a quiet, unyielding anger. these acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation to chaos and retreat, but they have failed. our country is strong. >> those who died here, those who saved lives here, they helped me believe. we may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but i know that how we treat one another, that's entirely up to us. [ applause ] and i believe that for all our imperfections we are full of decency and goodness and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. >> thank you so much for watching this special edition of "state of the union." i'm candy crowley. be sure to stick with cnn for

continuing live coverage and don lemon from newtown and join us at 6:00 p.m. tonight for the interfaith vigil and the president's remarks. hello, everyone. i'm don lemon reporting live from newtown, connecticut. a community in mourning after a gunman went on a deadly rampage at an elementary school killing 26 people, 20 of them young children. throughout the day on cnn we will bring you the details of the victims and the investigation. we should tell you the president is on the way here. it has been a day of mourning in this community with memorial services. people are coming to this community from all over the tri-state area, from all over connecticut, new jersey, and new york all around and paying their respects to people. as i drove here today just a few moments ago in this little

idyllic town, the roads were all blocked because there were so many people who were trying to get in here just to pay their respects to the people who lost their lives and their family and their loved ones. we have some other big stories that are breaking today and i want to get to atlanta and our deborah feyerick covering them from there. hello. >> hi there. we will have a lot more coming up. we're going to return to you in newtown, don. >> all right. thank you very much. >> first, a mass shooting that has shocked and saddened an entire nation. makeshift memorials are being set up and vigils are being held all weekend for the victims. it is an overwhelming outpouring of grief and sadness here for the families who have lost loved ones in friday's massacre. ♪ i once was lost but now >> 150 people attended a

candlelight vigil in newtown, connecticut, last night. many sobbing as the names of the victims were all read allowed. -- aloud. president barack obama will try to comfort the victims' families today when he arrives here, scheduled to arrive in newtown in a few hours. he's going to meet with families and first responders and then tonight he will speak at an interfaith vigil and we will bring that service to you live in its entirety, in our 7:00 p.m. eastern hour. the president will be speaking live here. we have to get to the investigation now. important to tell you what we know. police say they are confident every question involving the crime will be answered. we're finding out more details of how the alleged gunman got into the school. i want to go to alison kosik who joins me with more on that information. what do you know, alison? >> i'm standing in the neighborhood where adam lanza, the gunman in this massacre, used to live with his mom nancy. we haven't confirmed yet whether or not this crime scene has been shut down. we haven't seen any activity since yesterday afternoon.

the focus, though, still seems to be on the school. we are learning new details from the governor of connecticut dan maloy. he was on "state of the union" quit candy crowley this morning and we're getting a better picture, a more devastating picture, of how this gunman made his way into the school, which by the way had security. you had to be buzzed into the school. there were security cameras there as well. you had to be buzzed into the school as of 9:30 in the morning. governor maloy did confirm what our sources have been telling us, that this gunman literally blasted his way into the school. here's how the governor puts it. >> what we know is he shot his way into the building. he wasn't buzzed in. he shot his way in by shooting an entrance into the building. that's what an assault weapon can do for you. you know, we are unfortunately a violent society. >> and it's really scary to hear

this, don, if you ask me. you think about how he did storm his way into this school. a lot of schools have this kind of security and now it leaves lots of questions, how secure really is that security system, don? >> yeah. and alison, we've also learned some new information about the victim's deaths. what do you know about that? >> and this is really hard t hear. you know, i means the medical examiner yesterday coming out and saying all of the victims were shot -- were shot multiple times, some shot anywhere from three to 11 times each. this is really hard stuff to hear. all of the children were 6 or 7 years old, in first grade. one thing we are learning from lieutenant paul vance who had a news conference a short time ago, the process of releasing the bodies to the families has begun. as far as the investigation goes, according to vance, four weapons were found at the school, three were found at the

house in the neighborhood where i am, where the gunman lived with his mother. also we are learning that the atf is finished with tracing the weapons and who owned these weapons. now it looks like federal agents are chasing other leads. they're going to 30 gun ranges, 400 gun dealers and four counties surrounding this area because what they're trying to figure out, don, what this gunmans was doing before this massacre happened on friday. don? >> such horrific details. thank you. joining me i want to bring in lily an bitman, the former chairman of the newtown board of education. she helped get hochsprung the position. she volunteered at sandy hook for 15 years. it's difficult for you to join us today. you knew some of the victims' families. it's so -- i'm not even involved in this, and it's hard to get words out without even crying. how are you guys doing? >> my family has been affected

directly and -- but i think the worst part of this, aside from losing all our angels and some amazing adults in our school, is that this school was so close and we had such an amazing set of staff and students and parent volunteers and so when you have something like this happen in an environment where there was so much love and joy, everyone just feels violated. i -- as someone, i was actually involved in the school for 17 years, and i just stopped being involved last spring and i worked with the children on a weekly basis on a newspaper program. all my children went through the program. it's just -- it's unbelievable that this could happen to a little school that had so much love and joy in it. >> why did you feel it was important to speak out now? >> because i need the country and the world to understand that out of this, be we have to bring good. this was an idyllic setting for

children and now children, young, young children have died. we keep seeing this in our country. when columbine happened our school put in a buzzer system. a few months ago was aurora. this keeps happening and i want the deaths of these little children, some of them siblings of my children's friends, to have meaning. initially as a community we're going to give those deaths meaning through the love that we give to all the victimses and that's what we're all doing. meals have been set up. everything you can imagine. but beyond that, good must come of this tragedy. >> yeah. i had been trying to tell people and explain to the audience and people on social media just how difficult it is to be here and it's difficult for the media, but this is our jobs. >> right. >> but for the people who live here and the people who are affected by this, when you look at this town, it looks like a christmas postcard and you think

about alls those lives, there's not going to be any -- another person at christmas. >> right. >> it's not going to be another graduation. any of those things. >> it's bigger than that. this means that this school that was such a unit, isn't going to exist for some time. we're moving to monroe, right? that's where that little school will be temporarily. it also has ripple affects out. the kids in college right now that went to that school, they're devastated because their memories of that school have just been crashed. it begins with the death of babies, and it ripples out. everyone in newtown knows each other. >> how do you explain to the people on the other side of that camera, what they can do? everybody's asking me, what can we do to help? can we pray? obviously prayers will help. but what can they do, people watching not only in the u.s. but around the world to help this community? >> i would like everyone to lead with love and not just help the town but help our country come to terms with these situations.

sending us love and prayers, that's an amazing thing. i'm getting it from where i'm from in the midwest and i can't say enough about that and i know all my friends are too. but, what is the most important thing we can do is lead with love and then look at our situation as a country and say, does it stop now? do we have solutions? i'm not -- i don't know if it's gun control, no more glass doors in school buildings. if those doors weren't glass maybe this wouldn't have happened. we as a country have to use this to come together and look at all the solutions, mental health, everything. so what can the world do? love each other. and work together and no more gridlock on anything. figure this out so no more 6-year-olds have to die or watch their teacher die in their classroom, in a place that has for years been a place of joy and love. that's just wrong. it's wrong. >> okay. thank you so much. >> thank you. i appreciate you being here.

>> god bless you. you know some of the families. how are they doing? >> a mess. they're a mess. how would you do? >> yeah. >> i mean, nope. yep. >> our thoughts and prayers. >> thank you. thank you. >> thank you. >> we need to get to a cnn producer. we're hearing there is some activity going on at a church and the producer joins us now on the phone. it's at saint rose of lima catholic church in newtown. what can you tell us? >> i can tell you that about 30, 35 minutes ago, parishioners were seen leaving the church and numerous law enforcement vehicles entering the grounds at a rapid pace. i talked to one young woman who was in the foyer of the church who told everyone to leave. they weren't telling people why. she said an individual in fire department gear said there had been a threat and people were rushing out of the church. >> okay. again, pardon that.

trying to get the information to me. my producer is talking to me. it's vin who's on the phone. do you know anything about what's going on at the church or just seeing people leaving and police activity? no other information? >> people left. there is no information as to why they were told to leave. there is heavy connecticut state police activity here. probably about ten minutes ago, a column of state police officers dressed in camouflage gear, carrying rifles with large clips, you know, wearing military style gear, went into a building that was across the parking lot from the church which appears to be an educational center affiliated with the church. right now, those state police officers are filing back towards the main building of the church and that appears to be all we know right now. >> all right. thank you. keep an eye on that for us and we'll get back to you if there's

new information on that. there are some developing news coming out of washington right now. house speaker john boehner has come up with a proposal, the president and democrats can accept to avoid the fiscal cliff? has he? we have the details on that. sandy hook elementary school had a security system that conducted lockdown drills. we'll talk to a security expert about what else could be done to help. [ sniffs ] i have a cold. [ sniffs ] i took dayquil but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! capella university understands back from rough economic times. employees are being forced to do more with less. and the need for capable leaders is greater than ever. when you see these problems do you take a step back, or do you want to dive right in?

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want to tell you about the developing news on cnn. st. rose of lima catholic church, there has been a threat,

believed to be a threat there. the church was evacuated, people were leaving the church. that's a picture we have there. this church in newtown, connecticut, not any immediate word on why that church was evacuated. but it is being reported by other media it's possibly a new threat. you can see the police are on the scene there, emergency workers on the scene and trying to figure out what's going on. as soon as we get more information on that we'll bring it to you on cnn. there's a lot going on here in newtown, but we want to head back to cnn headquarters in atlanta and get to deb feyerick for a look at other news making headlines right now. deb? >> thanks, don. lawmakers could be closer to a deal avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff. a source tells cnn house speaker john boehner has offered to include higher tax rates on millionaires. the white house is still holding to its $250,000 threshold. unless a deal is reached by january 1st, practically everyone will be hit with a tax increase. it appears president obama

has tapped massachusetts senator john kerry as his next secretary of state. the source says the president may make the announcement this week. kerry narrowly lost the presidency in 2004 to president george w. bush. he's chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and a decorated veteran of the vietnam war. in california a frightening incident for shoppers at a mall parking lot in newport beach. a man in the parking lot, fired 50 shots in the air yesterday. stores filled with holiday shoppers quickly locked their doors. no one was hit. one person suffered minor injuries trying to get out of the area. the suspect is in custody. police have not given a reason for the shooting. let's go back to don lemon live in newtown, connecticut. >> all right. thank you. >> after the massacre at columbine high school in littleton, colorado, in 1999,

schools started implementing stronger safety measures. i want to bring in ken. come in here now. the president of the national school safety and community services, does training and consulting on school safety and emergency preparedness. at the sandy hook elementary, i want it show you this, teachers, staff, students had been briefed on how to handle a lockdown situation. a security system was introduced this year for visitors to ring a bell, sign in and perhaps produce a photo i.d. after 9:30 a.m., the doors were locked. what, if anything, could have been done to prevent this tragedy if they had that in place? >> that type of systems is fairly common for elementary schools across the country and any type of technology is a deterrent for those who can be deterred, a delay for others possibly but it's not foolproof. we tend to rely heavily on technology. we're hearing calls now about metal detectors. do we need that in the school. i see we need mental detectors

rather than metal detectors. metal detector, doesn't give that guarantee that people want. i'm a father. i have two elementary-aged children. i would love to have 100% guarantee. the reality is as a safety professional nobody can give me that. i want to see my principals are taking steps to reduce the risk. we try to reduce the number of open doors. we put the security technology in, train our staff, but -- and you prepare for to manage things as best you can. >> what about layers, you have one door you walk in, that door closes and another locked door. will that help to have those? >> that's an extra tool. we're seeing that particularly in our middle schools and high schools now. step into the first level, and then you get funneled into the office, buzzed in to there before you can get in the rest of the building. assuming the person goes to the front door. the part of the technology and the design is, that it's only as good as a human element behind it. if you have kids and adults who prop open doors, staff who don't greet and challenge strangers because somebody can get in, any

technology is only as good as the weakest human link behind it. >> what about glen bitman who worked for the school system, said maybe no more glass doors in schools. is that feasible? >> what you can do certainly is minimize the glass. rather than having a full glass door, take it down to where half of the door is glass so you can see through. you want to be able to see who's on the other side but you don't need the whole door made out of glass. >> we have talked about this before. remember columbine. security became a big priority in the years following columbine in 1999. do you think that a push has diminished in recent years for added security with schools? >> yeah. we've dean a competition for -- we've seen a competition for time and money. federal, state and local education budgets have been cuts. school security the first on the list. we're also in competition for time. the hot button issues in education today are test schools, improving academics and education reform and has pushed school safety to the back burner. there are many things in

education, but parents will forgive you if your test scores go down, but less forgiving if something happens to the kids. >> look at shootings on college campuses or schools, there are many disgruntled students. is your greatest concern the threat as you said of mental health when it comes to school-aged children? >> take a look at what's going on in our society. economic pressure, stressors on families that are intense now more than ever and a lot of undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues floating around our streets. the challenge for educatoreduca it's student oriented we have access to those kids and may get red flags. if it's a changer -- stranger off the street how can a principal prepare? >> i hate to say this cliche. if this isn't when you have the young precious children being killed, if we don't do something now when will we do something. >> the question isn't whether it's a wake-up call, will we hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. we're talking about this in schools across the country in

upcoming weeks, six months or six years from now, without an incident will we still have the same conversation and the history tells us we typically don't. >> thank you. i appreciate it. wish we would see each other under better circumstances. >> most people touched by this tragedy want to grieve and they want to do it in private. one father has spoken out publicly about the death of his small daughter and his words are proving to be an inspiration to all of us. ♪ ooh baby, looks like you need a little help there ♪ ♪ ooh baby, can i do for you today? ♪ [ female announcer ] need help keeping your digestive balance? align can help. only align has bifantis, a patented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. try align to help retain a balanced digestive system. try the #1 gastroenterologist recommended probiotic. align.

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on friday, lives for many families in newtown changed forever. it is unimaginable parents sent their children off to school and then in a matter of a few short hours they faced a horror of never seeing them again. but as cnn shows us, one father

is speaking out about how he and his family will find peace. >> i don't know how to get through something like this. my wife and i don't understand how to process all of this. >> reporter: how can you, asked robbie parker, when you lose your 6-year-old daughter, emilie, his bright light? artist with crayons, elder sister to a 3 and 4-year-old. >> she was the type of person that could just light up a room. she -- she always had something kind to say about anybody. her love and the strength that she gave us and the example that she showed us is remarkable. she is an incredible person. and i'm so blessed to be her dad. >> we're just devastated that

someone so beautiful and perfect, is no longer going to be in our lives and for no reason. >> reporter: but then, just a day after losing this little girl to violence, her 30-year-old father said very simply, i am not angry. >> as we move on from what happened here, what happened to so many people, let it not turn into something that defines us. but something that inspires us to be better, to be more compassionate, and more humble people. best thing that i can think of to do to move on is to help other people. when you help other people, you feel better about yourself. and the more people that help other people, the more people are blessed. >> reporter: the family moved to newtown from salt lake just eight months ago because

emilie's father got a job at the local hospital where he cares for newborns. brett keller is the family's bishop. >> i really don't know how they are coping and dealing as well as they are. they are just truly strong, faithful, and believing people and i think they're focused on family and the importance of family in their life is really what is sustaining them and helping them right now. >> you can never stop being the best parent that you can be. you can always be better. you can always be more patient, more loving and understanding and willing to accept your children for who they are. i really hope that as i continue to be a dad to my two children, that i can -- if anybody looks back on my life the number one thing they can say about me is i was a great day. >> reporter: cnn, newtown, connecticut. >> for more information on how you can help those affected by the shooting, go to cnn.com/impact.

we want to update the developing news we told you about a moment ago. the st. rose of lima kat lish church evacuated in newtown, connecticut. police investigated a threat and said they have found nothing. it is all clear. if more information comes we'll bring it to you. there are the pictures of police evacuating that church here. they investigated a threat, found nothing, it's all clear now. moving on, sharing their stories of loss as a way of healing. some families like the one we just met find that talking about their loss and lost loved ones they find it helps. we'll meet another one of those families. stay with us. can i help you? i heard you guys can ship ground for less than the ups store. that's right. i've learned the only way to get a holiday deal is to camp out. you know we've been open all night. is this a trick to get my spot? [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. save on ground shipping at fedex office. that was me... the day i learned i had to start insulin for my type 2 diabetes. me... thinking my only option was the vial and syringe dad used.

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[ male announcer ] when diarrhea hits, kaopectate stops it fast. powerful liquid relief speeds to the source. fast. [ male announcer ] stop the uh-oh fast with kaopectate. and just about two hours, president barack obama heads here to newtown, connecticut. he's going to meet with the families of the 26 victims killed in friday's mass shooting at sandy hook elementary school. the president will also speak at an interfaith vigil tonight. we're going to bring that service to you live here on cnn at 7:00 p.m. eastern. the president will speak here in newtown, connecticut and we'll bring it to you on cnn.

we're following the latest developments on the shooting investigation for you and here's what we know right now. connecticut governor dan maloy says a suspect, a 20-year-old suspect, shot his way into the school. we've also learned all 20 of the children killed inside the school were shot multiple times and all of them were 6 and 7 years old. investigators are still processing that crime scene and police say they expect all questions surrounding the cause in this case will eventually be answered. the medical examiner's office starting to release the bodies of the 26 victims ba to their families now. funerals are expected to be held this week. we are learning more about the lives of the shooting massacre victims an cnn's nick valencia is back in the newsroom in atlanta with more on that. we heard from one child's family last night and i understand you have been in touch with another family? >> yeah. good afternoon, don. some of the families that were victims of the newtown, connecticut, shooting, so far

have been more private about their loss, but some, they really want you to know about the people and loved ones they lost. oliva engel's family i one. this is a devastating time. just a few weeks ago they took these christmas photos for the holiday season. they've since posted those photos on 6-year-old family tribute page on facebook and the family said oliva's physical loss will be felt every day by those who loved her most. her sparkly spirit will live on. she loved school, especially math and reading, and even outside the classroom she was very active, involved in a lot of activities ranging from ballet to tennis. even daisy girl scouts. her favorite colors were pink and purple and each evening she led grace at the dinner table for her family. her family says she was smart, bubbly and unbelievabling

entertaining. in a music recital she was supposed to play an angel and yesterday poignantly a local pastor in newtown, connecticut, said today heaven has one more angel. don? >> my god. such beautiful family, such beautiful pictures. i just -- i can't even imagine. thank you. >> thank you. >> deb feyerick is back in atlanta and has other families. >> don, a deal could finally be in the works to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. a source tells cnn house speaker that john boehner has offered to include higher tax rates on millionaires. the white house is still holding to its $250,000 threshold unless a deal is reached by january 1st, practically everyone will be hit with a tax increase. egypt's muslim brotherhood declared a narrow victory in the first round of hotly contested constitutional referendum. this is only the first weekend of voting. the rest of the country will vote next weekend. election monitors report some

claims of voter intimidation and early poll closings. and former south african president nelson mandela is recovering in a hospital in pe tore ya. the 94-year-old had gallstones removed yesterday. according to a statement from the president zuma's office. he was hospitalized last weekend for a lung infection. he's been keeping a low profile for years. we're going to take you back to newtown, connecticut, for the latest there with don lemon. don? >> and deb, be i know you're a mom and you saw the pictures there of little oliva and all the pictures we have been seeing, i hated to be so abrupt with throwing back to you, but what can you say? it's just -- >> i was looking at that child at 6 years old, and i think of my daughter at 6 years old and they have this incredibly full and rich life and you say, my child is 6, my child is 6 and this little human being and then they turn 7 and that 6-year-old is almost a memory and then you

have this beautiful little 7-year-old and then a beautiful 8-year-old and it's like you can't even imagine the years that they grow into and they developed and the richness that they bring, every single day to your life as they get older, as they mature, as their sense of humor gets kenner and their intelligence, their intellect gets sharper. you know, i think of my own kids just running around the corner jumping on me whenever i walk through the door. and i don't even know what it would be like not to have that. >> as journalists, i have never been at a loss for words and on this story i'm truly at a loss for words. i woke up in the middle of the night thinking, i hope i'm dreaming but sadly i was in another hotel room in another city covering another tragedy with a gun and young people. >> yeah. >> thank you very much. >> tragedy here in connecticut is tough for the entire community and those not directly affected still want to make a difference. we'll hear from them. [ sniffs ] i have a cold.

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live" last night. somber tribute to the victims in newtown, connecticut. the tragedy is tough for the entire community and those not directly affected still want to make a difference. yesterday i spoke with two women who are trying to do just that. before you roll it, i want to tell you, that those women saw me on television, was watching cnn and they wrote me a note. and i will explain to you what this note says after you hear from them. here it is. >> when you came up to talk to me, you ladies, you could barely get the words out. >> this is -- there are no words. there are no words. even right now we know that families are crying together, trying to get through day to day, and we feel that since we weren't directly impacted, we feel like we want to be able to use our voices to say things we know people are going to be saying for a long time. after the cameras are gone. sometimes it's after the cameras

are gone, that things stop working and motion stops. >> for you? you've been crying the entire time you're standing here. >> there are no words. there are no adequate words to describe what has happened here. and how children and parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts and people who live far away who just know that we are here, there are no words. and this can happen to anyone, anywhere. we need to make our children feel safe to go back to school. and i want to know how we can do that? i want someone to give us an answer to this question. >> and by you asking, some of those questions may be answered. you are making a difference. you are helping. >> we hope so. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. how old are your kids? >> i have an 11 and 14-year-old.

>> what grades? >> sixth and ninth. >> are you going to send them to school? >> i'm going to send them to school as long as i can tell them that somebody is doing something different to make them feel safe. >> how old are your kids? >> my daughter is 11 and my son is 8. >> are you going to send them to school? >> if i feel -- if i feel they're safe. if i feel that they're safe. >> thank you. p. >> it's unbelievable. >> thank you. i'm so sorry. >> i think that's all. thank you. >> thank you. >> can i have this note? >> yes. >> for every parent? >> yeah. >> thank you, guys. >> thank you so much for the kind of coverage that you're -- you've been very sensitive.

>> so, laura and shelly, thank you. this is the note. and i wanted them to be on camera because i thought that their voices needed to be heard. they didn't want to show their full faces on camera because they had been crying for 24 hours they said. we don't look well. shoot us from the side. we did that. the note says, earlier you asked someone being interviewed what we would want our country to do for our community. this is what we would like. right away, we need specific plans and actions to improve safety for our children and our schools before they are expected to return to school. we feel we could be -- we could better ensure our children's safety placing a permanent police officer in each of our schools in newtown so they will know someone is there for the purpose of protecting their school. they need to feel safe and to be safe, be in capital letters, be safe as safe as possible. but equally important, are actions too. once and for all, find ways to

make these acts nearly impossible to carry out in the future. these are the only ways that this tragedy can lead to anything positive. it is our responsibility to do this for these victims and for all of us. sincerely. so thank you, ladies, for that and i think the entire country hear your words right now. i want to bring in clinical psychologist dr. jeff garrdeer, it's hard to tell women like i spoke to not to worry, not to worry about sending their kids to school in the future. fear may be a constant for them now. how do we ease their worries in this moment? >> >> well first of all. i want to personally thank you, don, for the sensitive coverage that you've given and being aware that we can't in any way, shall shooter, make him some sort of an historical figure. because other people will follow that and that's been part of the problem, so thank you for that.

>> firstnd foremost, you're correct. fear is going to be part of their lives, not forever. but we need to reassure those children there in newtown, that they are safe. they must return to that school, because if they avoid it, then it will become what we call in psychology, aphobic response. so first and foremost. there should be a police officer, a law enforcement, in each one of those schools there for just a temporary amount of time. just so they feel safe. secondly, parents need to go in with the children, every day, through the holidays, and after, probably through january. or have adults there that are trained to be with those kids. and to reassure them, that they're safe. there needs to be support groups, mobile crisis units, that are part of the fabric of those schools there. again, every day.

they need to use the holidays, the religious holidays to remember those that have been lost. to continue grieving their loss. to be able to talk about what that feels. and finally, we need to get them to help one another. get the kids to help one another. to empower them. so they don't have to give in completely to the anxiety. and there will be the ptsd. no doubt about that. with so many of them. as we address their issues, right now, the prognosis will be better. >> i went up to the car and i met the kids and saw the kids. i could just only imagine in those little voices, those kids saying mommy. daddy. i don't want to go to school. how, what if someone comes into my school. what do you say to a child who is asking that? >> you tell that child that you totally understand that they are afraid. and that you, as the parent to be honest with them, are afraid, too. but in this life, no matter how

horrific things may take place, we must help one another. and we owe it to those kids who are no longer there, because there will be some survivor guilt. that's something that a lot of people have not talked about. the way to attack that, the way to deal with it, is by going back to school. so being as gentle and as responsive and as understanding as we can, with our children and understanding that fear, but taking them by the hand, not forcing them, but together, going in, and saying, okay, i will help you, but you help mom and dad, to be able to deal with this, let's go into this school together. let's go and get this education, together. >> great advice, jeff guardier, appreciate it as always. >> we're all grieving for newtown, connecticut. we're all grieving and when we return, the signs of support, the words of encouragement and a memorial to the victims, we'll show it to you.

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this tragedy in newtown has brought people together to mourn and to comfort one another. through words and memorials we are feeling the heartfelt emotion flowing through this town and around the country. and as we end this hour, we pay tribute to those who lost their lives way too soon. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> just a tragic, tragic situation for the teachers, the principals, and those angels,

all i keep thinking about is those angels. ♪ when things happen to your children, and to other people's children, i can't look at my children's faces not without seeing the faces of every one of their schoolmates.

♪ ♪