A group of terrified first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School tried to flee a classroom to find safety after hearing gunshots on Dec. 14 — only to be gunned down in cold blood by Adam Lanza.
Victoria Soto, 27, had her first grade class at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. hide inside of closets as soon as she heard shots ring out the morning of Dec. 14 by crazed gunman Adam Lanza, 20.
Victoria reportedly told the gunman that her students were in an auditorium at the other end of the school to throw him off, but he ended up shooting her and the teacher’s aide dead with her frightened students nearby.
Although some of her students quietly stayed put, another group of six terrified first-graders tried to make a run for it out of the classroom — and were gunned down by Adam’s deadly bullets.
Neil Heslin‘s son Jesse Lewis was one of the kids who made a break for it.
“I wish my kid stayed put. But that’s Jesse. I can see him making that choice and just doing something,” he told the New York Post. “My boy died the way I would have died if I was in that position.”
“Jesse grew up on a farm. He’s tough. That would be my little guy to try to get out of there,” Neil added.
Miss Soto, as the students called her, had been a teacher at Sandy Hook for five years, and was loved by both teachers and students. So it was no surprise to everyone that she would take a bullet to protect her kids.
“She was found huddled over her children, her students, doing instinctively what she knew was the right thing,” Jim Wiltsie, Victoria’s cousin, told ABC News. “I’m just proud that Vicki had the instincts to protect her kids from harm.”
Amidst such a tragic situation, Victoria served as a heroic ray of light . Our thoughts are with the community of Newtown as it tries to heal from his painful event.
What do YOU think of this tragic story HollyMoms?
More Sandy Hook Elementary news:
- Girl, 6, Is Sole Survivor Of Class Shooting — Played Dead To Survive
- President Obama: ‘We Must Change’ After School Shooting
- Adam Lanza Killed Mom While She Lay In Bed — Report
View Comment
You know HL, all the other news outlets are calling them Kindergardeners, not first graders, so I think you have it wrong.
Philip
Posted at 3:53 PM on December 18, 2012
No HL doesn’t have it wrong. Most were kindergartners, but there were some first graders too that were killed.
Christa
Posted at 11:04 PM on December 19, 2012
Victoria was family. My dad’s cousin’s daughter. She was my cousin and an inspiration to us all! She is a true hero in my eyes and I know God has a special place for her and every other precious life that was taken from us that day, in Heaven! To them I say we all love you no matter if we did not know you, our hearts broke that day. I will pray each and every night for you. I will hold my children close and give them all the love I can and teach them how special life is and that we must be grateful for it and live each day to its fullest.