NEWTOWN, Conn. – Five years after the Sandy Hook massacre, residents of Newtown, Connecticut, are dealing with what it means to be from a place whose name has become synonymous with tragedy.
Some avoid telling strangers where they are from because they are not interested in getting into daily discussions about gun control or mental health care.
Others have found themselves dealing with awkward silences, or accepting condolences on behalf of an entire town.
Pat Llodra (LOH'-druh) led the town through the tragedy as the head of its governing board. She says she understands that most outsiders just wants to express how deeply they were affected by the shootings, and she gladly accepts what she calls their grace.
But she says the shooting doesn't define the town; she says it has always been a safe and good place to live.
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