NEWTOWN, Connecticut — A worker who turned on the intercom, alerting others in the building that something was very wrong. A custodian who risked his life by running through the halls warning of danger. A clerk who led 18 children on their hands and knees to safety, then gave them paper and crayons to keep them calm and quiet. Out of the ruins of families that lost a precious child, sister or mother, out of a tight-knit town roiling with grief, glows one bright spot: the stories of staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School who may have prevented further carnage through selfless actions and smart snap judgments.

Some of them made the ultimate sacrifice. District Superintendent Janet Robinson noted “incredible acts of heroism” that “ultimately saved so many lives.” “The teachers were really, really focused on their students,” she told reporters Saturday. [Link]