VARIOUS: Asian and Pacific countries react to the deaths of 20 children and eight others in a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut
Record ID:
324704
VARIOUS: Asian and Pacific countries react to the deaths of 20 children and eight others in a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut
- Title: VARIOUS: Asian and Pacific countries react to the deaths of 20 children and eight others in a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut
- Date: 15th December 2012
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING ALONG STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYDNEY RESIDENT JUNE WAIT SAYING: "I think it's dreadful. I would hate for my children to be brought up in a society where they thought they had the right to bear arms normally." SHOPPERS IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYDNEY VISITOR NOAH NITE SAYING: "I've been in so many countries now with much more strict gun control and felt so much safer." SYDNEY SIGHTSEEING BUS DRIVES PAST (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYDNEY RESIDENT KATRINA WHITEHEAD SAYING: "I just don't think it's necessary. I think in Australia we're really lucky that we've got such good gun laws." SHOPPERS WALKING PAST CHRISTMAS TREE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYDNEY RESIDENT KATRINA WHITEHEAD SAYING: "I mean he's just got in for another term so he's got a really good mandate to do it." PEOPLE IN STREET
- Embargoed: 30th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Australia, China, Korea, Republic of
- City:
- Country: China Korea, Republic of Australia
- Topics: Crime,Business,Communications,People
- Reuters ID: LVA36ZQT062AG26RZUGGGL84T6YN
- Story Text: China, South Korea and Australia reacted to the deaths of 20 schoolchildren and eight others in a massacre at an elementary school in Connecticut, on Friday (December 14), in one of the worst mass shootings in United States history.
The news ran as the first item on hourly broadcasts on China Central Television's (CCTV) news channel, and also interrupted other broadcasts with updates.
"On the 14th, a shooting took place in the United States at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut State. Police have already confirmed that this shooting resulted in the deaths of 28 people, including 20 children. According to U.S. media, this is the most serious shooting in U.S. history," an anchor said.
The 20-year-old gunman, identified by law enforcement sources as Adam Lanza, fired what witnesses described as dozens of shots at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, which serves children from ages 5 to 10.
Authorities found 18 children and seven adults, including the gunman, dead at the school, and two children were pronounced dead later after being taken to a hospital. Another adult was found dead at a related crime scene in Newtown, bringing the toll to 28, state police said.
Although China's newspapers appeared to go to print too early to report the news, many walking the streets of Beijing on Saturday (December 15) morning were aware of the killings.
"I feel very upset. I think this kind of thing is really terrifying. I feel that this kind of thing should not have happened, because so many of the dead were children, and they are so innocent," said 28-year-old bank worker Peng Dingding.
Zhao Fuli, who works for a media outlet, felt that U.S. gun supervision was too lax.
"I think it's really shocking. Because I think perhaps it's related to the security of their society. I think perhaps a lot of Chinese would see it this way. Perhaps U.S. society's policy on supervision of guns is not very strict," he said.
South Korean Yonhap News Television lead with the news of the shooting during their morning bulletins, as did Australian television new bulletins.
Channel Ten anchor Natarsha Belling described the US as "a nation left shattered".
In Sydney, Christmas shoppers were shocked at the shooting.
Sydney resident June Wait questioned the U.S. gun laws.
"I think it's dreadful," she said. "I would hate for my children to be brought up in a society where they thought they had the right to bear arms normally."
Noah Nite from Miami was visiting Sydney to visit family. He had only just heard news of the deaths and said travelling outside the U.S. has given him a new perspective on weapons.
"I've been in so many countries now with much more strict gun control and felt so much safer," he said.
Sydney resident Katrina Whitehead questioned why U.S. citizens needed to carry guns.
"I just don't think it's necessary. I think in Australia we're really lucky that we've got such good gun laws," she said.
Asked whether President Barack Obama should now consider making changes to U.S. gun laws, Whitehead felt he should.
"I mean he's just got in for another term so he's got a really good mandate to do it," she added.
The chaos at Sandy Hook struck as children gathered in their classrooms for morning events. A state police spokesman said the shootings took place in two rooms.
Symbolizing the national grief over the massacre of the schoolchildren, Obama choked up and wiped away tears in a live national address in which he said, "Our hearts are broken."
He called for "meaningful action" to curb gun violence. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None