Conn. dad recalls loving, creative 6-year-old

NEWTOWN, Conn. Fighting back tears and struggling to catch his breath, the father of a 6-year-old gunned down in Friday's school shooting in Connecticut told the world about a little girl who loved to draw and was always smiling, and he also reserved surprising words of sympathy for the gunman.

Robbie Parker's daughter Emilie was among the 20 children who died in the one of the worst attacks on schoolchildren in U.S. history. He was one of the first parents to speak publicly about their loss.

"She was beautiful. She was blond. She was always smiling," he said.

Parker spoke to reporters not long after police released the names and ages of the victims, a simple document that told a horrifying story of loss.

He expressed no animosity, said he was not mad and offered sympathy for family of the man who killed 26 people and himself.

• List of Conn. school shooting victims
• All Conn. shooting victims hit multiple times

To the man's family, he said, "I can't imagine how hard this experience must be for you."

He said he struggled to explain the death to Emilie's two siblings, 3 and 4.

"They seem to get the fact that they have somebody they're going to miss very much," he said.

Parker said his daughter loved to try new things — except for new food. And she was quick to cheer up those in need.

36 Photos

Vigils for Conn. school shooting victims

"She never missed an opportunity to draw a picture or make a card for those she around her," he said.

The world is a better place because Emilie was in it, he said.

"I'm so blessed to be her dad," he said.

[Necroscope84]

I am so horribly sorry for your loss. My heart and prayers go out to each and everyone affected by this. Words will never be enough but I wanted to let you'll know that you're not alone in your grief.

[nytosf]

News psyche ~ These kid's have been in their 20's & have been raised with too much expectations on what life should be for them. Society give's some a rude awakening & they fall into pushing back with the showing themself to be the boss & you should have known me.They want to go out in a type historical event. The news needs to just put storys of the victims up.
It's because of the recignition they get after is why the go public massicar. Otherwise they would have just off themself in the basement.
Someone pointed out by putting the news on school's, it give's the ill the thought to outdue the last event. Watch out preschool's was sugested.
Don't zoom in on the killer's life .that's what killer's want.

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto,27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6

Know them. Prayer's XOXO

[Passthebeer]

To all you anti gun people. Your passion is misguided. This young man would have killed with or without guns. Liberal attitudes about treating mental illness is the real killer. Anti gun people generally have an addenda that doesnt include the protection of people for if they did they would support all the things that can be done to prevent the ill from harming themselves and others. Do anti gun proponents do this. We know the answer. So we can only ignore them because they are ill themselves and we know that they cannot get the help they need. A vicious circle isnt it.

[celo12]

My friends, I grieve with you from far away, and find some solace in these these hopeful words from the poet Pablo Neruda:

.. forgive me.
If you no longer live,
if you, beloved, my love,
if you have died,
all the leaves will fall in my breast,
it will rain on my soul night and day,
the snow will burn my heart,
I shall walk with frost and fire and death and snow,
my feet will want to walk to where you are sleeping, but
I must go on living...

[angelofurnightmare]

My heart goes out this man.His daughter was a beautiful bright star in life as were all those little angels!..I cannot imagine his pain or how he can be forgiving of the shooter.
And people if you want to rant about gun control or the need for everyone to be armed do it somewhere else. This father may look at these comments and think wow no one cared about my baby they just cared about the politics!

[bluejacket2-2009]

I can't believe this Dad, what a hero...

His daughter lost her life because of policies supported by the GOP and NRA, assualt weapons are good and every American should have them including several clips with 30 bullets or more to kill people when upset or insane..

Nice work GOP!!!!

[Passthebeer]

You need help.

[Passthebeer]

To all you anti gun people. Your passion is misguided. This young man would have killed with or without guns. Liberal attitudes about treating mental illness is the real killer. Anti gun people generally have an addenda that doesnt include the protection of people for if they did they would support all the things that can be done to prevent the ill from harming themselves and others. Do anti gun proponents do this. We know the answer. So we can only ignore them because they are ill themselves and we know that they cannot get the help they need. A vicious circle isnt it.

[pitai]

Guns don't kill. How long we hear said it again?
Guns don't kill is a sophism,"an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid"(Webster).
Guns don't kill is a sophism,"such an argument used to deceive"(Webster)
Yes guns kills and big guns kills big.
Let's hope these small children and the six adults who died watching over them becomes such a force for the good that it never happens again; that such a rising tide of goodwill finally thriumph over the fanatics.

[Larnan5]

Sympathy and mourning world wide but not from Limbaugh ( he has no children) and the NRA "No Comment" as if little tiny children have no value and assault weapons are more valuable. Gun rights above all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rwsmith29456]

I have sympathy and am mourning and I do have a child. There are sick people that will try to attain notoriety by killing as many people as possible. They used bombs, derail trains and burn buildings to the same end. THAT is the sickness that needs to be addressed. I'm for sensible gun rights and there are already some in place. (automatic and sawed off weapons are already illegal) My guns are only loaded at the target range.

[mssoonermagic]

You are sick for using this for political purposes. Obama is sick ight there with you for wiping nothing from his eyes and then immediately begin politicizing this terrible events. Liberals are sick.

[twophad]

Bless this man, again! He will go through changes as life without his beautiful little girl unfolds, but he is heroic in showing compassion for all as he himself suffers unimaginable pain..

[quick2blame]

Gun Control? Really, that's the issue here??? I thought it was mental health and the lack of attention several administrations have paid to the mental health and well being of our society...

[harvsh]

This is absolutely correct. No matter what regulations are in place for anything, people who are not well, will always find a way to do their evil. It is more or less impossible to detect these people I would imagine, but still necessary to address the issue and help them.

Also imagine how many guns are in the USA already, how will regulation remove them?

I do believe there is a need for stricter gun control, but I also have great doubts about the effect it will have. Won't more guns just be sold illegally. What about Internet shopping, is every package controlled so that weapons can not arrive into the country or just across state lines without being detected.

This is a difficult problem without any simple solutions. But mental health is at the heart of the matter I believe.

[FairerPlay]

I agree that mental health is the real issue. Sane people do not kill young children for no reason but it seems that gun control is the only topic that is brought up.