(CNN) — For the people of Newtown and for people across the country, 9:30 a.m. was a time to stop, listen and remember.
Bells rang in the Connecticut town and in churches and government buildings in multiple states Friday morning to remember the 20 children and six women who were gunned down at Newtown’s Sandy Hook Elementary School at that hour a week ago.
Standing in cold rain — some with umbrellas, and others who let the water wash over their bowed heads — people in Newtown gathered outside various locations and paused as multiple churches rang their bells at least 26 times, once for each victim.
Connecticut Gov. Dannell Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman stood with others under the awning of Newtown’s Edmond Town Hall. People also paused elsewhere in town — under a tent that covered the numerous flowers and stuffed animals left as a memorial — and outside various churches.
Some closed their eyes. Some put hands on their hearts. All stood nearly still as the bells rang.
At least one Newtown church rang its bells 28 times, also marking the death of the gunman, who killed himself after the shootings, and his mother, whom he killed before going to the school.
Three pastors at that church, Newtown United Methodist Church, took turns ringing the bell.
In the state Capitol building in Hartford, a bell was rung for each victim after their names were read. “Amazing Grace” was sung afterward.
Bells were rung at the National Cathedral in Washington and at churches in Miami. Traders at the New York Stock Exchange paused silently for one minute before the opening bell.
Earlier, in a letter sent to other governors around the country, Malloy noted how the shooting in his state has resonated nationwide.
“Mourning this tragedy has extended beyond Newtown, beyond the borders of Connecticut, and has spread across the nation and the world,” he said. “On behalf of the State of Connecticut, we appreciate the letters and calls of support that have been delivered to our state and to the family members during their hour of need.”
At least 29 states have declared a moment of silence for Friday morning, with flags flying at half-staff. People mourned on the Internet, as well — some websites were to go dark at the urging of Silicon Valley venture capitalist Ron Conway, who came up with the idea at a Christmas party attended by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting that killed six.
Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma suggested residents wear green, Sandy Hook’s school color. In Alaska, the Capitol’s bell will ring at 9:30 a.m. local time. The bell is a full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have called for residents of their states to pause to reflect one week after the shooting rampage. Perry also asked that churches ring their bells 26 times in honor of the victims at the school.
In an open letter to the people of Newtown in Friday’s The Hartford Courant, first lady Michelle Obama wrote that she and President Barack Obama are “holding you and your families in our hearts.”
“As a mother of two young daughters, my heart aches for you and your families. Like so many Americans, I wish there were something — anything — I could do or say to ease your anguish,” Michelle Obama wrote.
Although she “cannot begin to imagine the depths of your grief,” she paid tribute to “the countless acts of courage, kindness and love here in Newtown and across America.”
The states honoring a moment of silence are Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
President Obama ordered flags to half-staff last Friday after the shooting. Flags will also fly at half-staff this Friday.
Carloads of teenagers from a Minnesota school that suffered a mass shooting in 2005 headed toward Newtown on Thursday to offer their support.
Also Thursday, burials were held for three children and two teachers.
More than 2,200 miles west of Newtown, in Ogden, Utah, the hometown of shooting victim Emilie Parker was festooned with pink ribbons as her parents brought her body back for burial.
“This sucks. There’s no reason for us to be here tonight,” her father, Robbie Parker, told friends and well-wishers at a memorial service Thursday night. “And I’m so thankful for everybody that’s here.”
His voice trailed off as he struggled for composure. Seeing the pink — his daughter’s favorite color — made him and his wife, Alissa, “feel like we were getting a big hug from everybody.”
Also buried Thursday, at an undisclosed location, was Nancy Lanza, the shooter’s mother, said Donald Briggs, a friend of the family who grew up with her in Kingston, New Hampshire.
Plans had not been finalized for the burial of the gunman, her son, Adam.
Three 6-year-olds were among those buried Thursday: Allison Wyatt, who loved to draw and wanted to be an artist; Benjamin Wheeler, who loved the Beatles; and red-haired Catherine Hubbard, who loved animals.
Original story:
People across the U.S. are asked to observe a moment of silence Friday, December 21, 2012 in memory of the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut school shootings.
The shootings happened at about 9:30 a.m. Friday, December 14, 2012.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a proclamation calling on the citizens of Connecticut to observe December 21 as a day of mourning. The date is exactly one week after the shootings occurred.
Gov. Malloy sent a letter to the governors of all other states asking them to observe a moment of silence that same day at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Malloy’s proclamation asks places of worship and other locations with the capability to ring bells 26 times during the moment of silence in honor of each of the victims.
