Adam Lanza: Newtown Shooter Had Arsenal Of Weapons, Books On Mental Illness, Search Warrants Say

Infamous Newtown shooter Adam Lanza had an extensive arsenal of weapons hidden in his home, including guns, ammunition, a bayonet and several samurai swords, newly released search warrants revealed Thursday.

Lanza, the troubled gunman who took the lives of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was also revealed to have taken his own life less than five minutes after he fired the first shot. The new details emerged after a statement by State’s Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III, which accompanied the release of the search warrants, CBS News reports.

Accounts of the exact contents of Lanza’s weapons arsenal have varied, but according to the new details, it contained at least nine knives, multiple samurai swords, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, rifles, and a 7-foot-long, dual-bladed pole, NBC News reports.

In addition to the weaponry, authorities discovered a National Rifle Association certificate bearing Lanza’s name, several of his original drawings, seven journals, and books on coping with mental illness, NBC News reports. The NRA claims that Lanza and his mother are not members, according to The Huffington Post.

While details of Lanza’s home life have trickled out over the last few months, the release of Thursday’s documents provides the first detailed look into the environment in which he was raised. On Dec. 14, Lanza killed his mother, Nancy, before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. He shot and killed 20 young children and six staff members before turning the gun on himself.

The new documents also shed light on the shooting itself. According to Sedensky, Lanza killed each of his 26 victims using a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle, before committing suicide using a Glock handgun. In all, authorities were able to recover 154 bullet casings from the scene, the Huffington Post reports. Lanza took his own life with the 155th and final bullet.

Sedensky added that police also found a loaded 12-guage shotgun in Lanza’s Honda Civic. According to one of the search warrants, the car contained an additional 70 rounds of shotgun ammunition.

Mark Barden, the father of one of the children killed in the despicable act, revealed that the new details did not come as a surprise.

"Most of this is pretty high-level stuff that we were aware of already and it just reminds me of what happened, that a gunman stormed his way into an elementary school and shot to death 26 people, 20 of which were first-grade boys and girls," Barden told The Huffington Post.

Much of the literature recovered from the Lanza home pertained to the shooter’s rumored medical conditions, the search warrants revealed. In addition to books on autism and Asperger’s syndrome, police discovered a bookmarked edition of “Train Your Brain to Get Happy.” The investigation also uncovered an NRA guide to pistol shooting.

Other noteworthy items recovered from the house include ear plugs, binoculars, paper targets and a metal bayonet.

FBI interviews conducted the day of the Newtown shooting provided insight into Lanza’s personality and psyche. According to a source, an unnamed subject presumed to be Lanza was considered to be “a shut-in and an avid gamer,” prone to playing the violent “Call of Duty” video game, CBS News reports.

The source also stated that Sandy Hook Elementary School “was Adam Lanza’s life,” the search warrants revealed.

According to The Huffington Post, a standing order sealing the search warrants expired on Wednesday, allowing the release of the documents on Thursday. However, certain details, including the name of a witness, telephone numbers, and pertinent serial numbers, were redacted at Sedensky’s request. The redaction was approved for safety reasons.

While the new information provides an in-depth glimpse into the Lanza investigation, Sedensky stressed that police inquiries are ongoing.

"No conclusions have been reached and no final determinations have been made," Sedensky said.