This is intense.
The father of Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter, has spoken in an interview for the first time ever, and it’s pretty hardcore stuff.
Peter Lanza‘s interview with the New Yorker magazine will appear in stores on March 17th, and are Peter’s first public comments on his son ever.
In it he claims that his son would’ve killed his father if given the opportunity. And, he reveals so much more, saying:
“With hindsight, I know Adam would have killed me in a heartbeat, if he’d had the chance.”
He then reveals why he believes his son shot his mother Nancy four times. He said:
“The reason he shot Nancy four times was one for each of us: one for Nancy; one for him; one for (his brother) Ryan; one for me.”
Peter said he hadn’t seen his son in two years when Adam Lanza shot his mother before fatally shooting 20 children at the school, six staff workers, and then shooting himself. The effects of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012 are still being felt to this day.
The father said he often questions if there was anything he could’ve done to prevent the tragedy. He said:
“Any variation on what I did and how my relationship was had to be good, because no outcome could be worse. You can’t get any more evil. … How much do I beat up on myself about the fact that he’s my son? A lot.”
The father also doesn’t believe that the fact that his son had Asperger’s syndrome was the cause of his violence. He said:
“Asperger’s makes people unusual, but it doesn’t make people like this.”
Peter also claims his ex wife was totally unaware of any violent tendencies in their son. He said:
“She never confided to her sister or best friend about being worried. She slept with her bedroom door unlocked and kept guns in the house, which she would not have done if she were frightened.”
Still, Peter and Nancy Lanza knew something was wrong with their son once he reached middle school. Peter said:
“The social awkwardness, the uncomfortable anxiety, unable to sleep, stress, unable to concentrate, having a hard time learning, the awkward walk, reduced eye contact. You could see the changes occurring.”
Since the tragedy, Peter has reached out to the victims’ families, and has offered to meet with all of them. So far two families have met with him, and one victim’s family member told Peter that they forgave his son. Something which left Peter totally speechless. He said:
“It’s gut-wrenching. A victim’s family member told me that they forgave Adam after we spent three hours talking. I didn’t even know how to respond. A person that lost their son, their only son.”
Like we mentioned before — this is intense. If you’d like to read the entire interview, you can find it HERE.
[Image via AP Images.]
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