Ex-babysitter: Mother of Newtown School Shooter Warned Me About Him (Never Turn Your Back on Him)

[Hissyspit]

Source: CBS News

Ex-babysitter: Mother of Newtown, Conn. school shooter Adam Lanza warned me about him
December 17, 2012

HERMOSA BEACH (CBSLA.com) -- A man who says he once babysat for Newtown, Conn. gunman Adam Lanza says he recalls Lanza's mother warning him never to turn his back on the boy - not even to go to the bathroom.

Ryan Kraft now lives in Hermosa Beach, in Southern California.

But, he tells CBS station KCBS in Los Angeles, he was once a student at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and babysat for Lanza when Lanza was about 9 or 10 and Kraft was 14 or 15.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57559502/ex-babysitter-mother-of-newtown-conn-school-shooter-adam-lanza-warned-me-about-him

[truthisfreedom]

1. Could mean anything. Sensationalization. Let go, crazed media, and let us heal.

We know he was disturbed. That's quite evident. That nobody knew how extreme it was beforehand is too complicated to understand based on any particular take.

[secondwind]

2. I am reading more and more about kids like Adam. this is very frightening.

[marshall]

26. Schools are powerless to do much about kids like him

We had a boy like that in the high school where I taught. He stabbed kids, bit teachers, made bomb threats. His father knew the system and threatened to sue the school district if anything displeased him.

The boy now sits on Texas death row.

[malibea]

30. Good!

One word says it all: GOOD!

[marshall]

35. It's good now, but he terrorized the school district for a decade

Other children as well as teachers were scared of him. The administration would not back up any disciplinary action against him. Teachers were forced to seat him in the middle of other children. The father routinely came to the classroom unannounced and created an uproar if he saw that his son was seated off to the side. Because of state laws and the boy's diagnosis he had to be mainstreamed, which meant sitting amongst the rest of the class, even though they were terrified of him. He bit people, tearing skin and drawing blood, he stabbed with pencils, he used racist language against minorities. Finally in high school he was forced into home bound schooling after he stabbed a boy in the bathroom with a pen. The boy he stabbed was a foster child, ward of the state, and thus it fell outside the power of the school district to hush it up.

I'm not sure what could have been done to actually help this boy, because his parents refused to acknowledge that he needed help. They believed everyone else had the problem, and that the city and school district was against them. However, I believe the school district failed miserably in protecting students and teachers.

Finally the boy gunned down an officer of the city and he has been in prison ever since.

[malibea]

40. It's too bad that everything was allowed!

It is too bad that things were allowed to progress to such an awful point. It is unfortunate that people allow themselves to be mistreated and abused to this point before anything is done. I would like to think that I would not have allowed things to reach that point.

I know also that I have always been a pain in the "you know what"- oftentimes being the only person speaking out against what I see as atrocities. I was a union representative for over 15 years and I have also been fired from several positions, or "alienated" but it has all worked out for the best in the end. I don't regret any of it!

[KamaAina]

43. Unless Texas has its own laws over and above the federal IDEA (which I doubt),

the requirement is not for mainstreaming as such but for the "least restrictive environment", e.g. a group home rather than a locked facility.

[Chemisse]

47. What the teams decide is least restrictive is suspiciously similar to the least expensive.

School districts don't want to spend $100,000 per year on an out-of-district placement for a child like that, so everyone is stuck making do in a bad situation.

It's sad when the rights of the other kids in the class to get a good education are thrown to the wayside to accommodate one student.

[marshall]

50. That was the case in this situation

My understanding was that the school district would have to pay a huge amount for him if he were placed in a live in facility. And they were paralyzed with fear that the parents would sue. Even though all the parents's threats were usually baseless, the district wanted to take the path of least resistance.

My point mainly is that the schools cannot help without cooperation from parents. And sometimes the parents are just as much a part of the problem as the child.

[malibea]

62. You are correct. Parents are sometimes WORSE than kids in some cases!

Remember, it is the parents who are SUPPOSED to guide the children- not the other way around. But kids are very smart and will "triangulate" parents, teachers and others in authority against each other. In the end it is the kids who end up getting their way- which was the goal in the first place.

I hope that parents learn that this is a game that kids play and are very good at playing!

I would pay it too (and probably did) if my parents let me, especially if I had a chance of getting my way.

It is known as child development. This is how children learn how far they can go and what will not be allowed.
Next time they'll , p-u-s-h a liddle bit further!

[AnneD]

63. That is very expensive...

and the school district would be required to foot the bill as it is a student in their district. These smaller districts do not have the money. We had to do all sorts of documentation to get a kid like that out of our school last year. We tried every tactic known to man but they kept saying we weren't 'reaching' the child.

I work in middle school and I realize we have a unique opportunity (probably the last) to save kids...we just don't get the funding. It goes to extracted vouchers and education gimmick programs dressed as 'reform'. How many years of reform have we had and the grades keep going down.

We have been having a brain drain as teachers with time behind the chalk board (IE more expensive) and their positions have been filled with Teach for America kids. They stay just long enough to get their loans forgiven and off they go. I don't blame them, they are kids, and they are being taken advantage of, what with working at slave wages. What kind of learning community does that make for.

I am a School Nurse and God knows my job is hard enough, but I have untold amount of respect for teachers. But all things considered, I will be lucky if I do two more years. It is too much.

[KamaAina]

64. "Teach for America kids"

back in the day, TFA targeted mid-career professionals. Like me. What happened??

[AnneD]

68. These young kids graduate with a mountain of debt from student loans....

many professionals may not want to leave the jobs they have and these recent grads figure they can go into this indentured servitude to get the loan written off. Most of the loan is written off with two years of service. Of course these kids get paid half of what a beginning teacher earns, but that is another topic. These days that is the only way they can attract folks into teaching-it is not what you think it is.

[qanda]

3. Well, if she indeed said that and then gave him access to an extensive gun collection

I'm at a complete loss for what she was thinking.

[vlyons]

5. She wasn't thinking

That's exactly the point. Why would she even have guns in the house if her son had mental and socialization problems? Makes no sense to me. I have friend who has an adopted step-son, now a grown man, who is a big hulking man with a rather obsessive and overbearing personality. One day I noticed that the door to her husband's gun safe was ajar with the key hanging inside the lock. Husband was out in the woods hunting. Man I read her the riot act.

If I had a son like that, I'd trade in the guns for fishing poles or gardening gloves, or some other hobby besides guns.

[qanda]

6. I so agree with you.

I grew up with guns because my grandfather was an avid hunter but he had a locked gun cabinet and no one had access to it but him. I made the choice, as a parent, to never have guns in my home. I also have always taught my children about what to do if a friend is playing with a gun or if there are accessible guns in a home that they are visiting. That being said, the apparent irresponsibility of this mother is overwhelming on its face.

[malibea]

31. I agree with you qanda.

You are absolutely correct. I don't allow guns in my house either. I believe that a gun or other firearm is a very tempting thing to use and if you have access to a gun, you will easily use it and not attempt other alternatives or remedies, like talking!

This is the one of the reasons for all of the immediacy in the world today. [b]I want it right now-immediate gratification! b]
What's the grand hurry? Everybody needs to slow down, relax and re-wind or unwind. The world isn't going anywhere, anyway! And you will be better rested when you get to where you are going

[ciking724]

38. I thought the same thing; the mother was the one with the mental illness.

Having any gun, let alone that many guns, in the house with a seriously disturbed young man is acting as an accomplice to murder.

[lbrtbell]

51. Mental illness does run in families

Her becoming a survivalist could have resulted (in part) from the stress of dealing with her son's problems. Then her anxiety would fuel his emotional issues, creating a vicious circle.

[obamanut2012]

4. I don't believe it

[yellowcanine]

19. Why not? Do you know any of the people involved?

If not, I don't see how you can be so certain.

[obamanut2012]

21. The mother isn't here to verify it

TorchtheWitch and others have stated the quote was taken out of context, and that Adam Lanza had a medical condition whereas he had to be watched like a hawk. THAT I believe.

[yellowcanine]

22. Well the same poster said that DU was the only source of the "survivalist" story, and that is not

true. So a little salt is in order regarding those claims.

[underpants]

45. I don't believe it because every single element that has been reported has been reversed

the next day

[Epiphany4z]

7. I have said the same thing

about my nephew he is 13 now. I have custody of him since he was 3 months old. He was born in withdraw from heroin and with FAS. You do have to be aware of what he is doing at all times. More for his own safety than anyone else. He just doesn't have the same thought processes or fears as others.

Also on an up note the guy in the above story has raised some nice money to help the survivors.

He says that, rather than feeling helpless, he decided to start a fundraiser to help the children of Newton, especially the ones who will be dealing with post traumatic stress disorder.

[Myrina]

8. Media always has to dig up someone from the past who "saw the signs" ...

[heaven05]

12. the

MSM thrives on sensationalism. Sells advertising products because americans go to them for their sensationalism fix. If there wasn't a market for luridness, wouldn't be one. I have not watched the breast beating since Friday and still won't. I only want my representatives to know that I expect them to stand up and start providing solutions to our gun problem!

[TorchTheWitch]

9. congenital analgesia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain

A rare condition that makes one impervious to physical pain. Both Masha Lanza and Robert Novia who was the head of security at the school mentioned that Adam suffered this condition. Novia said it was part of his job to watch Adam to make sure he didn't inadvertently hurt himself because having such a condition he wouldn't have known he was injured as he couldn't feel physical pain.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/15/15933406-connecticut-school-shooter-was-very-nervous-around-people?lite
Novia said Lanza had extreme difficulties relating to fellow students and teachers, as well as a strange bodily condition: "If that boy would've burned himself, he would not have known it or felt it physically."


If I had a kid with such a condition I absolutely would want the babysitter to watch him every second so he didn't inadvertently hurt himself as he would be unaware of it.

Geez, can you imagine going through life not being able to understand what physical pain was? It would be like a blind person from birth having no understanding of sight. Actually, it would have to be even worse since it's a dangerous condition... it's pain that tells us that something is wrong with our bodies and maybe desperately or fatally wrong.

[Historic NY]

10. So then why did he wear a bullet proof vest....

seem he had a consciousness about being shot.

[leftynyc]

17. What a silly question

Just because he couldn't feel pain didn't mean it wasn't happening. He wasn't mentally impaired enough to think a bullet wasn't going to harm him.

[mother earth]

18. And why doesn't the purchase of a bullet proof vest set off alarms in this day of Homeland Security?

Are they too busy investigating the OWS protestors, or the peace marchers?

[Historic NY]

25. Actually in some places its legal but not in CT.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0401.htm

[Ash_F]

46. Looking at that law, it doesn't seem like it would have applied to Lanza.

Did he buy it online? Maybe then. Even so, I imagine there are no mechanisms currently in place for enforcement.

[TorchTheWitch]

59. I've never understood why such equipment is available for civilians

Why in the world would a civilian have need of a bullet-proof vest? And why in the world is a civilian purchasing one not a red flag? How in the world was that nut that was just arrested recently for threatening to shoot up a school full of people legally allowed to amass a collection of 47 guns and no red flag going up for that?

This country is in desperate need of common sense gun and gun paraphernalia laws.

[toby jo]

27. My neighbor has this condition - he's an animal

When I moved here, I was warned about him: beat his ex, slept around, didn't pay child support, shot out the windows of exs' car during divorce - she fled in fear, got caught running a poaching ring, traps coyotes with illegal steel tooth leg traps, sold dope to the local kids when he got back from Nam, still does. He's trapped my dogs, shot one, poisoned one. The last trap was set on my property and was not attached to any tree. Dog came to the house dragging it - I couldn't pop it - took her and trap to a friends', a big ex-marine who also couldn't pop it, but got it off with vise grip pliers. He showed me how the guy had cut a 'V' into the steel so that it coudn't be popped off - illegal as hell.

The sociopath next door.

His 'friends' brag that he was 'something else in football' - he 'has this condition where you don't feel pain'.

I'm looking to move. I have found myself sitting and thinking of all the ways I'd like to see him die. Time to go.

[obamanut2012]

28. People with this condition are not "animals"

You are merging sociopathy and the medical condition where people cannot properly feel pain. There is no connection between the two.

[glinda]

49. Yow...... Sorry about what has happened to you and your pets being

terrorized. Please move if you can for a more stress free situation.

[TorchTheWitch]

58. his friends are liars

He'd never be accepted into the military with such a condition. So, if he was in the Vietnam war he had no such condition.

Your neighbor has a behavioral problem or is just a major asshole. And his having a behavioral problem or just being a major asshole has jack shit to do with a rare physical condition where one either has no pain receptors or the brain isn't able to process them. It is purely a PHYSICAL condition though I imagine having it could effect a person mentally or emotionally in having to live with it.

I hope you can get away from your dangerous neighbor quickly and are spared any problems he could cause you until then.

[s-cubed]

11. I have a nephew with Downs who is also autistic.

You also have to watch him every second - as much for his sake as for what he can get into. For example, he was fascinated by dumping out my dog's food, and then putting it back into the bowl. He could equally well have been fascinated by any number of dangerous things.

[Crowman1979]

13. This is why we need to re-open the publicly-funded mental institutions.

Disclaimer: No, I am not demonizing all mentally-ill people. Just those who plan on killing people now or in the near future. So get your god damn facts straight before making another accusation response!

[mother earth]

16. Shall we round up all those with Asperberger's? Your way of thinking is a double edged sword. I'm

thinking there is possibly a pharmaceutical/medication involved that aided this carnage. How about real studies by big pharma getting the attention it deserves? It's been reported the shooter was on medication, so obviously, someone was in charge of his care.

[orleans]

61. the medication is a good point

there are so many crazy-ass side effects to so many of these drugs (such as causing someone to become suicidal on anti-depressants or those sleeping meds where folks get up and drive into a barricade without realizing what they are doing--isn't that what happened with patrick kennedy?--)
not to say that was why, but possibly "aided" as you put it

[Toronto]

14. The mental illness didn't fall far from the tree.

According to the latest news, the mother was a survivalist who had purchased the very weapons her son used because she was afraid the entire economy of the US would collapse. She also had food stockpiled etc. With that kind of paranoia in the home....

[mother earth]

20. Guess you better start checking Gerald Celente followers, and don't forget the preppers.

Are you slightly aware of your own paranoia? This is exactly what is called mob mentality fueled by sensationalized journos.

[Toronto]

24. Not paranoid - no weapons in my home

Please explain the reason why any sane person would have that many semi-automatic assault type rifles in their home, particularly when you have an autistic son living there? What's that old saying - live by the sword, die by the sword.

[mother earth]

29. I'm not defending her assault weapons, however, lots of people are wondering if

this economy could collapse, sustainability is in question. The media sensationalizing every story constantly breeds paranoia.
You just seem eager to lump a lot of people together which is another byproduct of the media stream. If it weren't this it'd be something else. Fear mongering just breeds hatred and rage, calmer heads result in more proactive measures.

[Toronto]

32. I agree with you regarding the media

Let's face it, the media alternatively foments paranoia to increase circulation or to advance a right wing agenda. I don't lump everyone together, only the ones who feel that living in a gun culture is the route to safety. Perhaps a little rage directed properly is not such a bad thing. People need to be angry and frustrated enough to demand change. Complacency never changed anything.

[mother earth]

37. Best to aim that rage where it would serve a purpose. United we stand, divided we fall. Facts are

precious commodities during this disinfo age.

[John2]

41. Well, I'm

beginning to get my own picture as more and more information comes out. There is now information that Mrs Lanza was very well known around town, even by some Police Chief.
There is also information that she has a very well known brother, that is a policeman in New Hampshire, where she grew up. CNN claims that they wrote a letter to the town on Newton, that they are very sorry at what happened.

It seems to me that she was pretty well established around town and pretty well liked too by people. People say she was pretty giving and gracious to people in need. That is beginning to explain the circling the wagons to me around her. The lady was just a nice person it seems and the police officers in her life, would seem to explain her affection for guns to me. I think her family is just as distraught about what happened as everybody else is. I'm actually beginning to think nobody in her family or even she imagined anybody much less her own son could do this. It might happen to someone else but never your own immediate family.

That CNN piece also claims Adam did attend college for a term, taking computers at the Age of 16. So apparently he was on his own, because that piece also identified a classmate. It claims he majored in Computers and had a 3.29 average. Lets just say it was over a 3.20. The classmate claims that he got along pretty good with this kid and he even ran into his mom and asked about Adam. There is a lot of conflicting information, but I'm beginning to believe these people were caught off guard and didn't believe this could happen to a well established and respected family of the community. This is the picture I'm getting. Plain and simple, she appears to be a Socialite and very generous with her money.

[mother earth]

15. Sensationalizing BS & media whores abound...we should be writing letters & complaining about the

new gossip-mongers who were once journalists.

Is anyone else sickened by the endless whoring they do? Every damned storm is covered to the hilt, every tragedy turned into gossip central. While the things they should cover, that would serve us well, go wanting and nary a sound or word is published or heard.

END THE MADNESS, complain about gossip rag journalism. Tell them if you are sick & tired of this sick form of news coverage.
Stop enabling, don't be a part of it.

[slackmaster]

23. The Kato Kaelins emerge from the woodwork

[MrScorpio]

33. You know what mom could have done as well? Keep guns out the boy's reach as much as possible

Instead of having a handy arsenal available at his disposal.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

34. Thank you, Mr. Scorpio. Spot on.

[steve2470]

36. exactly nt

[pitbullgirl1965]

39. Hell yes!

I hate how people will blame the mother for everything wrong their children do, but in this case?
Full on justified. I wonder if she watched Fox news too?

[slackmaster]

44. That's exactly what I would have done. It's always been my policy to keep weapons secured.

[we can do it]

53. And taking him shooting wasn't the best idea either.

[fun n serious]

42. Why have guns in the house!!

If she knew this.

[Chemisse]

48. Notice what this article does NOT say.

It doesn't say WHY the babysitter was not to turn his back on the boy. Clearly the implication is that he was violent, and I'm sure that's what the author wants people to think.

Equally likely is that she wanted the babysitter's eyes on her boy every minute because he had no sense of pain and could injure himself and not even know it. Information elsewhere says she had school officials on keep an eye on him all day at school for this very reason.

It's disgusting that such unsupported innuendo is being published.

[sasha031]

52. The baby sitter was interviewed personally on the nightly news

They are just reporting what he did say.

[julian09]

54. If he hadn't said it, he wouldn't have been interviewed.

[sasha031]

55. so what's the point, the kid had mental health issues

do you doubt this?
My question has been all along, why did she have an arsenal, enough to start a small war?
In my opinion they both had serious issues, they both were a danger to society.

[julian09]

56. The point is, I don't believe she said that.

[Chemisse]

60. I think this babysitter was out for his 15 minutes

Because what he said just doesn't make sense, and it is not supported by other information (all the people who said they had no clue he was capable of violence).

[obamanut2012]

67. Me either

He just wanted to get on TV.

[Egnever]

65. People want to hate him

They want him to be a monster so they can explain it to themselves.

Perfectly normal IMHO but not really the most attractive human trait.

[Chemisse]

66. It's helpful that you point that out.

I really need to just step back and not let it bother me so much.

[libdem4life]

57. Well, the one thing we can't discuss intelligently here, it seems, is the fact that psychotropic meds

can cause what they are meant to cure. Or can we?

20 years old is a critical year in emotional/psychological development...and our shooter definitely had problems. I would bet money he was on these meds and either was overdosed or underdosed. They are a psychological guessing game...not a science. He was legally an adult and no Mom could make him take his meds.

And this also supports gun management...and we do not know whether the guns were locked or not...perhaps that is why she is dead. We do not know.