Funerals begin for Newtown victims as US schools confront tragedy
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FAIRFIELD/NEWTOWN, Connecticut (REUTERS) - One boy was buried in his hero's football jersey in a small white coffin. Balloons and a teddy bear welcomed mourners to the funeral of his first grade schoolmate.
The two funerals on Monday ushered in what will be a week of memorial services and burials for the 20 children and six adults massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
The shooting sent waves of anxiety across the country on the first school day since a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on the students and teachers in the close-knit community last week.
Within hours of the school starting bell on Monday, lockdowns were declared in nearby Connecticut and New York towns on fears of danger. And in southern California, Indiana and Tennessee, authorities arrested men on Sunday for making threats against schools.
