What Was That Like - True Stories. Real People.

198: Robbie's daughter was a student at Sandy Hook

Nov 29, 2024

Robbie Parker, father of Emilie Parker, shares the profound grief his family endured after the Sandy Hook tragedy. He reflects on his daughter’s vibrant personality, her ability to connect with others, and the chaos of that fateful day. Robbie candidly discusses the emotional turmoil following the shooting, navigating the media’s scrutiny, and the impact of conspiracy theories. He emphasizes the significance of empathy and personal storytelling in the healing process, highlighting the complexities of grief and the fight for understanding in the wake of unimaginable loss.

01:07:07

Creator website

Episode guests

Robbie Parker

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Robbie Parker's daughter, Emilie, who was tragically killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, was celebrated for her bright and generous spirit.

The devastating impact of the Sandy Hook shooting not only resulted in immense personal loss but also highlighted the broader issue of gun violence in schools.

Following the tragedy, Robbie Parker faced harassment from conspiracy theorists, showing the painful consequences of misinformation on grieving families.

Deep dives

The Sandy Hook Tragedy

Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old with no prior criminal record, committed a horrific act of violence in Newtown, Connecticut, by murdering his mother and then proceeding to Sandy Hook Elementary School. After killing his mother with four gunshots, he used her firearms to enter the locked school by shooting through the glass panel at the entrance. Once inside, he carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, including 20 children aged six and seven. This tragic event highlights the devastating impact of gun violence in schools and the profound loss experienced by families and communities.

Intro

2min

A Celebration of a Bright Young Mind

4min

Reflections on Loss and Grief

18min

Mysterious Tales and Grief

8min

Navigating Grief and Public Scrutiny

17min

The Allure of Belonging and Smart Choices in Services

3min

Navigating Grief and Gun Rights After Tragedy

2min

Empathy Through Shared Stories

15min

Adam lived in Newtown, Connecticut. He was 20 years old, and had no criminal record. One December morning, before 9:30 am, Adam shot and killed his own mother, Nancy, while she was still in her bed. Her body was later found with four gunshot wounds to the head.

Nancy was a gun enthusiast, and had quite a few rifles and handguns. After he killed her, Adam took some of those guns and drove his mother’s car to the Sandy Hook Elementary School. The front entrance doors were locked, but he shot his way through the glass panel. He then carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

26 people were murdered at the school that day. Six of those were adult staff and faculty. The other twenty fatalities were children. All of them were age 6 or 7.

One of those children was Emilie Parker, an amazing 6 year old girl.

Today you’re going to hear from Robbie Parker, Emilie’s dad, about what happened to their family that day and afterward. And the famous radio personality that made their grief so much worse.

Content warning: this episode includes discussion of child death as a result of a mass shooting

If you’d like to contact Robbie, you can do that through his website:

https://RobbieParker.net

Robbie’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Fight-Taking-Jones-Reclaiming/dp/1635769833

Alissa’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Angel-Mothers-Story-Healing/dp/1629722790

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/198

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Go to bluenile.com to shop Blue Nile, the original online jeweler since 1999!

Follow “MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories” on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/WHATWAS and get on your way to being your best self.

To get 15% off your next gift, go to UNCOMMONGOODS.com/WHATWAS

Sign up today at https://www.butcherbox.com/whatwas and use code whatwas to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year, plus $20 off your first order.

Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/WHAT

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Go to cookunity.com/What or enter code What before checkout for 50% off your first week.

Go to Seed.com/what and use code 25WHAT to get 25% off your first month.

Go to storyworth.com/what to save $10 on your first purchase!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/whatwas.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more