U.S. SCHOOL MASSACRE

Children gunned down at U.S. school

Death toll 'closer to 30'
Toll includes at least 10 children
Shooter dead at school
Parent heard 'at least 100 rounds'

FULL STORY

'Close to 20' dead in Connecticut school shooting, source says

By Susan Candiotti and Michael Pearson, CNN

December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1857 GMT (0257 HKT)

Witness: 3 went into hall, 1 came back

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Federal officers on the scene assisting in investigation
"Everybody was crying," a third-grader says
A law enforcement source says nearly 20 are dead, including 10 children
The suspect is also dead, a source says

Newtown, Connecticut (CNN) -- Nearly 20 people died Friday in an elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

At least 10 of the dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School were children, the source said. At a news conference Friday afternoon, state police Lt. Paul Vance would say only that there had been "several fatalities."

The school was secure, and the public was not in danger, Vance said.

"Why? Why?" one woman wailed as she walked up a wooded roadway leading from the school.

A parent who was inside the school at the time of the attack said she heard what sounded like at least 100 rounds being fired. She said she saw two school employees who had died.

'I hope my mom is ok': Tweets from the Connecticut school shooting

Third-grader describes shooting from class

Timeline: School violence in U.S.

Hospital officials in neighboring Danbury said they were treating three people wounded in the shooting. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said the victims were in "very serious" condition.

The shooter is dead, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN's Susan Candiotti. The suspect's body is in a classroom at the school, the source said.

A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said a male was being questioned but he is not being called a suspect.

Federal officers in tactical gear were on the scene, coordinating with local and state police. At least four ambulances remained at the school Friday afternoon.

Police have recovered two weapons from the suspect, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, the source said. It's unclear if police killed the suspect.

'It doesn't seem possible' -- parents shocked by school shooting

Police and teachers rushed students from the building as police swarmed the area shortly after the first calls came in, around 9:40 a.m. ET. Officials moved students to a nearby firehouse, where parents frantically sought information about their children.

Third-grader Alexis Wasik said police and teachers barged into her classroom and told students to hide in the corner.

"Everybody was crying," she said. "And I just heard the police officers yelling."

Aerial images from CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey showed police officers armed with rifles following a dog into woods near the school.

Other officers, some in tactical gear, stood around the school with guns drawn, CNN affiliate WFSB reported.

All schools in the city were on lockdown Friday as police assessed the situation, Vance said.

Gov. Dan Malloy is "horrified" by what happened, a spokesman said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Obama administration feels "enormous sympathy" for affected families and pledged federal support for state and local law enforcement.

Newtown is about 60 miles north of New York.

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CNN's Meredith Artley and David Ariosto contributed to this report.

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