This is eyewitness news at 6.
Good evening everyone, I'm David Earl and this is Eyewitness News at Six for Saturday, December 15th.
We begin tonight with the latest from Connecticut, where details are still emerging about the school shooting that left 27 dead, 20 among them children.
Police have identified all the victims killed at a Connecticut elementary school.
The children who died were ages six and seven.. along with six adults and gunman Adam Lanza.
Ines Ferre is in Newtown where investigators are piecing together what happened as a shattered community is trying deal with the tragedy.
12-year-old Jocelyn Cardenas came from Danbury, Connecticut to drop-off flowers at a memorial for the 26-people killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school.
JOCELYN CARDENAS: "EVENTHOUGH WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE DIRECTLY IT JUST HURT BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT."
She is one of many grieving for those gunned down in Newtown, Connecticut Friday morning.
Sources have identified the shooter as 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
The medical examiner says everyone was shot at close range multiple times with a rifle.
DR. H WAYNE CARVER/MEDICAL EXAMINER: "THIS IS PROBABLY THE WORST I'VE SEEN OR WHAT ANY OF MY COLLEGUES HAVE EVERY SEEN."
Officials say principal Dawn Hochsprung died trying to stop Lanza.
27-year-old Victoria Soto's family says the first grade teacher was shot shielding her students.
8 boys and 12 girls all ages six and seven died.
They include Ana Marquez-Greene, the daughter of a well-known saxophone player and Emilie Parker who moved to Newtown a year ago.
INES FERRE/NEWTOWN, CT: "This community of about 27-thousand is coming together to try to cope with this tragedy. All throughout town people are putting up signs like this one to support each other."
"WE ARE A STORNG AND CARING PLACE, WE PUT OUR ARMS AROUND EACHOTHER, WE WILL FIND A WAY TO HEAL."
The shooter also killed his mother.
LANZA/AUNT: "IT SHOCKED US RIGHT TO THE CORE."
Lanza's aunt says he was a bright boy and his mother and father were good parents.
LANZA AUNT: "IF HE NEEDED HELP I KNOW THEY HAVE GOTTEN IT FOR HIM."
Investigators don't have a motive but say officers are collecting good evidence to help them piece together how and why Lanza did this.
Friday's school shooting is the second-deadliest in U-S history, behind only the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.
One Macon woman has a direct connection to the Connecticut town now rocked by tragedy.
Lori Ugolick was born and raised in Newtown.
She still has friends living there in what she describes as a quiet, peaceful bedroom community.
In fact when she lived in Newtown, no one even locked their doors.
Her parents are still there and they told her in 49 years, the town had three murders.
She was there in February.
Ugolick has been able to reach several friends who have children, they are okay.
However, she still hasn't been able to reach others.
Ugolick plans to travel to Newtown next month.
Now in our age of media, your children probably are aware of what's going on.
So you may be facing a dilemma of how to talk to your kids about it.
Since this tragedy is difficult even for adults to process and try to understand, how can you discuss it with children?
Dr. Charles Raison with the University of Arizona says even more important than helping them process the shooting, is helping them feel secure.
Dr. Charles Raison, MD, College of Medicine, Univ. of Arizona:bv"Children are resilient and what really matters now is how we help them undersand what has happened, even more important is the sense of protection and safety we can give them this moment andfor the next weeks and months."
You can continue to follow this story on our website.. 13 wmaz dot com.
While families struggle with how to explain the tragedy in Connecticut, other families are facing different challenges this holiday season.
This morning, a special delivery arrived for Jay's Hope, a charity that works to improve the lives of Georgia children with cancer and their families.
Judy Le has the story.
Santa arrived on his sleigh, or rather a U-haul filled with toys ranging from game boards to stocking stuffers.
Cindy Gaskins, Founder - "This is a way that we can step in to relieve that burden of providing Christmas to these children, their siblings, and family."
Scott Gunnell (gun-nell) started the Season of Hope Toy Drive in South Florida where his family collected unwrapped presents for infants and teenagers. He spread the word using social media.
Scott Gunnell - "You know, facebook, emailing, we created some fliers. We really didn't have much time. It was only a three week window of time to do this."
Gunnell dropped off the bundle at Jay's Hope where the non-profit will make the distributions. The organization will contact their families and distribute in a Secret Santa set up.
Cindy Gaskins - "Jay's Hope families that have children battling cancer will have the opportunity to come and collect some toys for Christmas morning."
Scott gunnell - "Our ultimate goal is to expand what they're doing into the Florida market because obviously there is a need anywhere."
Gunnell says he teamed up with Jay's Hope because he supports the cause. He drove through the night and arrived in Macon at 3AM. The U-Haul looks deceptively small...but it was filled with more than 500 toys.
Gunnell - 'Very rewarding experience. I would say, normally on three hours of sleep I wouldn't be this energetic but when you're able to deliver and make something happen like this, it really makes you feel good."
Cindy - "This is what hope looks like, is turning around and giving back and giving a little Christmas cheer to these children."
The toy drive kicked off just this year but Gunnell is hoping to play Santa for families facing cancer for years to come.
For more information on how you can contribute to Jay's Hope, or how to get help for your family, look for this story on our website.. 13 wmaz dot com.
This Christmas season got a little brighter for a group of foster kids in Warner Robins.
More than 30 children received gifts from the Dr. Hodges It Takes A Village Foundation.
Village Christmas allows children in foster care and others in need.. to spend a day playing games and snacking on their favorite foods.
The foundation teaches a group of teenagers entrepreneurial skills, and allows them to build their own businesses for profit.
Foundation students also give 50 percent of their earnings to support charity.
Hodges says the event supported five children, when it began four years ago.
He's happy that it has grown over the years
One man is dead today after being hit by a car hit in Warner Robins.
It happened on the corner of Watson Boulevard and Knodishall Drive.
That's where a car hit 51-year-old Stephen Yeisley as he was standing outside the westbound lane of Watson Boulevard.
Warner Robins police say the driver of the car is 63-year-old Helen Gavoe.
First responders pronounced Yeisley dead at the scene.
No charges have been filed as of this afternoon.
A Central Georgia soldier injured in Afghanistan will soon has a new home built especially for him.
We first brought you this story in 2011...Corporal Tony Mullis of Hawkinsville lost his legs when an IED hit him in Afghanistan.
Now just in time for Christmas, the Mullis family will be getting a new home...from a non-profit group...Homes for Our Troops.
Today the Mullis family broke ground on the site where their future home will be.
The home will be designed to accomodate Tony's special needs.
Friends, family...and members of the Hawkinsville community came out to the ground breaking...that included music...and speeches.
The Mullis family says to know that they will have their own home is an incredible feeling.
Tony Mullis: "This is where we're going to expand my family where my son could grow up and know that this is where he belongs where our family started that's home."
Jeanie Mullis: "but now to be settled down and to have our home that's going to fit Tony's needs is just amazing I don't know it's undescribable."
This will be the first permanent home for the young family.
Today, thousands of Americans are honoring our military veterans of the past, by laying wreaths at national cemeteries.
Middle Georgians participated at the Andersonville National Historic Site.
Members of the Civil Air Patrol, based in Griffin, conducted the ceremony.
More than 200 wreaths were donated to the Andersonville site.
The wreaths were laid in the Civil War through 1960s section of the cemetery.
The young cadets of the Civil Air Patrol expressed what it meant to them.
Carl Harris/ Cadet Airman, Civil Air Patrol: "To me, it was emotional because all of these soldiers have laid down and died, and given their lives for the freedom we have today."
Captain John Kimberly/ Civil Air Patrol: "The soldiers that are fighting currently are going to be giving the gifts for the generations to come."
Andersonville National Cemetary organizers hope... to one day... have enough wreaths for all veterans buried there.
Thanks for joining us, we'll see you back here for Eyewitness News at 11. The news continues right now on 13wmaz dot com and WMAZ mobile. Have a great evening.