(Reuters) - A heavily armed gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children from 5 to 10 years old, in a rampage at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday, one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.

heavily armed：全副武装的

The gunman - who according to a media report carried four weapons and wore a bulletproof vest - was dead inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, state police Lieutenant Paul Vance told a news conference.

Vance said authorities found 18 children and seven adults, including the gunman, dead at the school, and two children were pronounced dead later after being taken to a hospital. Another adult was found dead at a related crime scene in Newtown, he said, bringing the toll to 28.

"Our hearts are broken today," President Barack Obama said in an emotional televised address to the nation. "Evil visited this community today," Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy told reporters.

Two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation confirmed to Reuters the shooter had been identified as Adam Lanza, 20. Adam's brother Ryan Lanza was "either in custody or being questioned" at this hour, one of the sources said.

The New York Times reported that the gunman walked into a classroom where his mother was a teacher, shot his mother and then 20 students, most in the same classroom, before shooting five other adults and killing himself. One other person was shot at the school and survived, the Times said.

The holiday season tragedy was the second shooting rampage in the United States this week and the latest in a series of mass killings this year, and was certain to revive a debate about U.S. gun laws.

shooting rampage：乱枪扫射

Chaos struck as children gathered in their classrooms for morning meetings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, a city of 27,000 in Fairfield County, about 80 miles northeast of New York City.

Police swarmed the scene and locked down the school, rushing children to safety, some of them bloodied. Distraught parents converged, frantically searching for their daughters and sons. Neighbors and friends wandered in shock, looking for information.

lock down：封锁

"It's hard to believe that anything like this could happen in this town," said resident Peter Alpi, 70, as he fought back tears. "It's a very quiet town. Maybe it's too quiet."

【新闻快讯】美国康涅狄格州桑迪・胡克(Sandy Hook)小学14日遭遇枪击案，目前已造成惨重人员伤亡。根据官方初步统计，枪击事件已造成至少27人丧生，其中18人是儿童。一名作案枪手已被警方击毙。事发地位于康涅狄格州中部纽敦(Newtown)。当地人称，此地被认为是美国较为安全的城镇，突然发生严重枪击案令人感到极为震惊。枪击案现场目前依然十分混乱，各种消息仍在陆续公布之中。案发小学及附近数个街区都被警方严密封锁。过往车辆都被仔细盘查。康涅狄格州州长马洛伊紧急向美国政府致电汇报进展。美国总统奥巴马已接到枪击案的有关信息，正在商讨对策。

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