As news reports come out of Newtown, Connecticut this morning we keep hearing residents say they can't believe it happened there. Indeed, this 300-year-old town of 27,000 residents is indeed "sleepy" and rural by most standards.

The game Scrabble was invented there and it is, or was, home to both the author and illustrator of the Magic School Bus series, author and illustrator Steven Kellogg, as well as actor Anthony Edwards (Goose in "Top Gun" and Dr. Green in "ER" among other roles).

Check out photos of Sandy Hook Elementary:

Newtown, Connecticut is about 60 miles northeast of New York City.

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The town of Newton is indeed small and very wooded.

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Sandy Hook Elementary is only accessible from a single road and is mostly surrounded by woods.

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Designed for Kindergarten through the fourth grade, the school is small and features play areas appropriate for young children:

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News reports say many of the children were taken to a nearby fire house once authorities arrived. The firehouse is at the mouth of the school's main road. This photo is from the front, but most news photographs show parents hugging children near the rear of this building:

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Actor Anthony Edwards is, or has been, a resident of Newton, Connecticut:

Getty Images, by Alberto E. Rodriguez
Getty Images, by Alberto E. Rodriguez
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