Commission Decides on Memorial for Sandy Hook Victims

After a full year of gathering information, a group appointed to decide how Newtown should memorialize the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting have decided that there should be a memorial, the News Times reports.

The 12-member commission was appointed by Firs Selectman Pat Llodra and the Board of Selectmen in 2014. Four members of the commission lost loved ones in the shooting, the paper reports.

According to the paper, the commission met with families who lost loved ones, school staff, parents and first responders to make sure every voice is heard in making this decision. The commission also held two public forums and met with planners involved in the Columbine Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial.

Of the 26 families affected by the tragedy, 18 stayed in touch with the commission and one family disagrees with the idea of a memorial.

A survey of Sandy Hook parents showed that 95 percent of parents think there should be a memorial, the paper reports. The preference is to have the memorial in Sandy Hook but also be secluded from environmental noise.

No decision will be made on the design of the memorial till a location is chosen.

Read the full story at the News Times.

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