Newtown Students Still Live With Fear And Nightmares

Newtown, CT — Students from Sandy Hook Elementary are still experiencing fear and nightmares about the day they watched their classmates and friends die at the hand of a gunman.

Hundreds of children survived the shooting at their school on December 14, 2012. While they were moved to a new school and went through the motions of putting their friends to rest, the six- and seven-year-olds who witnessed the carnage still have a long way to go before they are healed.

Nightmares are a constant reminder of the attack, reports The Washington Post. Parents have noted that they are often triggered by things like a fire alarm, a clap of thunder, or the sound of an intercom. Signs at the new school ask people to close doors softly and not drag objects across the floor.

For all the hugs and assurances from their parents, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) remains. Hugo Rojas, whose son witnessed the Sandy Hook massacre, stated, “The worst part is the helplessness. You want to take that pain away. You want to be able to take those nightmares away, but you can’t.”

The gunman, Adam Lanza, shot his way into the school, where he killed six educators and 20 children in the span of five minutes. After shooting more than 154 rifle rounds, Lanza killed himself with a handgun as police arrived on the scene, notes ABC News.

Several of the children who witnessed the massacre are in therapy, including Rojas’ son. While his son doesn’t often talk about the shooting, he does ask why it happened. His family tries to be honest with him and often answers that they don’t know why. The young boy also asks about his friends who died at Lanza’s hands.

Among those who survived the Sandy Hook school shooting are 12 students from two classrooms who saw the gunman open fire on their friends and teachers. Their families each received $20,000 from the largest Newtown charity fund to help with therapy and other costs from the incident. In a letter, to the foundation, Nrewtown First Selectman Patricia Llodora commented that the money isn’t nearly enough for the survivors’ families, who will likely spend years in therapy and could have relapse situations for even longer.

While the nightmares and fear remain, Posey stated that his son, and other witnesses to the Newtown massacre, are showing signs of recovery.

[Image via Ron Frank / Shutterstock.com]