Soccer stars visit Conn. town where kids were shot

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Stars from the soccer world have visited and played with children in the Connecticut town where a gunman killed dozens of people at an elementary school last month.

About 40 current and former players including Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones, Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly played with kids on an indoor field at the nonprofit Newtown Youth Academy. The group also included San Jose Earthquakes player Marcus Tracy, who grew up in Newtown.

About 1,000 children attended Monday's event, which was arranged by Houston Dynamo general manager and Connecticut native Chris Canetti.

Sports stars including New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman have visited Newtown in the weeks since a gunman killed his mother at home and 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School before killing himself.