DeKalb Commission Honors Woman Who Talked Down the McNair School Shooter
Today the DeKalb County Commission honored first responders and the woman who helped convince a gunman at McNair Discovery Learning Academy to surrender. No one was injured in last week’s school shooting, despite alleged gunman Michael Brandon Hill entering the elementary school with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Commissioners clapped and hugged McNair bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff as they thanked her for successfully getting Hill to lay down his gun. Tuff credited God for allowing her to remain calm and to assist police with keeping students, fellow employees and first responders safe.
“It wasn’t me, and I don’t take any credit for it, because in all reality I was terrified, trying my best not to allow it to show on the outside.”
And even though no one was hurt…Tuff says McNair students are still recovering.
“We still need your prayers. Remember those kids who that are still in that school and teachers who are trying to go on to try to make it as usual and normal as possible, but in all reality they’re still terrified, so I want us to all remember when we wake up in the morning and when we go to bed at night remember all of our children, and all of our staff members that work for our children.”
Commissioners also recognized DeKalb 911 operator Kendra McCray. She guided Tuff on the phone during the shooting and says because of the call she and Tuff are forever linked.
“Her calmness, my calmness collaborating together made everything go smoothly. She’s a very beautiful person inside and out. I just feel a connection with her, soles just connecting together.”
DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May thanked McCray, Tuff, law enforcement officers and school employees.
“It is an awesome experience to stand here today knowing that, that incident turned out to be one that no loss of life was experienced, that no one was hurt, harmed or injured, even the suspect at hand. It just put DeKalb County in a positive space.”
May says no one individual is responsible for bringing the shooting to a successful end. He says it took everyone working together.
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