HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)/WTIC Radio - Schools around the country have increased security as a precaution after the killings of 19 children and two teachers in Texas.
In Connecticut, where the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting killed 20 first graders and six educators, state police said they were sending extra troopers to schools Wednesday, although no specific threats had been received.
"This assault on the most innocent of our citizens is deeply disturbing and heartbreaking," Connecticut state police Col. Stavros Mellekas said in a statement. "At this time, our focus will be on protecting all school populations here in our state."
Schools in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Virginia, Maryland and Florida also were among those increasing security and offering counseling.
"Last night, I hugged my two kids a little tighter," New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement. "This morning, I gave them an extra kiss before sending them off to school. ... How many more must die in our schools, in our supermarkets and in our streets before the U.S. Congress acts to help address this carnage?"
Those who gathered at a news conference at the Connecticut State Capitol said it's long past time for Congress to pass common sense gun laws like a background check bill that's come out of the House but continues to languish in the Senate.
(© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)