[Breaking News] 18 children among 27 dead in Conn. school shooting

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CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — As many as 27 people are dead, including 18 children, in a shooting Friday morning at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, the Associated Press is reporting. The alleged gunman, an unidentified adult male, is among the dead, police officials say.

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Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance said there were fatalities at the scene, including students and staff, but would not confirm the number of deaths pending notification of the families affected. He said the school was secure and that there was no further danger to the public.

The shooter, reportedly wearing a mask, had at least two 9mm handguns, which were found near his body at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, about 60 miles outside of New York City, published reports said. It’s unclear if he shot himself or was killed by police. Vance did confirm the shooter was dead inside the school.

Three people were taken to Danbury Hospital, which put itself under lockdown, according to the medical facility’s Facebook page. Hospital officials would not give the ages or conditions of the victims they were treating.

Unconfirmed reports also note that the principal and other administrators may have been the target.

Vance said state police were called to the school just after 9:30 a.m. Eastern and along with Newtown police officers immediately entered the school to search for the shooter. The police ordered the evacuation of everyone from the building at that time.

Crying and obviously frightened young children, their hands on each others’ shoulders, were led single-file through the school’s parking lot by adults as local and state police searched room to room and the surrounding area. The FBI also joined in the investigation.

All schools in the Newtown district were immediately placed on lockdown, which reportedly was lifted around noon Eastern.

Children described loud booms and “lots of” shots after classes began at the kindergarten through fourth-grade school. There are more than 626 children enrolled at the school, which employs 46 faculty members, the Newtown Patch reported.

“I was in the gym and heard several loud booms...we all just huddled... and our teachers told us to go into the office where no one could find us. Then a police officer came in and told us to run outside,” one little girl told WVIT-TV.

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It seems to be in a rundown neighborhood with low income families ...