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State police personnel lead children from the Sandy Hook Elementary School
Shannon Hicks/Newtown Bee/Reuters/Landov
A federal official tells PEOPLE that 26 people were killed, including 18 children. "The shooter is deceased inside the building. The scene is secure," Lt. J. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police deparatment said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "Many agencies are working together to answer questions about what happened ... the public is not in danger."
CNN reports that one alleged shooter's body was discovered in a classroom, though it is not known if he died by his own hand, by police, or some other means.
Early reports that there was a second and possibly even a third gunman remain unconfirmed. Car-to-car searches in the area are taking place, reports ABC News.
The tragedy began just after 9:40 a.m., when police reported that a shooter was in the main office of Sandy Hook Elementary School. One person in a room suffered "numerous gunshot wounds," police told the Hartford Courant.
A photo taken on the scene shows students in distress being led away from the school by state police. Nearby Danbury Hospital, which is receiving victims of the shooting, is on lockdown, according to its Facebook page.
"Out of abundance of caution and not because of any direct threat Danbury Hospital is under lockdown," says the statement. "This allows us simply to focus on the important work at hand."
A young girl after being evacuated from Sandy Hook Elementary School
Michelle McLoughlin / Reuters / Landov
SWAT teams and ambulances are on the scene, according to state emergency management officials.
Also under lockdown are all of the area's schools. Newtown Public School District secretary of superintendent Kathy June said in a statement, "The district is taking preventive measures by putting all schools in lockdown until we ensure the safety of all students and staff."
Only three days earlier, a masked gunman opened fire in a busy Portland, Ore., shopping mall. Jacob Roberts killed two people before turning the gun on himself.
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
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Dozens Reported Dead in Connecticut Elementary School Shooting
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