Washington: A first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Victoria Soto, tried to shield her students using her body from the maniacal shooter, who killed nearly 20 kids in the shooting spree, friends and family said.
“She put herself between the gunman and her students,” her cousin Jim Wiltsie said.
Soto paid for her bravery with her life. But in doing so, the 27-year-old saved her first-graders from the murderous wrath of Adam Lanza — and became a hero, the report said.
“The family received information she was found shielding her students in a closet,” Soto’s cousin Jim Wiltsie said, adding: “She put herself between the gunman and her students.”
“I’m very proud to report she was a hero,” said Wiltsie, who is a police officer in Fairfield, Connecticut.
“I would expect nothing less from Vicki. Instinctively her training kicked in. She did what she was trained to do, but also what her heart told her to do,” Wiltsie added.
“She absolutely adored her family, a very close-knit family,” Wiltsie said.
“She was the ringleader of the bunch. They had just done secret Santa. She always took charge,” she added.
No funeral arrangements have been made yet for Soto because her body has not been released.
But Wilstie said he wants the world to know Vicki’s story now, before she is buried and forgotten.
“I want to get this out there,” he said, adding:“Instead of her just being a statistic or number on a piece of paper, I want people to know Vicki’s story and put a face behind what she did for those kids.”
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.