“Newtown” will premiere on PBS at 9 p.m. EST.
Twenty children and six teachers died in a mass shooting the morning of Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A new documentary soon to air on PBS hopes to shed light on the years since the tragedy.
Director Kim Snyder and her team of producers have spent the last three years meticulously documenting the grief-stricken community, specifically the surviving family members directly impacted by the deadliest shooting at a U.S. elementary school.
“Newtown” is set to premiere Monday, April 3, on PBS at 9 p.m. EST. Friends and family of those who were lost hope the country will tune in to learn more about what life has been like since that fateful day.
“Why is this story important to tell? It is transforming in ways you can never anticipate, and there is an immediate human desire to protect the rest of the world from having to go through this,” said David Wheeler, father of Ben Wheeler, 6, a student who was killed in the mass shooting.
The film — which talks to first responders, doctors and others who were immediately on the scene — tackles the big emotions of those still coping with the tremendous loss and what members of the community are doing to help prevent another massacre like this from happening again.
“While I fear the empty space in my heart may never be filled, I take comfort in the knowledge that his death will have meaning,” said Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan Hockley, another 6-year-old who was killed in the shooting. “There will be a positive change from this, and we will be part of it. Newtown will be part of it.”
Check local listings for more information about the April 3 premiere, or visit NewtownFilm.com for details on screenings near you.
