Were Sandy Hook Killings Inspired by Norwegian Massacre?

Share:

February 18, 2013

New reports tonight suggest that Adam Lanza’s killing spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School may have been sparked by a July 2011 shooting and bombing attack in Norway that killed 77 people.

Law enforcement sources told The Hartford Courant that police investigators found several articles about Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian man convicted of the attack, in Lanza’s bedroom. However, those sources stressed that Lanza’s interest in Breivik is just one theory when it comes to the question of what motivated the massacre at Sandy Hook. CBS News reported Monday that Lanza “saw himself as being in direct competition” with Breivik.

Tomorrow night, The Courant and FRONTLINE team up to investigate the young man, his mother and the town he changed forever in Raising Adam Lanza.

The film is part of PBS’s “After Newtown” initiative, a series of documentaries, news reports and public affairs programs that provide thought-provoking context to the national conversation about gun violence in America. Check your local listings to find out when it’s on in your area.


More Stories

9/11, More Than 20 Years Later: 20 Essential Documentaries to Watch
These films, selected from more than two decades of extensive FRONTLINE reporting, probe that fateful day and its lasting impacts on America and the world.
September 5, 2025
Watch FRONTLINE’s 5 Most-Streamed Documentaries of 2025 (So Far)
Looking for some documentaries to watch as summer continues? We’ve got you covered.
August 6, 2025
Tonight's New Documentary, This Month, and the Future
A note from FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath.
July 29, 2025
The Iran-Israel Conflict and the U.S. Role: 11 Documentaries to Watch
Decades of tensions between Israel and Iran erupted into war in June. These FRONTLINE films offer context and background on the conflict, both countries’ leaders and ambitions, the role of the U.S., and the ongoing impact across the Middle East.
July 29, 2025