James Radley Mattioli, a 6-year-old Caucasian male, was a vibrant and energetic boy known to his family as "J". He had a fondness for the outdoors and would often tell his mother, "I need to go outside Mom, I need fresh air". He loved wearing shorts and t-shirts regardless of the weather and enjoyed spiking his hair with gel. An active child, James enjoyed baseball, basketball, and swimming, particularly diving off the diving board.
He was inseparable from his father, Mark, and was considered his "mini look-a-like," often wanting to be right by his side for any outdoor activities. James was also a budding "numbers guy" who showed an early love for math and was working on improving his reading with the help of his older sister, Anna. He was known for his warm smile and would sing at the top of his lungs, once asking how old he needed to be to sing on a stage.
On the morning of December 14, 2012, James was in his first-grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. That day, a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza forced his way into the school after fatally shooting his own mother at their home. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle and other firearms, Lanza proceeded to shoot and kill 20 children and six adult staff members. James was one of the 20 first-graders who tragically lost their lives during the attack.
As law enforcement officers began to arrive at the school, the gunman, Adam Lanza, took his own life. An extensive investigation followed the horrific event. The official report on the shooting concluded that Lanza had acted alone in planning and carrying out the attack. As a result, no arrests were made in connection with the massacre. The investigation was officially closed, leaving a community and nation to mourn the profound loss of life.
