Almost a year after the tragedy in Newtown, Gov. Dannel Malloy is reflecting on one of the state’s darkest days. He sat down with Fox CT’s Laurie Perez on Friday for a candid conversation about heartbreak and healing.
As the hours on Dec. 14, 2012, went by and the crowd of families waiting at the firehouse near Sandy Hook Elementary condensed to 26, Gov. Malloy was there with them. And he stayed in Newtown into the night, stayed with those who lingered for whatever reasons they did.
“You know, I didn’t leave Newtown until about 10 at night, maybe a little after 10,” he said. “I didn’t actually want to leave them.”
He stays in touch with some victims’ families more than others, guided by them. And as much as he is looking back, especially now, he is also looking forward: Pleased as he is with sweeping gun reforms in Connecticut, he is looking for more action in Washington.
“I’m surprised there’s a lack of gumption in Washington to do the very basic thing, which is to say that no gun should change hands without a background check,” Gov. Malloy said.
And he’s also pushing for candid conversations about mental health.
“If you have somebody with mental illness in your house, get rid of the guns,” he said. “And even if you had a gun for some reason, you were required to because of your employment, why wouldn’t that be under lock and key?”
Gov. Malloy is asking Connecticut residents to perform acts of charity and take quiet moments next week to remember the victims. He’s also asking for church bells to toll 26 times at 9:30 am on Dec. 14, as they did mournfully last year the week after the shooting.