UPDATED 3:58 P.M. ET (U.S.A.): A mass shooting this morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., reportedly has resulted in 27 deaths, including the death of the presumptive shooter. Twenty of the victims were children, authorities said this afternoon.
Earlier reports had put the death toll of children at 18. Precise details about the circumstances under which the shooting occurred remain unclear.
Courant.com (Hartford Courant) coverage as of the time of this PP Blog post.
Connecticut Gov. Daniel P. Malloy has been notified. So has President Obama at the White House.
The President addressed the American people this afternoon.