It's been two years since the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Two years post the incident that led to the demise of 6 staff members and 20 children, residents of Newtown are still to grapple with the horror that unveiled on Dec. 14, 2012.
Close on the heels of the two-year anniversary of the gun violence incident that shook America, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate has published the psychological and educational profile of the attacker Adam Lanza who first killed his mother, opened fire inside the school and later shot himself a few days prior to Christmas.
Nicole Hockley, who lost her 6-year-old son Dylan, reveals how difficult the journey has been as there are reminders of the past everywhere.
"The second year is much harder than the first, as the shock wears out," said Hockley to ABC News. "Your denial becomes more of a reality, to be honest. But there's also progress ... and taking small steps forward."
Since the tragedy, Nicole and her husband Ian have shifted house and bought a new home in the same neighborhood in Newtown. In 2012, they were renting a house close to where gunman Lanza and his mother Nancy resided, but post the shooting "didn't want to be in that house anymore."
The couple even considered moving to another city but desisted as they felt it would be running away. For the Hockleys, seeing Dylan's old classmates is hard as well as it is a reminder of the incident. Their 10-year-old son Jake is still in therapy and coming to terms with the loss of his little brother. Jake struggles in school post the shooting.
The family members of the victims of the carnage have tried to move on in their lives. Nelba Marquez-Greene, a mother who lost her little one Ana Grace in the shooting, spoke out against the growing gun culture and violence, saying that such incidents break the hearts of mothers everywhere.
"And we should care. We should care when our children are lost to gun violence," said Nelba.
Since 2012, the Lanza home is in the possession of the city and may be torn down. The elementary school has since been demolished as well. In 2016, a new Sandy Hook Elementary school is set to open its doors to students.
