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Officials: Principal died lunging at gunman

By Jim Fitzgerald and John Christofferson

Associated Press

POSTED: 07:42 a.m. HST, Dec 15, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 03:43 p.m. HST, Dec 15, 2012

ASSOCIATED PRESS

This July 2010 photo provided by the Newtown Bee shows Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Eliza Hallabeck)

NEWTOWN, Conn. » Town officials in Connecticut say the principal who died in the rampage at an elementary school was killed while lunging at the gunman as she tried to overtake him.

Dawn Hochsprung was gunned down in Friday's massacre in Newtown. Board of Education chairwoman Debbie Liedlien says administrators were coming out of a meeting when the gunman forced his way into the school and ran toward him.

Jeff Capeci is chairman of the town's Legislative Council. Asked whether Hochsprung is a hero, he says, "From what we know, it's hard to classify her as anything else."

Hochsprung had worked at the school for two years. Both Liedlien and Capeci say she immediately became a beloved figure. Liedlien says "it's so sad to lose somebody like her" and that residents are feeling "a deep sense of loss" over her death.

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mutsrus wrote:

There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. RIP

on December 15,2012 | 07:20AM

808warriorfan wrote:

WELL PUT.....

on December 15,2012 | 07:41AM

aomohoa wrote:

You just made me cry. You are so right:)

on December 15,2012 | 08:24AM

primowarrior wrote:

She spent her life nurturing and caring for children, then gave it trying to protect them. She is indeed a hero.

on December 15,2012 | 07:42AM

aomohoa wrote:

Absolutely!

on December 15,2012 | 08:24AM

Grimbold wrote:

Seems like it would have helped to carry a concealed weapon. Since the bad folks have weapons, the general public should be allowed to defend themselves.

on December 15,2012 | 07:48AM

oioman wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 07:55AM

bobbob wrote:

everyone? no, perhaps only a select number of faculty. Ask yourself, why did he go after a school with grade school kids. He knew there were a lot of targets, he could get "revenge", and he knew there would be little to no resistance.

on December 15,2012 | 09:32AM

Waterman2 wrote:

One look at this lovely woman makes me think not much chance she would shoot any one. But armed security might have been there after the break in and changed the outcome. I hate the idea of a need for armed anything at our schools, But the crazies know the babies are vulnerable. The vulnerable have been destroyed by madmen forever and these madmen can be lowly poor or lofty emperors like Stalin. A society is judged on how we treat our vulnerable of all ages. Most schools in Hawaii have kinda like fences and a sign that say check in at office........gotta do better and photo ops don't count.

on December 15,2012 | 10:56AM

64hoo wrote:

because his mother that was killed by him was a elementry school teacher at that school. who knows the shooter had no criminal record so the mother might have been telling him once in a while my elementry kids are smarter than you. and so he got fed up at that what she was saying that he finally cracked and went berserk and killed the elementry students. just my thoughts.

on December 15,2012 | 02:58PM

aomohoa wrote:

Just heard she did not teach there. My question is why does any one need to own so many assault weapons, like his mother did? More than needed to even protect yourself in a home invasion.

on December 15,2012 | 08:31PM

Dragonman wrote:

Good post oioman, I can see it all, everyone carring concealed weapons. One bad person shoots someone, everybody else starts shooting each other defending themselves, after all who is the bad guy, everyone has a weapon drawn. One dificult problem the police have when they respond to an awful incident is locating and identifying the shooter. Can you imagine the police trying to determine who the bad guy/guys are if everyperson is branishing a weapon. I know its sad what is happening in the world today but the reality is we created this problem. Just look at the violence on TV & video games these days. More available weapons is not the answer as it will only lead to more mass killings. I know what the gun advocates say, guns don't kill people, people do, but if this kid had only a knife he would not have been able to inflict such a heavy death toll. My prayers go out to all the people and their families involved in this tragic event.

on December 15,2012 | 03:29PM

Waterman2 wrote:

So we just let the kids get shot along with everyone else ? The point is that at least if concealed carry is allowed the criminal nut case gotta have more cojones than walking into a known easy kill zone and blowing away babies. Most don't have the guts to face someone face up and armed.......

on December 15,2012 | 05:36PM

al_kiqaeda wrote:

@oioman & dragon -- crazy people do not need a gun to commit mass murder. Remember Timothy McVeigh and the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building? He murdered 19 children and 149 adults and injured over 800 more and he didn't have a gun. Remember Sept 11, 2001? All the terrorists had were box cutters and a plane tickets.

If anything we need conceal and carry permits. The genie is already out of the bottle and you will NOT get all the guns out of the hands of criminals and crazies.

on December 15,2012 | 11:46PM

johncdechon wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 01:28PM

aomohoa wrote:

Your opinion of me mean nothing, johncdechon. I notice all the angry scary people are so into guns. LOL! How can you call me a loser, you don't even know me? I spent my life helping people. You're like a name calling child that wanted to be a cowboy or maybe a gangster. LOL

on December 15,2012 | 02:21PM

Waterman2 wrote:

Reality is that there are guns out there in hands of killers, defend your self and your keiki or wait too late for a response from the cop shop. How many children can be blown away while you dial 911 ?

on December 15,2012 | 05:39PM

johncdechon wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 07:40PM

aomohoa wrote:

You need help johnncchon. I would think you weren't screened properly if you own a gun, since you seem unstable and have anger management problems.

on December 15,2012 | 08:37PM

aomohoa wrote:

Maybe if his mother didn't own an all these high powered guns this would have never happened. One gun in the house is all you need to defend your home.

on December 15,2012 | 08:34PM

Waterman2 wrote:

My heart goes out to her and those who knew her, obviously a wonderful person. Grimbold is right. There will always be sickos; the more they know that they might get shot back at the less they will go after the weak . Why do you think he went after the elementary school ? Among other things it surely was the knowledge that they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. A big part of this was about power. I too wish we lived in a perfect world, but we don't. Until we do the evil must be confronted or it rages on.

on December 15,2012 | 09:19AM

thanks4reading wrote:

I agree. If the movie goers in colorado had weapons, they could have taken out the assailant. Of course he was shooting in the dark and they could not have seen what they were shooting at and if they hit him he would have likely not have been stopped because he was wearing bullet proof protection. But the point is still the same. If 20 movie goers had guns, just think of the out come. He may have been wounded by a lucky shot. Who cares that another 30 or so people would have died. It is a matter of principle. Our society needs more guns. This message brought to you by the NRA whose model are bring gun massacres to a location near you. After all, the more people who die the more bullets and guns that have been bought and the great profit for the arms manufactures and gun stores. Small business are in a down turn. Thanks to these shootings, guns store owners and morticians are making money. Good for the economy.

on December 15,2012 | 11:26AM

control wrote:

Just what the world does NOT need - 20 gun nuts randomly blasting away in a dark, enclosed place packed with people. The carnage would be off the charts. Our modern society had NO use for guns except for the military and law enforcement. Nobody hunts for their dinner any more. The NRA is a pack of idiots who hide behind phoney stats.

on December 15,2012 | 12:03PM

aomohoa wrote:

I think thanks4reading was trying to make this point.

on December 15,2012 | 12:55PM

johncdechon wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 01:30PM

aomohoa wrote:

So anyone that does want to carry a gun is a loser? You are hilarious and probably need anger management.. LOL!

on December 15,2012 | 02:22PM

Waterman2 wrote:

If you don't want to protect yourself fine, but don't put that on me....I will protect me and mine fro idiots and tyranny. As long as there are people there will be nuts.

on December 15,2012 | 05:42PM

control wrote:

He's a paid lobbyist for the NRA who is trying to get Hawaii to pass legislation supporting concealed weapons.

on December 15,2012 | 06:18PM

aomohoa wrote:

I like your point thanks4reading. I don't want to live in a society where everyone carries a gun and we have armed guards at schools and malls.

on December 15,2012 | 12:54PM

Waterman2 wrote:

I don't want to live in such a country either, unfortunately reality got in the way.

on December 15,2012 | 05:43PM

ross13moon wrote:

no guns...no shootings

on December 15,2012 | 11:38AM

Dragonman wrote:

Who are the bad people ? How do you know a good person won't go bad and start shooting innocent people. Problem is we don't do we, at least not until a person who is part of the general public and armed starts shooting, than that person is labeled as a bad person. Just think of it, everyone carring a weapon, someone shoots someone, everybody draws their weapons and than the fun starts. Everyone shooting each other, after all they all have weapons drawn and once one person shoots everyone had the right to defend themselves. Dead bodies all over the place.

on December 15,2012 | 12:00PM

Pearlcityguy wrote:

Brings tears reading this story... Don’t know if I have the courage to act as she did, feel sorry the world lost someone like this.

on December 15,2012 | 08:04AM

Rhi64 wrote:

My heart hurts. She did what she was thought to do, taking care of her students. My heart hurts for all the lives lost in this senseless tragedy.

on December 15,2012 | 08:25AM

nodaddynotthebelt wrote:

A really tragic story. This is a true educator who sacrificed her own life to try and save the children. Her priority were the children and nothing else. May she rest in peace.

on December 15,2012 | 10:58AM

johncdechon wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 01:22PM

aomohoa wrote:

I don't have the answer but do you think we should have armed guards every where people gather? Where does it stop? This is not the Middle East. Yes this is upsetting and I get why you are so angry but more guns are not the answer, in my opinion. That is my opinion and I have a right to it. Last I looked I live in America.

on December 15,2012 | 02:40PM

Waterman2 wrote:

Is it not the middle east ? It sure isn't the America I grew up in.

on December 15,2012 | 05:46PM

johncdechon wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on December 15,2012 | 07:50PM

aomohoa wrote:

All you are really good at is name calling, LOL!!!!!! Good bless you:)

on December 15,2012 | 08:41PM

cunfuzd4 wrote:

not really, he did have valid questions. Your response just served no point other than being frivolous. John is not an allie, he raised a valid question and got an allie like response. Can't blame him for being annoyed, bringing God into the last comment doesn't make it any less frivolous then the initial one

on December 16,2012 | 05:58AM

control wrote:

So you are suggesting we turn our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our shopping malls into high-security prisons just because there are nut cases, most of whom got their guns legally. Is the NRA offering to pay for those security guards or are they the ones hoping to make money with their fearmongering by supplying the guards to schools?

on December 15,2012 | 06:23PM

black3000psi wrote:

I would ask that the Star not mention the shooters name again, he is not deserving of it, he is a low life coward that took the lives of those who could not even defend themselves. I dont want to know his name, I want to know the names of those children that will never get to give the world their efforts. those are the names that matter.please do not call him by name or post his picture, we dont need to see him, we dont want to see him. please.

on December 15,2012 | 03:48PM

Waterman2 wrote:

Ditto

on December 15,2012 | 05:46PM

nontaister1 wrote:

Hohonu aloha menemene....

on December 15,2012 | 04:18PM

LizKauai wrote:

God Bless. Praying for the progress of these precious souls!

on December 15,2012 | 06:22PM

DA_HANDSOME_CHINAMAN wrote:

Never never attack a person with a gun, WHY? You will lose all the time. We've got to use our head, well how? She should have had a gun on her person. But no guns in school? Okay, being a principal and a responsible person, she should qualify. And being responsible is to attend classes and to practice at the gun range. Understand, she should not have attacked that armed person. There is a time and place for everything. I don't like wasting my life for nothing. My sympathy goes out to her family, but she could have been alive. Think People.

on December 16,2012 | 12:12AM