Adam lanza biography
Slideshow: Adam Lanzas Path to the Sandy Hook Tragedy
Before becoming the name behind the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, Adam Lanza was known as a shy boy who was quiet, withdrawn and seemed to recoil from being touched. He played violent video games and went to shooting ranges with his mother, but hardly showed signs of dangerous behavior.
Yet somewhere along the way, Lanza made the fateful decision that ended in the second deadliest school shooting in American history.
Adam lanza father Fox News. Adam Lanza's tragic actions on December 14, , at Sandy Hook Elementary School have left many grappling with the question of "why. Archived from the original on August 11, Lanza also went to Room 10, another first-grade classroom nearby; at this point, there are conflicting reports about the order of events.The following collection of photos traces his path to the mass killings in Newtown, Conn. While his motive remains a mystery, they help explain some of the key forces that shaped his life.
Adam Lanza was born in New Hampshire on April 22, to Peter and Nancy Lanza. He had an older brother, Ryan, and together they lived on land owned by Nancys family.
From an early age, Adam is said to have struggled in social situations. In kindergarten, he was identified as needing an individual education plan, as well extra attention both in the classroom and at home, according to Marvin LaFontaine, who met Nancy when their sons were in Cub Scouts together. There was a shyness and a learning thing, he told FRONTLINE and The Hartford Courant, and they were trying to unravel it.
In , Peters job took the family to the affluent suburb of Newtown, Conn.
Adam lanza biography wife Louis, MO Jan. Adam had one brother, Ryan Lanza, who was six years older than him. Advocacy groups emerged to push for legislative changes aimed at preventing such tragedies in the future. The Chronicle of Higher Education.Adam is doing well here, and seems to enjoy the new school, Nancy wrote in an email to a friend back in New Hampshire the following year. His apparent strides came despite an early diagnosis of sensory integration disorder, a not widely recognized condition that made it difficult for Adam to manage and respond to sights, touch and smell.
Pictured above, Adams first grade photo from Sandy Hook Elementary School. He is in the second row, second from the left.
By middle school, Adam was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism that interferes with social interaction.
He found the chaos and noise of students changing classrooms upsetting, and Nancy decided to withdraw him from school. Pictured above, Adams sixth grade yearbook photo from Reed Intermediate School in Newtown.
In , Adam arrived at Newtown High School, where he received special education help. He also enrolled in the school technology club at the urging of the clubs adviser, Richard Novia.
Adam had episodes … where he would completely withdraw, Novia remembered. Still, Novia says, Adam was making progress, as evidenced by his willingness to pose for the above photo.
There’s this funny little face on him. He’s not quite smiling, Novia said.
I was there when those pictures were taken, and I can tell you that to have Adam stand for that picture proves there was success.
Adams special-education program was designed for children who struggled with social interaction. He had a school psychologist, but getting Adam out of his shell was not easy. Administrators would often request Nancys presence on campus, and it was not uncommon for her to be at the high school as many as two or three times a week to deal with Adams behavior issues.
Above, Adam in high school in or
Following Adams sophomore year in high school, Nancy again made the decision to withdraw him. He enrolled at Western Connecticut State University at 16 and performed well, posting a grade-point average. Nancy told friends he had embraced a more adult-like environment, but his high school support network was gone.
Adam lanza biography Louis, MO Jan. Retrieved January 14, Retrieved October 15, April 18,Within a year, Adam left. He then enrolled at Norwalk Community College, but dropped out after the first semester.
A series of major life changes came as Adam left community college. In , his parents divorced. The next year, he abruptly broke off all contact with his father and grew estranged from his brother.
Nancy taught him to drive, and in , Adam got his license. She traveled more, leaving Adam alone for days at a time in hopes of grooming him to be more independent.
Adam lanza biography children: Retrieved October 7, Daily News. December 16, Notorious Figures.
Occasionally, she also took Adam to shooting ranges.
Guns were nothing new for Nancy Lanza, who grew up Nancy Champion in Kingston, N.H. Her father was an airline pilot and her mother a school nurse. Together with her sister and two brothers, she lived on the familys farm, tending animals and working the land.
Target practice was an activity Nancy and Peter shared with Adam and Ryan during the boys early years in N.H.
Shooting was definitely her outlet, according to Dan Holmes, a landscaper and friend of Nancys. Indeed, from to , Nancy purchased four firearms, weapons Adam would later use during his rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Nancy also enjoyed to travel, but Adam would always take precedence, according to her friend from Newtown, John Bergquist.
Her life revolved around caring for Adam.
Adam lanza biography wikipedia January 22, As first responders arrived at the school, Lanza killed himself with a gunshot to the head. Contains documents and further evidence from the case" PDF. Retrieved January 14,She loved to hang out with her friends at the bar and she loved to travel and she took time out for herself but her children and her family came first, he told FRONTLINE and The Hartford Courant.
In , Nancy began discussing a possible move to North Carolina or Washington state so that Adam could again attend college and pursue a degree in history.
It was important for her to find the right fit. When a family member asked for an explanation as to why she would leave New England, Nancy responded, You never turn your back on your children. Adam, however, had other plans. On the morning of Dec. 14, , he entered Nancys room and shot her four times in the head while she slept.
He then got in the car, and headed for Sandy Hook.
See What FRONTLINE Is Working On Now
Related Articles
Topics
More Stories
Show more
We Answer To No One But You
You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations.
I'm already subscribed
We Answer To No One But You
You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations.
I'm already subscribed
The FRONTLINE Dispatch
Don't miss an episode.
Sign-up for The FRONTLINE Dispatch newsletter.
I'm already subscribed