Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary

On the morning of Dec. 14, 2012, a heavily armed 20-year-old gunman massacred 20 young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It was one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. The gunman, Adam Lanza, had a history of mental instability. Once again, the nation was left reeling — shocked by the viciousness of the attack against such innocent victims, and numbed by yet another senseless act of violence. Once again, the killings set off a national debate about gun control, mental illness and background checks. In the wake of the slayings, gun control advocates hoped that Sandy Hook would finally be the catalyst to force legislators to pass more stringent regulations. This e-single, a compilation of articles from the New York Times archives, chronicles the tragedy at Newtown and its aftermath.