Funeral for UK Victim of School Massacre

Funeral held for another of the Sandy Hook school massacre victims amid backlash to gun lobby reaction. Paul Chapman reports

Published

5 months ago

Categories

US, World

Topics

United States, Europe

People

Barack Obama, Paul Chapman

Places

United States of America, Connecticut, United Kingdom

Transcript

Another of the young victims of the Sandy Hook school massacre is laid to rest in the U.S. state of Connecticut. This was the funeral for six-year-old British boy Dylan Hockley. His elder brother Jake released balloons as part of the memorial, purple for each of the 20 children killed and six for each of the adults. SOUNDBITE: CLIVE CARVER, SENIOR PASTOR OF THE BETHEL WALNUT COMMUNITY CHURCH, SAYING (English): "Jake's release of the balloons in his brother's favourite colour is a statement that yesterday's gone, now for tomorrow. Dylan will never be forgotten. His memory will live on but now we're going to build for the future." People visiting a memorial for the victims on Friday had a scathing response to the National Rifle Association's plea for U.S. schools to have armed guards. SOUNDBITE: KARLON CROMWELL, MEMORIAL VISITOR, SAYING (English): "After a while it's going to become a norm where cops have to be here and we have to live like this, almost like a police state situation and that's ridiculous. I don't think it's a good idea at all." SOUNDBITE: WAYNE CHAFFEE, MEMORIAL VISITOR, SAYING (English): "The statement was kind of sad, you know? I don't think they're looking at the big picture of things, you know? Obviously the kids are more important than the guns in this country." President Barack Obama joined the nation for a minute's silence on Friday in memory of the dead. He's commissioned a task force to look at ways to end gun violence, no easy job in a nation with a culture of private gun ownership.