Newtown 911 tapes released

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Nearly a year after 26 students and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School were cut down in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, the tapes of the emergency phone calls have been released to the public.

The Newtown 911 calls from the morning of Dec. 14, 2012 were made available after a court battle led to a Connecticut judge ruling last week the content of the tapes provided a "clear public interest."

Families of the victims had been opposed to the recordings' release.

The first call came in at 9:35 a.m., and police arrived four minutes later. By the fifth minute, Adam Lanza, had shot and killed himself -- and 26 others.

Several calls came from a school custodian Rick Thorne, and another from a teacher.

“Sandy Hook School," a teacher told a dispatcher. "I think there’s somebody shooting in here in Sandy Hook School.”

"What makes you think that?" the dispatcher asked.

“Somebody’s got a gun. I saw a glimpse of somebody running down the hallway," the teacher said. "They’re still around me. There’s still shooting. Sandy Hook School please.”

Below are audio excerpts from the phone calls.

Warning: They may be upsetting for some people to hear.