(MCT) — “You are not alone” was a central theme of last week’s memorial services in Newtown, Conn. The meaning of the message is twofold: that all the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting are grieved across the nation and world, and that too many communities in the United States and abroad have faced similar tragedies.

Events like Sandy Hook are not confined to the present or to the United States, but the sad chronology of school violence seen in recent years makes me wonder what is ahead for Newtown. Over the next weeks, months and years, I think four questions will be at the center of debate.