The Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial

Twenty-six people, including 20 students and six adults, lost their lives during a shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. The devastating incident is the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school in United States history, and it prompted a renewed conversation about gun control policies in the U.S.

This memorial, named ‘The Clearing’ by its designers, incorporates a granite water basin engraved with the names of the victims, a circling gravel path, stone seats, and cobblestone. In the center, a young Sycamore tree—symbolizing the young lives lost.

The planning process for the memorial began in 2013, followed by construction commencing in 2021 and completing in August 2022 on a five-acre site. The memorial was constructed at a cost of $3.7 million. A private ceremony with the victims’ families preceded the memorial’s public opening on November 13, 2022.