Moms Group Slams NRA Response to Sandy Hook Shooting

A group called MomsRising offered sharp criticism of the NRA's push to have armed guards in every school.

Callahan Signs Letter to Obama Urging Action on Guns

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan signs letter from more than 750 mayors urging president to take immediate steps to stop gun violence in wake of Connecticut shootings.

  Mayor John Callahan is one of more than 750 mayors nationwide who signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to take immediate action to curb gun violence in the wake of the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Friday. The letter, dated Wednesday from an organization calling itself Mayors Against Illegal Guns, urges the president to pursue a new legislative agenda and take immediate steps to curb gun violence. Among the actions urged are a new assault weapons ban, the closing of private sale loopholes that circumvent criminal background checks on gun purchases and a recess appointment of a new director for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. …

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Services Set for Mary Sherlach, CT School Shooting Victim

Sherlach was the school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, where a gunman opened fire Friday, killing 26 people.

Mary Sherlach, the school psychologist killed in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, will be laid to rest this week.  A memorial service will be held 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT. Friends are invited to meet directly in St. Stephen Church, 6948 Main St., Trumbull at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21 for a Memorial Mass. Interment will be private.  Condolences may be sent through the funeral home's website.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfield County Community Foundation, Fund for Health and Wellness, 383 Main Ave., Norwalk, CT 06851, to continue Sherlach's work with children and mental health. Sherlach, 56, was …

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School Shooting Drill in Northampton County Trained Cops for Connecticut-Type Tragedy

Officers from six Northampton County police departments participated in 'Active Shooter' training on July 26 to prepare for the unthinkable, like the horrific act of violence inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.

An "active shooter" drill in Northampton County helped police, school officials and emergency crews practice their response to a rampage like Friday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Nazareth Area Intermediate School was the scene of multiple -- staged -- tragedies July 26 during specialized training co-hosted by the Upper Nazareth Township Police Department and National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA). About 20 police officers from six Northampton County departments participated in the “Active Shooter” training that Don Alwes, an instructor with NTOA, described as “kind of like a scrimmage.” The 10-hour day included a historical overview of active shooter situations and field training exercises, during…

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Patch Writer's Mother-In-Law Killed in CT School Shootings

Mary Sherlach, the mother-in-law of Patch writer Eric Schwartz, was among 27 people killed in the second-deadliest school shooting in American history.

The deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, claimed the life of a Patch writer's family member.  Mary Sherlach, the school's psychologist, was among 26 people, including 20 children, who died when a gunman opened fire at the school Friday morning. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also died in the rampage.  Sherlach was the mother-in-law of Deptford resident Eric Schwartz, a longtime Patch freelancer who covers high school sports in South Jersey.  Sherlach, 56, lived in Trumbull, CT. Schwartz and his wife, Maura, arrived in Connecticut on Friday evening to be with their family. They could not be reached for comment.  In the shooting spree, Lanza also reportedly killed his mother, who was a teacher …

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