Was suspected shooters mother a prepper?

By Tom Martin Founder/American Preppers Network As members of the American Preppers Network community pour their hearts out in support and prayers for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims, one can only wonder what would cause someone to commit such a heinous crime.  I personally find this tragic incident deeply saddening as I shed my own tears thinking about those wonderful lives that are now lost.  So many young children.  Words cannot describe what those family members are going through.  America's children are our nations most valuable resource.  So when even one is lost we must all take notice. If there is one single most important thing that a Prepper should prepare for, it is the safety of our children. Who would commit such an evil crime?  And why?  It's hard to say what goes on in peoples minds, especially today in the violent world that we all live in. Even recently in China a man wielding a knife attacked 22 children at a school.  What has come of society where we now live in a world where school violence is becoming more prevalent?  We must all prepare for the safety of our children and their schools. Who is to blame?  As with any tragic story of this sort, first come the reports of the attack, followed by prayers for the victims, followed by background information on the attacker, and then comes the blame game.  Who was the attacker and why did he do this?  What weapon did he use?  Guns?  What kinds of guns?  Where did he get those guns?  Who taught him to shoot?  Blame will often be thrust upon the parents, and then maybe bullies at school who may have contributed to who this attacker became.  Maybe blame will be thrust upon his friends, or the community for not treating him right as he grew up.  What about violent video games, movies and TV shows? Society and people around the attacker will often catch the blame.  But how often is blame fully put on the murderous evil attackers themselves? It is being reported in some stories that Nancy Lanza was a Prepper.  According to Mail Online: "Her former sister-in-law Marsha said she had turned her home ‘into a fortress’.  She added: ‘Nancy had a survivalist philosophy which is why she was stockpiling guns.  She had them for defense. ‘She was stockpiling food.  She grew up on a farm in New Hampshire.  She was skilled with guns.  We talked about preppers and preparing for the economy collapsing.’" Does being a Prepper have anything to do with being a murderer?  Absolutely Not!  Not anymore than being a teacher, but being a teacher does not stop people from killing either. Teachers are not murderers and neither are Preppers.  That does not however, mean that you won't find evil in ANY segment of society.  The first media reports had us believing that Nancy was a teacher at the school, but in fact she was not, she also was NOT the one who killed these innocent children.  The attacker was the shooter, an attacker who does not even deserve name recognition.  The attacker most certainly WAS NOT a Prepper.  Preppers seek to prepare, save, and defend life.  So why the blame game?  If we are to blame anything, then why doesn't anyone ever blame the media reports that sensationalize these murderous shooters by calling them names like the "Trench Coat Mafia" who "Spray" bullets with their "Arsenal" of weapons.  Could this sensationalism, key words, naming and posting the image of the attackers likeness be the cause of some of these attackers one-upmanship?  When a psychopath flies off the handle, who do we blame for his desire to make a larger spectacle than those who preceded him?  If we are to blame anyone other than the attacker himself, then maybe the media, Hollywood, the music industry, and video game industry should share in some of the blame. The fact is the attacker is the one to blame.  He himself was the sole cause of this mayhem. In the last moments of her life, Victoria Soto** demonstrated the qualities and principles of a true Prepper and is a Hero and example to us all.  This wonderful young woman sacrificed her life for the lives of her students.  Just as any Prepper would do for their own born flesh and blood children, she hid her students from harms way in a closet protecting them from the shooter as she threw her own body in the path of the bullets shielding the children from what would have been certain death.  Here was a teacher who loved her students like a mother would love her own child. Whether they are defending themselves or especially when they defend the lives of those that they love the most, a Prepper's primary goal is to protect and prolong life. Remember the victims and the children of Sandy Hook elementary.  Remember Victoria Soto.  Never forget.  Protect your children. Be Prepared.   **Editorial Note: This statement is not intended to imply or state that Victoria Soto was ever a member of The APN or that she ever considered herself a Prepper.  It is stating that the qualities and actions she displayed are the same qualities that Preppers strive for.