The town of Newton, Connecticut, along with the rest of the United States, was rocked early Friday morning by a gunman clad in black military gear.

20 children and 6 adults were killed when Adam Lanza, armed with a .223 caliber rifle, opened fire in a classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School shortly after gunning down his mother in her home.

Lanza, 20, was also found dead inside the school.  His motive is unknown at this time.   Ryan Lanza, the gunman’s brother, is being held for police questioning in New Jersey.

The mass shooting in Newton is among the worst in the Nation’s history, especially considering the young age of many of the victims.

President Obama, in an impassioned speech Friday afternoon,  expressed his deep empathy for the victims and their families.

“As a country, we have been through this too many times.  Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago — these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children.  And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”