Escorted by his family member, a child (right) leaves the Sandy Hook Elementary School after the fatal school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the United States, Dec. 14, 2012. Photo: Xinhua


Police in US state Connecticut said Friday that 18 children died on the scene at a school shooting here in Sandy Hook Elementary School, two more died later in the hospital. All together 8 adults were also dead.

State police spokesman Paul Vance made the announcement to reporters at a news conference here, saying 6 adults were killed, including the principal. He said the shooter was also found dead. Another death was reported at a secondary scene, bringing the death toll to 28.

According to reports, the gunman shot his mother, who worked at the school. Police said the gunman and the "individual who lived with him" were both dead.

The gunman was initially reported to be 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, but there appears now to be confusion over the gunman's identity, as later reports were identifying the shooter as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, while Ryan, an older brother of Adam, is being questioned by the police.

According to Vance, the shooting took place in "one section of the school in two rooms," and there were only one shooter as far as the police know.

In an emotional statement from the White House briefing room, U. S. President Barack Obama said the United States needs to take " meaningful action," regardless of politics, to prevent more tragedies, noting the country has seen too many shootings throughout the years.

The shooting is the second deadly in U.S. history, exceeding only by the Virginia Tech Massacre in April 2007, in which 33 people died.