The December 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School involved a lone shooter gunning down 20 students and six faculty members before turning the gun on himself inside the school building, according to the NY Daily News.
The victims from the fatal shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School go beyond those who lost their lives that day, as people in the community reportedly continue to suffer as the second anniversary of the shooting approaches this weekend.
"It's still hard to deal with," stated Beth Hegarty, who was inside Sandy Hook Elementary school with her three daughters on the day of the shooting.
Hegarty's daughters reportedly showed signs of lingering problems as they climbed into her bed in the middle of the night, and wanted to stay in the house instead of venturing outside. A teacher for one of the girls reportedly noticed that she would sit in class and stare at the doorway instead of paying attention.
Hegarty also suffered after the shooting, although her condition has reportedly improved over time.
"I was super reactive to everything. I would fly off the handle on a whim. I was emotional. I couldn't handle crowds or loud noises," explained Hegarty.
As the second anniversary of the shooting rampage approaches on Sunday, mental health officials have stated that the demand for treatment is still high, with many people reporting substance abuse, relationship troubles, disorganization, depression, overthinking or inability to sleep, all related to the attack, according to CBS News.
"We've found the issues are more complex in the second year," stated Joseph Erardi, Newton's school superintendent.
He added, "A lot of people were running on adrenaline the first year."
Newtown has reportedly received about $15 million in grants from the U.S. Education Department and the U.S. Justice Department to support the recovery of the victims. Newtown Youth Family Services, the main mental health agency, has reportedly quadrupled its counseling staff after the shootings.
Hegarty reportedly stated that she struggles with survivor guilt, but the Resiliency Center has helped her and her girls.
"Are we 100 percent? No. But will we ever be 100 percent? We might not be," stated Hegarty.
