Thread: Parents of Newtown victim met with killer's father

Parents of Newtown victim met with killer's father

Newtown parents meet shooter's father: Alissa and Robbie Parker revealed details about their meeting with Adam Lanza's father, Peter Lanza. IMAGE

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The parents of one of the 20 first-graders killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre met with the gunman's father for more than an hour in an effort to bring some closure to the tragedy, asking him about his son's mental health and other matters.

In an excerpt from an interview that aired Thursday, Alissa Parker told "CBS This Morning" that the meeting with Adam Lanza's father, Peter Lanza, was her idea. Her 6-year-old daughter, Emilie, died in December's shooting rampage.

"I felt strongly that I needed to tell him something, and I needed to get that out of my system," Alissa Parker said. "I felt very motivated to do it, and then I felt really good about it and prayed about it. And it was something that I needed to do."

It was unclear what they discussed or when the meeting took place. CBS plans to show the rest of the interview with Alissa and Robbie Parker on Friday morning, revealing more details about their meeting with Peter Lanza.

No one answered the phone at the Parkers' home Thursday morning. A message seeking comment from Peter Lanza was left with a Lanza family spokesman.

The Parkers told CBS they wanted to ask Peter Lanza about his son's medical history, his and his ex-wife's relationships with Adam Lanza and other matters.

Robbie Parker was the first parent of a child killed at the school to speak publicly about the massacre. A day after the Dec. 14 killings, he fought back tears and struggled to catch his breath as he spoke lovingly of Emilie at a wrenching, lengthy news conference.

"She was beautiful. She was blond. She was always smiling," he said, adding that the world was a better place because Emilie was in it. "I'm so blessed to be her dad."

Adam Lanza, 20, shot 20 children and six educators to death at the school and killed himself as police arrived. He also fatally shot his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their Newtown home before going to the school.

Peter Lanza, who was divorced from Nancy Lanza, said in a statement after the killings that his family also was asking why Adam Lanza would go on a shooting spree.

People close to the investigation have told The Associated Press that Adam Lanza showed interest in other mass killers.

Parents of Newtown victim met with killer's father

Peter Lanza not to blame for massacre, Sandy Hook parents say

March 22, 2013 - 10:56 am

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - When Alissa and Robbie Parker met face-to-face recently with the father of the young man who killed their daughter and 19 other first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School, they weren't angry with him and didn't blame him for the massacre.

Instead, the Parkers said they and Peter Lanza shared their condolences for one another and talked about his son, Adam Lanza, during the emotional meeting, which lasted more than an hour.

"I don't feel like he should be held responsible for what happened that day," Allisa Parker told "CBS This Morning," during the second part of an interview that aired Friday. "That was not ultimately his decision to do that, so how can I hold him responsible? Were there missteps in the raising of his son? Possibly."

Adam Lanza, 20, fatally shot 20 children and six educators with a military-style rifle on Dec. 14, then killed himself as police arrived. Authorities say he also killed his mother at their Newtown home before he went to the school. The Parkers lost their 6-year-old daughter, Emilie, in the rampage.

Allissa Parker said she told Peter Lanza that there was an opportunity to learn from the killings and his cooperation was vital.

The Parkers wouldn't reveal what Peter Lanza said about his son. Connecticut state police haven't released any information about a motive, but people close to the investigation have told The Associated Press that Adam Lanza showed interest in other mass killings and had literature on other mass shootings at his home. The people spoke on conditional of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.

Peter Lanza, who was divorced from Nancy Lanza, has declined to comment about the meeting with the Parkers, who said they came away from it with a better understanding of Adam Lanza.

Robbie Parker, who was among the first of the victims' parents to publicly discuss the shooting, said he and his wife wanted to meet with Peter Lanza because he was the only person who could answer their questions.

"Adam's gone and his mother's gone, and those are the two people that could give us the most information to the questions that all of us have," he said.

The Parkers, who have two other daughters ages 3 and 5, said they're not angry because they know they can't undo what happened at the school that day.

"So the idea of wasting any energy on anger towards somebody or trying to point blame at anybody seems like a waste of time and energy that we can use to be better parents to our girls," Robbie Parker said.

Allisa Parker said she believes Nancy Lanza bears some accountability for what happened. The Bushmaster rifle used in the school shootings belonged to Nancy Lanza.

Asked whether she forgives Adam Lanza, Allisa Parker said it's not her burden to bear.

"I do hold him accountable, but I feel like God will determine that," she said. "And I feel like he's in a place where the judgment will happen, and I don't have to. I don't have to judge him, and I'm at peace with that."

Peter Lanza not to blame for massacre, Sandy Hook parents say | WJLA.com