On December 14, 2012, 20 first graders and six educators were senselessly killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A gunman went inside the school and opened fire. When the shooting was over, Newtown, Connecticut would never be the same.

In the decade since, many of the Sandy Hook survivors and victims’ families have become tireless advocates for gun control, even as we’ve seen multiple other school shootings.

The Parkland shooting happened almost five years ago and the recent Uvalde shooting was just months ago.

On Wednesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont ordered flags at half staff.

Most people can remember where they were when they heard the news of Sandy Hook, a decade ago. It was a dark day for the U.S. and among the worst tragedies Connecticut has ever seen.

A permanent tribute to the victims now stands near the site of the former Sandy Hook school, which has since been raised.

It is a tree surrounded by a pool of water, encased in granite that is etched with each of the victim’s names.

Some of the former students who were in that school are finding the strength to speak out. Liv Doscher was in the third grade at the time.

“I feel like the further and further we move away from it, the more I feel I’m scrambling to, just remember,” Doscher said. “So I really just think that the way I’m going to cope with that is just making, you know, through people kind of making sure I’m staying close to my best friend, making sure when I get home, when I come home for breaks, that I meet up with old teachers that I’m close with.”

In the last 10 years, Connecticut has passed several gun reform measures, including a ban on assault weapons and mandatory background checks.

Other states have followed suit, but since Sandy Hook, the nation has seen nearly 1,000 more school shootings.