Sandy Hook school shooting anniversary: Lawmakers mark 11 years since Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, CT

NEWTOWN, Connecticut — Thursday marks 11 years since the fateful day in Newtown, Connecticut, when 20 children and six adults were killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.

There are some wounds that time will never heal.

“Eleven years ago today, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School shocked the conscience of our nation,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said.

On Thursday morning, House minority leader Jeffries and members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force marked 11 years since the shooting on Capitol Hill.

“There’s a lasting scar for the families and survivors of this massacre, the entire Newtown community and our country,” said Rep. Mike Thompson.

On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, destroyed hearts and lives as he opened fire on 6 and 7-year-old students.

Twenty first-graders were killed along with six educators.

Those families have chosen to never mark the anniversary on the exact date. Instead they were in Washington, D.C. a week ago for a vigil and to renew the same calls made in the days and weeks after the massacre: gun control, gun control, and more gun control.

“We can stop gun violence, Ethan’s law, with safe storage, background checks, and an assault weapons ban,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.

“You do move mountains when you choose to speak up, I wish this weren’t the case but our colleagues pay a little bit more attention when they are listening to the personal stories of what people have gone through,” Sen. Chris Murphy said.

On Thursday, lawmakers said they have made strides, but it’s far from enough.

“We were able to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act last congress, but children are still dying,” Rep. Jahana Hayes said.