Heartbroken Community Seeks Answers from Leaders; Mental Health a Growing Concern

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Byline: Ben Wolfgang , THE WASHINGTON TIMES

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- In the window of a local deli, the mother of a Sandy Hook Elementary School student has left a message for this grieving town. Mourning will continue for weeks, months, even years, but focus is turning increasingly to larger issues surrounding Friday's massacre.

I pledge ... that I renounce the use of violence, reads the sign, penned by an anonymous mother of a local child. I promise to persistently seek help, guidance, and support if the contemplation of a violent act comes to me.

Many stopped to read the moving message Tuesday, as townspeople begin to ask painful yet important questions: Why did Adam Lanza have access to such firepower? Why couldn't anyone help the troubled young man, who was clearly disturbed and in need of mental health services?

The answers are complex and aren't yet apparent. But in between attending funerals for the 20 children and six adults slain in cold …