It was the picture of a peaceful American life until the tragic shooting that has turned Newtown, Connecticut, into a town of mourning. INSIDE EDITION takes a look at the town in the middle of a living nightmare.
Newtown, Connecticut, was called "the safest place in America," before a madman's rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
A promotional video of Newtown shows it as an idyllic, peaceful place where anyone would want to live.
Newtown is small town America at its very best. Each year the townspeople gather for the Labor Day parade, and they just had the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Newtown is surrounded by rolling hills, open fields, and picturesque streams.
It was founded in 1711. It has a population of just over 27,000, the median age is just 40.8, and the median household income is over $111,000.
Newtown is just a 90 minutes from New York City, and a great place to raise kids, who can feed ducks at the lake, or skateboard at a specially designed skateboard park.
Actor Anthony Edwards of ER fame lives in Newtown, and Kim Kardashian's stepfather, Bruce Jenner, went to high school there.
The local schools are a big draw for young families. They are considered among the best in the state.
In photos taken at Sandy Hook Elementary in happier days, a fireman was seen giving safety tips, the school carnvival, and students performing in a choir.
Principal Dawn Hochsprung posted a picture on Twitter of a safety drill just three months ago writing, "Safety first and Sandy Hook."
Until now, no one could ever have thought a nightmare like this could happen here.
