MSNBC is reporting that there are twenty six people are dead -- eighteen children and eight adults. The Atlantic Wire is updating the story.

Eighteen children were killed on Friday morning in a shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., about 65 miles northeast of New York City, according to a person who had been briefed on the shooting. Another law enforcement official said preliminary reports suggested there could be as many as 20 fatalities.

UPDATE: I think everyone should read this post from Jim Fallows.