28 dead, including 20 children in largely Irish-American Connecticut town - VIDEO

Gunman opened fire in Sandy Hook elementary school classroom in Newtown, Conn

Sandy Hook Elementary School serves grades Kindergarten to fourth grade in the Newtown School District.

There are approximately 626 students enrolled in classes at Sandy Hook Elementary, with another 46 faculty members, Newtown Patch reports.

The school is located in Newtown, Conn is about 60 miles northeast of New York City. It was a popular hub for Irish immigrants who settled there in the mid 1800s and found work on the railroads.

"The Irish were very polarizing socially, religiously, and politically in town," said Daniel Cruson, the town historian, in a 2007 interview.

"There was very little Catholic presence in town when the Irish moved in, and with the increase in the Irish population, St. Rose (Roman Catholic Church) saw a big lift in membership, for instance."

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Nster.com