'Raising Adam Lanza' Documentary Offers More Insight Into Sandy Hook Shooter

Impact

Adam Lanza, the accused shooter of the December 14 attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were killed, was a shy 4-year-old who "hated to be touched" — says a Hartford Courant/PBS Frontline documentary to air on Tuesday.  

The investigation also found that Lanza was spending more time alone in the months leading up to the massacre, as his mother Nancy Lanza "attempted to encourage him to be independent despite his mental disabilities."

According to Raising Adam Lanza, between 2010 and 2012, Nancy took Adam to nearby gun ranges to practice shooting. She also purchased four firearms — including the Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle Adam is believed to have used in the attack — during the same period (her friends say Nancy used target practice as a way to bond with her withdrawn son).

Police also uncovered "thousands of dollars worth of violent video games" in the Lanzas' home. Authorities believe Adam "may have been inspired by the video games he played in the attack." The Courant also reported that Adam may have felt that he was in "direct competition" with Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, based on news articles about Breivik's 2011 crime they found in the Lanzas' home.