Police: Lanza used ear plugs in shooting

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HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Adam Lanza put in earplugs before going on a shooting spree at a Connecticut grade school, killing 20 students and six staff members, police investigators say.

Officers trying to figure out the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown say that's one of the unusual things they've found at the scene, The Hartford Courant reported Sunday.

Investigators said Lanza still had the earplugs in place when his body was found. A source described the finding as "weird," noting "It's not like he had to worry about long-term protection of his hearing because he had to know he wasn't coming back out of the building."

Police don't know if he used the earplugs because it was part of his routine at a shooting range or if he wanted to muffle the screams of the children.

Police also discovered Lanza replaced cartridge magazines frequently before they were empty. They found clips with only about 15 bullets fired in a 30-capacity magazine.

They speculated this was a practice he acquired from playing video games.

When found, Lanza was wearing black clothing under an olive drab utility vest filled with 30-round magazines.