Law enforcement sources said Monday Adam Lanza was motivated by violent video games and a strong desire to kill more people than another infamous mass murderer, Anders Breivik, a Norweigan man who killed 77 people in July 2011.
Breivik killed eight with a bombing in downtown Oslo. He then moved to a nearby island where hunted down and fatally shot 69 people, mostly teenagers attending a summer camp.
Two officials who have been briefed on the Newtown, Conn., investigation say Lanza wanted to top Breivik's death toll and targeted nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School because it was the "easiest target" with the "largest cluster of people."
Between 2010 and 2012, Nancy took Adam to nearby gun ranges to practice shooting. Nancy purchased four firearms, including the Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle Adam is believed to have used in the attack, during the same period. Her friends say Nancy used target practice as a way to bond with her withdrawn son.
Detectives are also looking into the roles violent video games and Lanza's experiences at the shooting range may have played in the young man's decision to shoot and kill his mother and 26 others at Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, reports the Courant.
Evidence shows that his mind, Lanza was also likely acting out the fantasies of a video game as he killed 20 first graders and six adults at the school. For Lanza, the deaths apparently amounted to some kind of "score."
An editors note on the CBS report says the investigation isn't over:
In response to this piece, Lt. J. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police told CBS News that the investigation into the motive for the Newtown shooting has not been completed and therefore any statements about the shooter's intent are mere speculation.
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