Neighborhood Goes Dark in Homage to Slain Students

Bayport resident Mike D'Orazio is asking residents to pull the plug on holiday lights tonight in remembrance of the 27 lives taken in what is being called the second worst school shooting in U.S. history.

"I wanted to do something when I heard about it," the Renee Drive homeowner told Patch in a phone call, and "this makes me feel like I am doing something to help in some way," said the 32-year Bayport resident.

D'Orazio went door to door Friday night to ask neighbors to extinguish outdoor lights and is hoping the movement goes nationwide through social networking sites, such as his Facebook page, and word of mouth.

He had been in his car early Friday afternoon when he heard the initial news reports of a gunman shooting students and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

The shooter reportedly killed 20 students and 7 adults including himself, according to the latest news coverage at Newtown Patch.

Initially D'Orazio thought it was happened at a high school. But when he learned it was an elementary school he felt tremendous shock, he said.

"I just sat in the car for 20 minutes trying to understand it. I was just so depressed about it," he said.

When he got home the feeling to do something to help was just as strong.

"When my house lights went on with the automatic timer, I looked at them and realized it just wasn't approriate given what had happened. Then I looked around the neighborhood and decided to ask my neighbors to shut theirs off as well," he said.

"I hope everyone does it. The enormity of what happened today to those young kids deserves some sort of attention."