If we set aside our better judgment and continue indulging the wild-eyed conspiracy theorists, con men, and criminals that make up the Sandy Hook denialist cult—by respecting their claim that the school was closed between 2008 and 2012 (despite not a shred of evidence)—we stumble upon yet another point of interest: the numerous glass display cases in the school’s lobby. Throughout the years, there were typically 3 to 6 of these cases. Most were tall, vertical cabinets just inside the main entrance, often along the front window that Adam Lanza shattered to gain entry. There was also a museum-style table display, moved around depending on what was featured, and a built-in wall display near the office and west hallway.
What’s consistent across all of them (aside from the obvious) is that, in photos published by The Newtown Bee, the Newtown Patch, and the school’s own website (all included below), the contents of these cases change frequently, further proving the presence of normal student activity. Unless, of course, you still believe that secret agents spent four years meticulously decorating a supposedly abandoned school with current magazines, new children’s books, state-of-the-art technology, and pizza—all for some photos most people will never see. That’s what people like James Fetzer, Wolfgang Halbig, and Maria Hsia Chang would have you believe: that a school “infested with asbestos” and supposedly used as storage was secretly outfitted with all of these things—just to pull off an elaborate hoax.
March 2010
Originally published in the Newtown Patch, this photograph shows four vertical glass displays filled with what appears to be a mix of clay figurines and pottery. Additional pieces can be seen sitting on top of the table display:
August 2010
In this photograph showing kindergartners visiting Sandy Hook just a week before the official start of the school year, we can see that the three vertical cabinets and the table display are completely empty, as one would reasonably expect from a school during its summer break:
Source: http://photos.newtownbee.com/Journalism/Photos-from-the-issue-dated/i-mxTrp8F/A
May 2011
A board in the school’s lobby advertises an upcoming visit from children’s author and illustrator Barbara McClintock:
Source: http://photos.newtownbee.com/Journalism/Photos-from-the-issue-33/i-n38bDTL/A
Barbara visited the school on May 12th, 2011, an event covered by the Newtown Bee on May 20th:
Sandy Hook Hosts Author Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock, a children’s book author and illustrator, visited Sandy Hook school on Thursday, May 12, and shared both her talents with different groups throughout her day at the school.
Ms McClintock was sharing her love of drawing with younger grade levels. Standing up before the gathered group, Ms McClintock demonstrated drawing her favorite cartoon character, Top Cat.
“I loved telling stories, and I loved drawing pictures,” said Ms McClintock to the students about her own childhood.
While becoming more adept at drawing, Ms McClintock said she realized she was inventing characters through her artwork. So she began telling stories.
Students at the school prepared for Ms McClintock’s visit by reading some of her published work. Sandy Hook School Media Specialist Yvonne Cech oversaw the day’s event, which focused on the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students.
During her visit to Sandy Hook Elementary School, Ms McClintock also signed books, held workshops for smaller students groups, was interviewed by the student newspaper, The Footprint Post, and ate at a lunch reception with teachers and PTA members.
Notably, this visit could not have occurred before the school’s alleged closure in 2008, as Barbara’s book Adèle & Simon in America, shown on the board (top right), wasn’t released until August 2008.
Behind the board, children’s watercolor paintings are displayed in the lobby’s built-in case, which, as we’ll see, often featured student artwork.
November 2011
Taken at Sandy Hook’s 2011 Veterans Day breakfast, this photograph shows victim Jesse Lewis and his grandfather standing in front of the lobby’s built-in display, which features games, books, and other items available in the school’s holiday shop:
One of the items shown is the Highlights Puzzles & Games 2012 wall calendar, which certainly would not have been available in 2008:
December 2011
Here we can see the changes that took place over the course of just one month. While the inside of this table display was empty in November, it is now filled with art projects, and a painting of a rocket ship—showing the results of a fundraising drive—sits on top:
Source: http://photos.newtownbee.com/Journalism/Photos-from-the-issue-60/i-7F79bTF/A
And now we have a view of the built-in display, taken on the same day—December 17th, 2011—as the previous photo. While it’s difficult to make out, I believe the white sign in the middle reads ‘Getting In Shape,’ playing on the geometric nature of the featured art:
Source: http://photos.newtownbee.com/Journalism/Photos-from-the-issue-60/i-LWdwMXL/A
January 2012
This sign, previously used to welcome author Barbara McClintock to the school, now wishes students a happy Chinese New Year—specifically the Year of the Dragon, which, prior to 2024, was last celebrated in 2012:
In the built-in display behind it is a collection of photos accompanied by paper cranes. More of this display can be seen in the following photo, which was also taken in January 2012:
Of note: three of the children in the above photo—the girl in the top left, the boy in the bottom left, and the boy in the top right wearing the Patriots hoodie—performed as part of the Super Bowl XLVII choir and are alleged to be three of the shooting’s victims. This is, of course, totally preposterous. For more on this absurd claim, see this entry.
February 2012
In this photo, which shows Sandy Hook students boxing up Valentine’s Day cards and gifts they’ve collected for troops stationed overseas as part of a Newtown-based initiative called ‘Valentine’s For Troops,’ we see that while the contents of the table display remain unchanged since December, the vertical displays just inside the front entrance no longer contain clay figurines; instead, they now feature pieces that resemble modern art:
Source: http://photos.newtownbee.com/Journalism/Photos-from-the-issue-67/i-XrKsm3p/A
The Newtown Bee reported on the school’s ‘Valentines For Troops’ efforts on February 10th, 2012:
On Friday, February 3, Ms Randle was at Sandy Hook Elementary School as students stamped multiple boxes of written letters and goods to be loaded into a postal truck by Mr Favale before being sent to their designated locations.
“Beautiful job,” said Barbara Sibley, PTA coordinator for the Valentines For Troops effort at Sandy Hook Elementary School to the gathered second grade students working to stamp the boxes for shipping. “Excellent.”
Interestingly, the above photo also gives us a slight glimpse of the left half of the lobby’s magazine rack, and it’s clear that its contents and configuration differ from what is seen in the crime scene photos ten months later—confirming it was being maintained while the school was allegedly closed for years:
The Newtown Bee also shared another photo from that day, showing a Sandy Hook second-grader applying a label to one of the group’s collection boxes in what is unmistakably the school’s lobby:
Back in 2011, Valentines For Troops Newtown—who had been organizing the collection for years—also published a couple of photographs from inside and outside Sandy Hook School on their Facebook page. Note the dates:
Inside the school’s lobby in February 2011:
The Newtown Bee had previously covered Sandy Hook School’s ‘Valentines for Troops’ contributions in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
November 2012
Originally posted to Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter feed on November 14th, 2012, this photo shows victim Victoria Soto (in the middle) and other members of Sandy Hook staff raising money for Adopt-A-Family with a bake sale. Behind them are two vertical display cases, now filled with children’s books, and notably, the display table has been moved and replaced with a donation box:
From the Sheets From Home Facebook page, this image shows that the table display has been relocated under the built-in, and both now feature a ‘Celebration of World Arts.’ These items remained in place through December and can be seen in the crime scene photos. Note the sign advertising the Adopt-A-Family bake sale, seen in the previous photo, behind the girl on our left:
December 2012
In these crime scene photos, the contents of the display cases remain unchanged from November; however, the ‘Sheets From Home’ sign seen on the welcome board is now missing. This absence makes perfect sense, as the drive ended on November 16th—nearly a month before this photo was taken:
These vertical displays also remain unchanged, showcasing a collection of children’s books. The only real difference is the addition of the ‘Bags, Bears, Books, and Basics’ collection materials, which are not present in Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter photo from November:
For more in the “Sandy Hook Elementary Was Open” series, please read:
Part One: The Lobby
Part Two: The Obstinate Pen
Part Three: Holiday Decorations And Calendars
Part Four: SMART Technologies
Part Five: Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter Feed
Part Six: The 2011-2012 Scrapbook
Part Seven: Children’s Authors Visit Sandy Hook
Part Eight: Charitable Causes
Part Nine: The Library
Part Ten: 92 More Photos From Sandy Hook School
Part Eleven: Over 195 Articles Referencing Sandy Hook School, Written Between 2008-2012
Part Twelve: The Glass Display Cases
Part Thirteen: Google Earth
Part Fourteen: The November 2012 Scholastic Book Fair
Part Fifteen: Sandy Hook School Enrollment For 2008-2017
Part Sixteen: School Documents From 2008-2012
Wonderful article, indisputable facts accompanied by images that only disreputable, dishonest people could possibly argue against. Your research is amazing and very much appreciated.
Thank you, Deanna.
I don’t think you’re giving the whole wolfpack enough credit. Give them enough time or “funding” and they will be able to prove that all of these pictures were from a third dimension and beamed straight out of FEMA’S ass.
On a serious note, these pictures gave me pause, made me feel pretty sad. You can sense the reality, the innocence behind the children, the “adopt a family” bakesale, etc. They didn’t know that in short order their worlds were going to turn to shit. So sad. Thanks for the post.
The photos that did that for me are the ones taken at the 2011 Sock Hop, which were published in the school’s online photo album. There’s one picture in particular, of Dawn Hochsprung dancing with a student, that is particularly devastating.
Hey Shill Murray, do you mind if I reference some of your posts in a video I am making. Particularly your “Sandy Hook was open” series? I will credit you for all of your research that I will cite.
Either way, it’s cool. Keep up the good work, this blog as EXCELLENT, rational, intelligent.
Thank you! No, I do not mind at all. Please share anything you’d like. Thank you for asking. SM
I understand it’s hard to think that people are capable of deceiving a nation. I find it curious there were no Christmas decorations anywhere….so close to Christmas and after thanksgiving, nothing….and what parent would let their child go to a school with slime and mold and mildew on the walls? With the door locks DRILLED OUT??? There are to many instances of fuckery for it to be just as it was reported. The freaking 911 tapes an operator is heard saying, I thought it was a drill, and her supervisor gets attitude with her and tells her to get off the line. Why portajohns were there before the ambulance? The same type of vehicle in 3 colors all calmly parked the same way….too much fuckery. I looked at the google way back machine my self. There is a void in the internet activity for Sandy Hook from the hurricane till the August before the shooting. In May the same year, a principle in “Indiana” (my have been another I state) a principal ruined a drill by letting the parents know it was happening, so it was scrapped and moved to Connecticut.
Literally no one believes that we are not continually being deceived as a nation. I know that I have never claimed that we aren’t. We’re being deceived right now in regards to Russian meddling in our elections, the future of our healthcare, etc. This is a strawman argument, and a piss poor one at that.
I know that people like you – the mentally ill – generally have poor impulse control, and you’re just chomping at the bit to spam me with the same nonsense zombie myths that I’ve been hearing for the past 4+ years, but I wish that you goofs would at least read the site before furiously pounding away at your keyboard as many of these dopey concerns have already been addressed. And this is a perfect example as I wrote a whole entry on this dumb claim. Did you even bother to look?
Baloney. There is no “slime and mold and mildew” on the walls, with the possible exception of the very rear, exterior wall of the building, which appears to have a small amount of mildew on it. That area is obviously inaccessible to children, so who cares? Give me a break. I can guarantee you that if I drive to every area school and look for the darkest corner of the building’s exterior, there will be mildew, especially in the winter.
The Gunsalaus photos, taken two days after the shooting, show that the exterior locks of six bathroom doors (in rooms 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 12) appear to have been “drilled out” at some point, though not entirely. However, every other lock seen in the Gunsalaus photos is still intact, contrary to your suggestion. Looking at the scene report (00118939.pdf), the bathroom locks in rooms 10 and 12 are described thusly: “The bathroom had a door knob with a pushbutton locking device on the inside knob. The exterior knob had a key lock that could be used to unlock the door.” Since the Gunsalaus photos were taken three days after the shooting, so there’s no telling when they were actually drilled. And since Matthew Bell talks about needing to retrieve the key to open the door to the bathroom in room #12 in his report, then all signs point to the lock not having been drilled out at that time.
Total, laughable bunk. This is pareidolia at its absolute worst. Listening to it with quality headphones, she’s very clearing saying “Are you in a room? Are you safe?” Listen to the cadence of the sentence; where the tones rise. Even if you’re dumb enough to believe she’s saying “I hear/heard a rumor it’s fake”, who speaks like that? Why would anyone put the emphasis on “rumor” and “fake” and end the sentence in such a way that she’s clearly asking a question? Ridiculous. Furthermore, why would they leave that bit in the released 911 calls? Didn’t Wolfgang claim they’re following a script? If so, you’d have to believe that this dispatcher deviated from the script and then they neglected to not only remove that line from the calls after they were released, but have allowed them to remain on US Today’s website in that way. The whole thing is just ludicrous.
They weren’t. This is a lie. You’re lying.
What are you even carrying on about? First of all, almost every car is parked facing the same direction because it’s a one way parking lot. People obviously pull into the lot and then pull through so that it’s much easier and quicker to exit the lot at the end of the day. The people that come in later park behind them. I wrote about it here. As far being parked “calmly”, what is the alternative? How else do people park in parking lots? What cars are you even talking about? Are you suggesting that if three people in a lot of 40+ have the same model car, then something is definitely suspicious? What planet are you from?
Stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. Like I mentioned earlier, read the site before you start flapping your gums. This has all been covered.
What are you talking about? Why can’t you even get your own made-up bullshit straight? So they started preparations for an elaborate drill back in 2008 in Connecticut for a drill that would take place in Indiana (or another state)? Do you dinks think about this shit before you blurt it out?
In the last photo you have, it displays the window that “was shot thru by Lanza”. I want to know where to get that magazine stand!!! It’s shotgun proof!! It stood in front of the window that was blown apart, and not a scratch on it! Sure Adam moved it to the side nicely to go thru. I’m sure it was knocked over by the shotgun blast and he got it out of the floor, moved it to the side, and set it back up….or it was moved to the side before they cracked the window to stage it….I want to buy one! It’s bulletproof, we could use it for body armor for our military
Obviously it’s not bulletproof because there’s a hole in it (that then continued on through one of the magazines). You fucking idiot.