Malloy Seeks Release Of Information On Newtown Massacre After Gunman Details Leaked
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After details about Newtown gunman Adam Lanza were reportedly leaked to the media, Conn. Gov. Dan Malloy has asked the chief state's attorney to release information on their investigation into the mass shooting.
The move comes after a report in the Daily News prompted calls from lawmakers for more information about the case. The details were reportedly leaked at a recent public safety conference in New Orleans that Conn. State Police Col. Danny R. Stebbins attended.
According to the Daily News report, a law enforcement official said Lanza tracked the death tolls and details of other mass shootings on a massive spread sheet and viewed them as "scores."
Investigators believe Lanza was trying to score more "points" than other mass killers when he attacked Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, according the report.
Twenty children and six adults died in the attack. Lanza also killed his mother and shot himself.
In a statement, state police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance blamed the leak on "someone in attendance" at the conference who chose "not to honor Col. Stebbins' request to respect the families' right to know specifics of the investigation first."
He said the seminar, which was for law enforcement only, included "sensitive information" about the Newtown case "dealing with tactical operational approaches employed by first responders on the day of the shootings."
After the report was published, Conn. House Republican Leader Larry Cafero called on state police to brief lawmakers about their investigation as they work on new gun control legislation.
"I believe the state police are now obligated to brief us, given that much of what was exchanged at the New Orleans conference wound up in the press,'' Cafero said in a statement. "We are making decisions based on the best information we have in front of us. One of the major concerns that I believe many of us had from the outset was that we would be putting this legislation together without ever having seen the police report on what took place. That is a huge issue.''
In a statement, Malloy said he was "disappointed and angered to learn that certain information about the Newtown shooting had been leaked" but said he was "bewildered" by Cafero's statement.
"What more does Mr. Cafero need to know before he's finally ready to take action" on gun control, Malloy asked.
Malloy said the chief state's attorney has agreed to release additional information on the investigation and where it stands on Friday, March 29.
Vance said the final police report on the shooting is still several months away and that police will not speak publicly about an ongoing investigation.
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