Husband of principal slain in US shooting opens up

The husband of the principal killed as she tried to stop a gunman from mowing down children at her US elementary school told CNN on Monday that he was angry at first that his wife put herself in danger.

Dawn Hochsprung was in a meeting Friday morning when gunshots rang out in the hallway of Sandy Hook Elementary School, in picturesque Newtown, Connecticut.

The shooter ultimately slaughtered 20 young children and six teachers and staff, including Hochsprung as she lunged at him trying to stop the slaughter, before turning a gun on himself.

Hochsprung’s husband, George, told CNN two of the teachers who were in the meeting with his wife told him what they remembered.

“There were gunshots. Somebody shot the window. Somebody came in, into the — not into the office, but into the building, the foyer of the building. And Dawn told us to go hide,” George said the teachers told him.

Hochsprung “and at least one other teacher went out and actually tried to subdue the killer. I don’t know where that comes from. Dawn was 5’2,” he continued, sitting surrounded by his three daughters from a previous marriage and one of Dawn’s two daughters from her previous marriage.

“Dawn put herself in jeopardy. And I have been angry about that. Angry. Until just now, when I met two women that she told to go under shelter while she actually confronted the gunman,” George recounted.

“She could have avoided that. And she didn’t. I knew she wouldn’t. So, I’m not angry anymore. I’m not angry. I’m not angry at anyone. I’m not angry,” he repeated as if hoping she would hear him, adding in a small voice, “I’m just very sad.”

George said he never expected to outlive his wife, who was much younger than he was.

The surviving family members held hands and sobbed as they remembered their lives with Hochsprung.

Hochsprung’s daughter, Erica, spoke about her mother’s support.

“Every game, she was there. Every cheerleading stuff, she was there. Every dance competition. She was doing homework on the bleachers. But she was there. And she was my rock. My rock,” she said.

Asked what she would say to her mother now, Erica forced out: “Come back. Just come back.”