Sandy Hook shooting survivors are graduating with mixed emotions and without 20 of their classmates

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(12 Jun 2024) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4499983 ++SOUNDBITES PARTIALLY COVERED WITH IMAGES++ ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 7 June 2024 1. Wide of rally against gun violence outside Edmond Town Hall 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Lilly Wasilnak, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "Since you're in kindergarten. You just can't wait to graduate. And it felt so far away for such a long time. But like now it's here and you're ready." 3. Wide of student hugging attendees at rally 4. UPSOUND (English) Emma Ehrens, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "I'm super excited to be graduating, but there's still this feeling of sadness." ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 15 December 2012 5. Wide of makeshift memorial outside Sandy Hook Elementary School ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 7 June 2024 6. Mid of shooting survivor Ella Seaver holding banner at rally 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Lilly Wasilnak, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "Going into graduation, we all have very mixed emotions... trying to be excited for ourselves and this accomplishment that we've worked so hard for, but also those who aren't able to share it with us who should have been able to." ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 14 December 2012 8. Various of emergency vehicles, families outside Sandy Hook Elementary School after shooting ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 7 June 2024 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Grace Fischer, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "The shooting was kind of like our most core memory, growing up. And I think that took away a lot of the joy that we could have experienced when we were six years old. And I can't really remember many times before the shooting. So in that sense, it really did take over those really innocent times, and it really forced us to grow up so fast when we didn't need to." ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 14 December 2012 10. Various of families after shooting 11. Various of police on scene ASSOCIATED PRESS Newtown, Connecticut - 7 June 2024 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Emma Ehrens, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "The shooter actually came into my classroom, so I had to, like, watch all my friends and teachers get killed and I had to run for my life at six years old. And just growing up with having the fear and the what ifs. What could have happened if I stayed because I was like, I was going to be next? But there was a split second where a kid decided to say, run! And we did. We ran and just, you know, growing up with, those memories of seeing your friends and teachers dying is not something anyone wants to live with, no matter what age." 13. Various of roses placed by Sandy Hook Memorial 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ella Seaver, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "The what-ifs kind of spoil a lot of precious moments, you know, just because you always remember that they're not there. So even going to prom, you think, well, what if they were my prom date? Or, you know, what if they were my significant other? What if they were able to walk the stage with me. Who would I still be friends with now? It causes even more pain than what we've already experienced." 15. Various of memorial 16. Various of rally to end gun violence 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Lilly Wasilnak, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Survivor: "I knew I wanted to do something more since I was younger when the tragedy first happened. I wanted to turn such a terrible thing into something more, and that these children and educators didn’t die for nothing." 20. Wide of memorial Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9a466f0caa4345ddb5762ed7c461de1d