Flowers lay next to the name of Charlotte Bacon, carved in the stone of a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in Newtown, Conn., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Bouquets of flowers floated counterclockwise in the waters of the circular memorial pool, passing the engraved names of the 20 first graders and six educators killed a short distance away at Sandy Hook Elementary School nearly 10 years ago.
The long-awaited memorial to the victims officially opened to the public on Sunday, drawing visitors steadily throughout the day.
“It just takes your breath away,” said Nora Smith, a resident of nearby Monroe who visited the memorial with her husband, Kevin.
With tree leaves having fallen, the new Sandy Hook School is now visible from the memorial.
Town officials say the memorial will be open as long as weather permits this winter, and then reopen in the spring.
For Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, the town’s top elected official, the memorial is both a quiet and intense tribute to those killed in the shooting. »