tv looking at the coverage. I remember my mom and another woman with tears in their eyes. I remember this day so clearly. It was the first time I realized why we practice lockdowns. I never knew a shooting could happen in a school. It breaks my heart that no change has been made. As class of 2024, none of us shall ever forget them.❤️

crazy that it’s been 12 years. i was 10 when sandy hook happened, i cried for weeks because i was terrified. im so happy they are doing good and continuing their lives.

Older generations failed gen z and now they’re failing gen alpha. God bless these kids

Cant believe its already been 12 years since this. These children grow up to be what seems to soon be amazing adults. Thanks for sharing this with us. I went threw a school shooting myself, for me it was crazy and it took time to heal but its feels good to be able to talk about it for sure. Prayers for continued healing

I remember this day so clearly. I will never forget. Those poor babies.

I was 11 and in 6th grade when this happened. I'll never forget it.

Hi Alex Jones, are you ever going to develop a spine and pay these people for your slander and propaganda! Pitiful!

And people think this was a hoax, disgusting 😠

MY FATHER IN LAW PASSED THAT MORNING , I LIKE TO THINK THAT HE WAS THERE TO GUIDE AND CONFORT THEM ON THIER JOURNEY

Gosh time flies. Happened my senior year.(Ironically) You could tell a change had occurred with the teachers. I was in the library as the aide and the librarian had told me. You could just tell the day had changed right before we went on winter break. Went home and watched the news and cried. Prayers for everyone.😢

Thank god these young people are finding careers where they can make actual changes in this country. This is what next generations need to be doing.

So sad. I still think about these young adults as the kids they were everyday. It seems like just yesterday, and it's so strange to know they're adults now.

I feel for them, I too was in first grade that fateful Friday and I too just graduated last week.

I was 9 years old when this tragedy took place, and I can remember my 4th grade teachers attempting to explain the magnitude of the event to me and my classmates. My young mind couldn't fully grasp the idea that someone could be so twisted to even think of carrying out something like that. Now, as a 21 year old heading into my senior year of college in the fall, it still shatters my heart to see that really nothing has changed, and that this kind of heinous act is so normalized. We need stricter laws on firearms, and we need to be doing more to protect students and teachers from this kind of violence.

I don’t get how we still have people like Alex jones and Marjorie Taylor green who have no sympathy towards this and refuse to make ANY change to guns

i’m around their age and i remember how intense being in school felt around that time. even tho we didn’t understand it at the time, making it to graduation was a blessing fr

I was a 4th or 5th grader when this happened and I watched it on the news before school. I still remember watching it like it was yesterday and the feelings I felt at school. I can’t believe nothing has changed 12 years later. It just keeps happening and it literally hurts my soul each time I see a new one.

I remember being a junior in high school wjem this happened. The thought of CHILDREN or really anyone, being murdered. It has to stop. My mom is a teacher, and I was a camp counselor for ten years. I can't even imagine if a gunman had done this in my town, killed people I knew and cared for. We need change. Dear god, Congress, DO YOUR JOB.

I had to read it twice because I couldn't believe how long it's been. I was a freshman in high school when this happened and now I'm 26.

My heart sinks to its lowest point watching these amazing young people… I feel so proud of them for how they’ve supported each other and survived this nightmare! I pray they are doing well…

Honestly it's just upsetting. I watch Korean reaction channels that learn about this in the states and they r so shocked. The fact that hearing school shootings on the news now is nothing surprising anymore .... wat happened to the days when the only thing we had to worry about was a fire drill.

One of the worst days in our history

You'd think we would have this under control but nope nothing has changed sadly

I feel for you guys fr! I too was a victim of gun violence in a drive by shooting at point blank range, and now when I hear loud bangs, I get startled like all hell. Congrats on graduating!

and you guys still don’t want gun control???

My own brothers were in two shootings at their schools and one time they came home crying because of the shooting 😢

I was pregnant with my first child when the Sandy Hook shooting happened. As a Millennial, school shootings were nothing new unfortunately, but to see it with kids so young, was soul shredding. The fact that Congress refused to do anything after this tragedy with their families present makes me hate everything.

breaks my heart, I was in the third grade when sandy hooks occurred and I remember my mom breaking it down to me and every teacher at my school being more fearful after. hope the best for all of the survivors futures

I hope they keep sharing and healing. Congratulations on your graduations! ✨

i was the same age as these kids when it happened. i just remember being petrified of going to school. i work at a early childhood education center now and i would never ever want those kids to think how i thought when i was young :(

I was only 19 years old when i saw this on the news and it made me so sad that these were just little kids and me and my brother were telling each other that when we were kids in elementary school we were so excited for christmas break but its so sad for these kids they didnt get to go home to their parents for the holidays

I was 8 and remember being incredibly afraid to go to school for a long time. Now, I’m 20 and am constantly wary every time I’m in a lecture hall at university.

My heart aches for all the loss due to this senseless act. These are AMAZING kids!

No more sorry’s. This nation needs action. It's embarrassing that we haven't acted but our government doesn't truly listen to us, they listen to money.

Damn 12 years ago. I was in 8th grade and remember Elles’ interview 😢

Those poor kids. I hope that they are able to find peace, healing, and happiness.

12 years ago I was siting in my 7th grade English class. We were in the middle of a test when my teacher told us about this school shooting. We sat in silence for a few minutes; shocked about the news. After school was over I rushed to my former elementary school to pick up my siblings who were then the same age as the victims. I remember experiencing a heavy atmosphere at the school as parents, siblings, and family members picked up their kids. At dinner time I remember my mother getting emotional. She said to us “This Christmas these babies won’t be there with their families to open up their Christmas presents.” We all hugged our little ones extra close that day.

I was 4 when this happened. My dad was in the Air Force, it haunted him enough that he's seldom touched a gun since. Poor kiddos . . . I'm sorry nothing has changed. 🕊️

Hopefully the parents of the kids that passed will also get diplomas for their innocent angels posthumously.

May all those children who lives were taken away from them rest peacefully and may their families and classmates find some peace and happiness🙏🏽💐❤️‍🩹

I was 16 actually doing a co op placement in a grade one classroom when this happened. Completely broke my heart 💔

Was a freshman in high school. Congratulations to the graduates

I recently drove by through my childhood schools and neighboring schools. The biggest change I noticed were how they've all transformed into prisons. Gate, fences, wiring all over. Security guards. We never had much of those back then.

I was in third grade when this happened, a week after my 9th birthday. I didn’t fully understand what happened till I got a little bit older. My heart goes out to these kids.

When the reporter mention Uvalde their whole facial expressions change, bc they feel the pain of this little kids that are going to deal with the same trauma like them , it broke my heart ❤️😢🙏

The shear impact of how time flies! I remember being 10 years old in 4th grade when this took place. Breaking news came out and every school in our district was put on lockdown! Even tho we were HOURS upon HOURS away from Connecticut, administration had to ensure the safety no matter what! My mom picked me up that day early and didn’t let me leave her sight until the next Monday at school! Terrifying time even for ppl not directly inside!!😭😭😭

These young people are inspiring. Looking forward to them taking power and making changes ❤

12 years and still no change.... Prayers for everyone , May God continue to bless y'all 🎉🎉❤

This shooting still haunts me to this day. I grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, where all of my friends and family lived, and I actually have family in Newtown still, they have known some of these victims. some of these adults that are graduating today absolutely broke my heart over 10 years later that this occurred. I still think about these kids every day even as an educator myself. I’m very glad to see that these adults now that are graduating high school are making a difference in gun violence and I thank them for everything that they will do in the future.

I was 10 years old and in 5th grade when this happened. At the time, my dad was telling me something along the lines of “be careful” and “there was a bad man in Connecticut who went to a school.” At first, I just treated it as the average “Oh, my parents are just telling me the do’s and don’t’s of school.” I don’t remember exactly when I learned the reality and severity of the situation, but I can say that things did change when I learned. I am now 21 turning 22, about to graduate with my master’s this fall semester (I graduated with my bachelor’s one year early). My grad school is the same college I got my bachelor’s in. During one of my undergraduate years, my college avoided a school shooting thanks to two students who anonymously reported the person making jokes about Columbine and “back to school shopping.” The US must stop making all these excuses and make changes to their gun laws.

Grew up in Newtown, mom/teacher who’s three children went to Sandy Hook School. It was such an AMAZING school. My children had graduated from SH and were in the 5/6 school on the day of the murders. We will NEVER get over it, we are never the same. It changed us forever. So proud of these students and so proud to be from Newtown❤

Heard the school wasn't even open at the time?

I lost all hope after Sandy Hook when nothing changed. 😭😭😭😭😭

Never gonna forget after my HS baseball practice during my 6th period class the week after Sandy Hooks I was a sophomore our coach pulled everyone aside to talk to us before we officially went on Christmas Break and gave a great speech he said “When you go home today remember to tell your family you love them, cause there are 26 families that will not get that opportunity this Christmas, never take life for granted and please do not hold grudges, stay safe out there gentlemen and have a great Christmas break”

I was in second grade and my brother was in fifth. I will never forget discussing this with my parents and classmates. It is truly so tragic and makes me cry every time it is talked about. I am now in college working towards my early childhood education degree but the thought of something like this happening in the classroom still haunts me today.

I'm sure our whole country is proud of these kids and the other survivors! What amazing people they've grown to be. I was 20 when the Sandy Hook massacre happened. I grew up hearing about the Colombine shooting, but this was different. A random person shooting elementary school kids was unfathomably horrific. Now, parents in this country have to worry about sending their kids to school because it happens so often. It shouldn't be this way.

As a teenager, I shouldn't be hearing from other kids that this person has a weapon and I shouldn't fear for my life. I shouldn't be thinking about the quickest way to escape my school. The world is a messed up place and needs change. Im proud that these kids are taking horrible thing that happened to them and helping victims and creating change in the world. I wish that and hope that a change will happen. If not, I guess as teenagers, we have to be the change. I know its past sorries and prayers, but my heart goes out to all the victims and families of victims.

i remember hearing about this when i was 8 years old. then i was 15 it happened at my school too. then i befriended some of the survivors at that vigil when i was 18. i am now 20 and the ptsd is forever.. i cannot imagine how it was for them especially at a young age. a service dog personally helped me. that classroom they are in would be very triggering and is triggering honestly to see. im so sorry for what they had to endure and see. the ptsd from this follows you everywhere.. im happy they are all making the best of their lives despite it all. i know how tough it is.

Wow. How bittersweet. Seeing these kids now, knowing there are empty seats and grieving parents living parallel to these blossoming babies.

I was in 2nd grade when this happen. When I heard about it. I thought it was a one time thing and wouldn't happen again.

My son graduated this year, too. I remember being glued to the tv set that entire weekend in December. I’m not one for emotion when seeing stories on the news, but the dead children’s school pictures really got to me because they looked like his picture. After President Obama gave a tearful speech, I thought for sure something would finally be done about school shootings. Not only has nothing changed, but in a sick turn of events those families who lost their children were tormented by Alex Jones & his followers. I pretty much stopped believing in our political system after that.