A moment of silence for Newtown victims

NEWTOWN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Across the state Friday, life stood still, at least for a couple moments. Many paused because Friday marked one week since 26 people were killed inside the Sandy Hook Elementary school.

Like the weather through which it was heard, the stark tolling of a church bell was the only sound breaking a moment of otherwise silence Friday morning, punctuating what has surely been Newtown's longest week.

"It happened on my birthday, this whole thing, so it hasn't been much of a celebratory time," said Ruth Theaman, of Newtown. "That's the least of it."

A town, a state, even the nation at a standstill, the soundings of the bell separated by about 15 seconds apiece, drawing out time much like the tragedy one week before.

"It didn't matter to me, it's however long we need to be here," said Katrin Hall, former Newtown resident. "I'll be here all day, and I want to go to the vigil tonight.

To the surprise of some, there were 28 strikes of the bell instead of 26, recalling not just the children and educators who died at Sandy Hook Elementary, but also the man responsible and his mother, the first to die.

"I thought there might be 27, but I was surprised that there was 28," said Theaman.

"I just want to say my heart goes out to everyone," Hall said. "I can't discriminate, and I can forgive."

The Governor and other dignitaries appearing only to participate, not to speak. A town knowing it can't get its children back, but hoping at least to retrieve its identity, until a week ago one of anonymity.

"I don't want people to remember Newtown as a horrible place," Hall said, "I want them to remember that it's the reason that things are going to change."

It looks like Newtown will finally have the chance to continue its healing in relative privacy, as there are no further officially scheduled public events in the near future that News 8 is aware of.