Letters and Other Submissions to The Newtown Bee in Response to the Sandy Hook Shootings collection

On the morning of December 14, 2012, a lone gunman shot his way into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and then shot and killed 26 people, 20 of whom were children.

The tragedy reverberated around the world. Letters, cards, artwork, poetry, and objects were sent to Newtown in the aftermath of the school shootings. Some of these letters were sent to the editorial office of The Newtown Bee, an independent weekly newspaper serving the Newtown community.

The newspaper, owned and managed by the Smith family for three generations, has been in publication since June 28, 1877. At the time of the tragedy, R. Scudder Smith was its publisher, and Curtiss Clark its editor; 35 people worked at the paper including eight in editorial. The Newtown Bee has a circulation of 5,500.

The newspaper covered the story - in both print and web format - from the moment the first responders were called to the school. It also published an advertising-free special edition three days after the shootings, which was distributed throughout the community and to those who flocked to the town as part of the national media coverage or just out of curiosity. The special edition was intended to give a local view and voice to the tragic event which quickly became a national and international concern. People from around the world responded to this coverage by writing to the paper.

The Newtown Bee's editorial, business, and advertising office is located in a 1903 building at 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown. Its printing facility is at 17 Commerce Road, Newtown.