Family members of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School held a brief news conference Monday to thank people around the world for the outpouring of support and to announce the creation of a website to honor the victims of the Dec. 14, 2012, shootings.
The 14 families of children and educators said they will hold a candlelight vigil in honor of their slain loved ones on Friday, the day before the one-year anniversary of the shootings, and issued the following statement:
December 14, 2012 forever and unalterably changed the lives of the 26 families whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Since that day, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness, love, prayers, and generosity received from the entire world. To simply say thank you is not enough to express our sincere gratitude.
In the midst of our grief we have come to realize that we want our loved ones to be remembered for the lives they lived and how they touched our hearts. We have been uplifted by the support of so many people and we would like to keep that spirit of unity and love alive in all we do to remember those we so dearly miss. It is with this in mind that we have created the MySandyHookFamily.org website.
This website is intended to serve as a singular place of sharing, communication, and contact with the families of those who lost their lives that day. MySandyHookFamily.org allows us, the 26 families, the opportunity to honor our loved ones in a way that feels right to each individual family.
We ask that you understand that each of us – each family – is unique in our own experiences following this tragedy and we each have our own voice and perspective. By creating this website, we hope to offer an opportunity to communicate with our families and honor our loved ones, while at the same time respecting each family's individual journey and unique experiences.
Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra reiterated her plea to the media to stay away from Newtown to allow the town to reflect peacefully on last year's tragedy.
"I'm hoping that when you leave here today you will have what you need to satisfy your producers," Llodra said during a press conference with other town officials. "Last year, we were hurt very badly on Dec. 14. We don't need to relive it."
They said they will light a candle in honor of their slain family members.
View this video on YouTube
MySandyHookFamily.org contains stories about the shooting victims.
