Newtown Officials Ask Gift-Givers To Stop Sending Packages

Charlotte Bacon, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> They were supposed to be for the holidays, but finally on Friday, after hearing much begging, Charlotte Bacon's mother relented and let her wear the new pink dress and boots to school. It was the last outfit the outgoing redhead would ever pick out. Charlotte's older brother, Guy, was also in the school but was not shot. Her parents, JoAnn and Joel, had lived in Newtown for four or five years, JoAnn's brother John Hagen, of Nisswa, Minn., told Newsday. "She was going to go some places in this world," Hagen told the newspaper. "This little girl could light up the room for anyone."

Daniel Barden, 7

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Daniel's family says he was "fearless in the pursuit of happiness in life." He was the youngest of three children and in a statement to the media, his family said Daniel earned his missing two front teeth and ripped jeans. "Words really cannot express what a special boy Daniel was. Such a light. Always smiling, unfailingly polite, incredibly affectionate, fair and so thoughtful towards others, imaginative in play, both intelligent and articulate in conversation: in all, a constant source of laughter and joy," the family said.

Rachel D'avino, 29

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>Days before the Connecticut shooting rampage, the boyfriend of Rachel D'Avino had asked her parents for permission to marry her. D'Avino was a behavioral therapist who had only recently started working at the school where she was killed, according to Lissa Lovetere Stone, a friend who is handling her funeral planned for Friday. D'Avino's boyfriend, Anthony Cerritelli, planned to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve, Lovetere Stone said.

Olivia Engel, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Images of Olivia Rose Engel show a happy child, one with a great sense of humor, as her family said in a statement. There she is, visiting with Santa Claus, or feasting on a slice of birthday cake. Or swinging a pink baseball bat, posing on a boat, or making a silly face. Olivia loved school, did very well in math and reading, and was "insightful for her age," said the statement released by her uncle, John Engel. She was a child who "lit up a room and the people around her." Creative with drawing and designing, she was also a tennis and soccer player and took art classes, swimming, and dance lessons in ballet and hip hop. A Daisy Girl Scout, she enjoyed musical theater.

Josephine Gay, 7

Josephine Gay was nicknamed "Boo" because she looked so much like the character of the same name in the movie "Monsters, Inc.," the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22201501/sandy-hook-shooting-victim-josephine-gay-profile">Denver Post reported.</a> She would set up lemonade stands in the summer, enjoyed riding her bike in the street, and celebrated her 7th birthday only three days before the shooting.

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a> Dawn Hochsprung's pride in Sandy Hook Elementary was clear. She regularly tweeted photos from her time as principal there, giving indelible glimpses of life at a place now known for tragedy. Just this week, it was an image of fourth-graders rehearsing for their winter concert; days before that, the tiny hands of kindergartners exchanging play money at their makeshift grocery store. She viewed her school as a model, telling The Newtown Bee in 2010 that "I don't think you could find a more positive place to bring students to every day." She had worked to make Sandy Hook a place of safety, too, and in October, the 47-year-old Hochsprung shared a picture of the school's evacuation drill with the message "safety first." When the unthinkable came, she was ready to defend. Officials said she died while lunging at the gunman in an attempt to overtake him.

Madeline Hsu

<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324481204578181244231543014.html">Madeline Hsu was "very upbeat and kind," </a>a neighbor told the Wall Street Journal, remembering the young girl's love of bright, flowery dresses.<a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/18/massacre-victim-madeleine-hsu-lit-up-around-dogs/"> Hsu's face would "light up" </a>when she got off the bus and saw the neighbor's golden retriever each day, the woman told CBS.

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Catherine V. Hubbard, aged six, one of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, who was shot by Adam Lanza, 20, and died in hospital. Catherine's parents released a statement expressing gratitude to emergency responders and for the support of the community. "We are greatly saddened by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Catherine Violet and our thoughts and prayers are with the other families who have been affected by this tragedy," Jennifer and Matthew Hubbard said. "We ask that you continue to pray for us and the other families who have experienced loss in this tragedy."

Chase Kowalski, 7

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Chase Kowalski was always outside, playing in the backyard, riding his bicycle. Just last week, he was visiting neighbor Kevin Grimes, telling him about completing ? and winning ? his first mini-triathlon. "You couldn't think of a better child," Grimes said.

Nancy Lanza, 52

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a>She once was known simply for the game nights she hosted and the holiday decorations she put up at her house. Now Nancy Lanza is known as her son's first victim. Authorities say her 20-year-old son Adam gunned her down before killing 26 others at Sandy Hook. The two shared a home in a well-to-do Newtown neighborhood, but details were slow to emerge of who she was and what might have led her son to carry out such horror. Kingston, N.H., Police Chief Donald Briggs Jr. said Nancy Lanza once lived in the community and was a kind, considerate and loving person. The former stockbroker at John Hancock in Boston was well-respected, Briggs said.

Jesse Lewis, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Six-year-old Jesse Lewis had hot chocolate with his favorite breakfast sandwich ? sausage, egg and cheese ? at the neighborhood deli before going to school Friday morning. Jesse and his parents were regulars at the Misty Vale Deli in Sandy Hook, Conn., owner Angel Salazar told The Wall Street Journal. "He was always friendly; he always liked to talk," Salazar said. Jesse's family has a collection of animals he enjoyed playing with, and he was learning to ride horseback. Family friend Barbara McSperrin told the Journal that Jesse was "a typical 6-year-old little boy, full of life."

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> A year ago, 6-year-old Ana Marquez-Greene was reveling in holiday celebrations with her extended family on her first trip to Puerto Rico. This year will be heartbreakingly different. The girl's grandmother, Elba Marquez, said the family moved to Connecticut just two months ago, drawn from Canada, in part, by Sandy Hook's sterling reputation. The grandmother's brother, Jorge Marquez, is mayor of a Puerto Rican town and said the child's 9-year-old brother also was at the school but escaped safely.

James Mattioli, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> James Mattioli especially loved recess and math, and his family described him as a "numbers guy" who came up with insights beyond his years to explain the relationship between numbers. He particularly loved the concept of googolplex, which a friend taught him. He was born four weeks before his due date, and his family often joked that he came into the world early because he was hungry. They wrote in his obituary that 6-year-old James, fondly called `J,' loved hamburgers with ketchup, his Dad's egg omelets with bacon, and his Mom's french toast. He often asked to stop at Subway and wanted to know how old he needed to be to order a footlong sandwich. He loved sports and wore shorts and T-shirts no matter the weather. He was a loud and enthusiastic singer and once asked, "How old do I have to be to sing on a stage?"

Grace Audrey McDonnell, 7

Grace McDonnell, 7, was a "girly girl" who loved playing dress-up and wearing pink, her grandmother Mary Ann McDonnell told <a href="http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Little-angel-Grace-McDonnell-remembered-by-family-after-Newtown-massacre-183767921.html"> Irish Central.</a> "Grace was like a little doll. She was utterly adorable," said neighbor Dorothy Werden.

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>A happy soul. A good mother, wife and daughter. Artistic, fun-loving, witty and hardworking. Remembering their daughter, Anne Marie Murphy, her parents had no shortage of adjectives to offer Newsday. When news of the shooting broke, Hugh and Alice McGowan waited for word of their daughter as hours ticked by. And then it came. Authorities told the couple their daughter was a hero who helped shield some of her students from the rain of bullets. As the grim news arrived, the victim's mother reached for her rosary. "You don't expect your daughter to be murdered," her father told the newspaper. "It happens on TV. It happens elsewhere."

Emilie Parker, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>Quick to cheer up those in need of a smile, Emilie Parker never missed a chance to draw a picture or make a card. Her father, Robbie Parker, fought back tears as he described the beautiful, blond, always-smiling girl who loved to try new things, except foods. Parker, one of the first parents to publicly talk about his loss, expressed no animosity for the gunman, even as he struggled to explain the death to his other two children, ages 3 and 4. He's sustained by the fact that the world is better for having had Emilie in it. "I'm so blessed to be her dad," he said.

Jack Pinto, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Jack Pinto was a huge New York Giants fan. New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said he talked to Pinto's family, which is considering burying the 6-year-old boy in Cruz's No. 80 jersey. Cruz honored Jack Sunday on his cleats, writing on them the words "Jack Pinto, My Hero" and "R.I.P. Jack Pinto." "I also spoke to an older brother and he was distraught as well. I told him to stay strong and I was going to do whatever I can to honor him," Cruz said after the Giant's game with the Atlanta Falcons. "He was fighting tears and could barely speak to me." Cruz said he plans to give the gloves he wore during the game to the boy's family, and spend some time with them. "There's no words that can describe the type of feeling that you get when a kid idolizes you so much that unfortunately they want to put him in the casket with your jersey on," he said. "I can't even explain it." Jack's funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday at the Honan Funeral Home in Newtown, followed by burial at the Newtown Village Cemetery.

Noah Pozner, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Noah was "smart as a whip," gentle but with a rambunctious streak, said his uncle, Alexis Haller of Woodinville, Wash. Noah's twin sister Arielle, assigned to a different classroom, survived the shooting. He called her his best friend, and with their 8-year-old sister, Sophia, they were inseparable. "They were always playing together, they loved to do things together," Haller said. When his mother, a nurse, would tell him she loved him, he would answer, "Not as much as I love you, Mom." Haller said Noah loved to read and liked to figure out how things worked mechanically. For his birthday two weeks ago, he got a new Wii. "He was just a really lively, smart kid," Haller said. "He would have become a great man, I think. He would have grown up to be a great dad."

Caroline Previdi, 6

Caroline Previdi is remembered as a "sweet" and "precious" girl, <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22204448/sandy-hook-shooting-victim-caroline-previdi-profile">the Denver Post reported.</a> She loved to draw and dance, and her smile brought happiness to everyone around her, according to her <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newstimes/obituary.aspx?n=caroline-previdi&pid=161771763#fbLoggedOut">obituary.</a>

Jessica Rekos, 6

"Jessica loved everything about horses," her family said in a statement, <a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/16/meet-jessica-rekos/">MSNBC reported,</a> adding that they planned on getting their daughter her own horse when she turned 10. "She was a creative, beautiful little girl who loved playing with her little brothers, Travis and Shane," the statement reads. She spent time writing in her journals, making up stories, and doing ?research? on orca whales ? one of her passions after seeing the movie Free Willy last year. She said her dream was to see a real orca. Thankfully her dream was realized in October when she went to SeaWorld.

Lauren Rousseau, 30

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a>Lauren Rousseau had spent years working as a substitute teacher and doing other jobs. So she was thrilled when she finally realized her goal this fall to become a full-time teacher at Sandy Hook. Her mother, Teresa Rousseau, a copy editor at the Danbury News-Times, released a statement Saturday that said state police told them just after midnight that she was among the victims. "Lauren wanted to be a teacher from before she even went to kindergarten," she said. "We will miss her terribly and will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream." Her mother said she was thrilled to get the job. "It was the best year of her life," she told the newspaper.

Mary Sherlach, 56

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> When the shots rang out, Mary Sherlach threw herself into the danger. Janet Robinson, the superintendent of Newtown Public Schools, said Sherlach and the school's principal ran toward the shooter. They lost their own lives, rushing toward him. Even as Sherlach neared retirement, her job at Sandy Hook was one she loved. Those who knew her called her a wonderful neighbor, a beautiful person, a dedicated educator. Her son-in-law, Eric Schwartz, told the South Jersey Times that Sherlach rooted on the Miami Dolphins, enjoyed visiting the Finger Lakes, relished helping children overcome their problems. She had planned to leave work early on Friday, he said, but never had the chance. In a news conference Saturday, he told reporters the loss was devastating, but that Sherlach was doing what she loved. "Mary felt like she was doing God's work," he said, "working with the children."

Victoria Soto, 27

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> She beams in snapshots. Her enthusiasm and cheer was evident. She was doing, those who knew her say, what she loved. And now, Victoria Soto is being called a hero. Though details of the 27-year-old teacher's death remained fuzzy, her name has been invoked again and again as a portrait of selflessness and humanity among unfathomable evil. Those who knew her said they weren't surprised by reports she shielded her first-graders from danger. "She put those children first. That's all she ever talked about," said a friend, Andrea Crowell. "She wanted to do her best for them, to teach them something new every day." Photos of Soto show her always with a wide smile, in pictures of her at her college graduation and in mundane daily life. She looks so young, barely an adult herself. Her goal was simply to be a teacher. "You have a teacher who cared more about her students than herself," said Mayor John Harkins of Stratford, the town Soto hailed from and where more than 300 people gathered for a memorial service Saturday night. "That speaks volumes to her character, and her commitment and dedication."

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Music surrounded Benjamin Wheeler as he grew up in a household where both his mother and father were performers. They left behind stage careers in New York City when they moved to Newtown with Benjamin and his older brother Nate. "We knew we wanted a piece of lawn, somewhere quiet, somewhere with good schools," Francine Wheeler told the Newtown Bee in a profile. She is a music educator and singer-songwriter. Sometimes the musical mother would try out tunes on her own children, with some tunes that she made up for Ben as a baby eventually finding their way onto a CD, she told the newspaper. In writing songs for children, melodies needn't be simplified, she said. "I try to make it my mission to always present good music to kids." Benjamin's father, David, a former film and television actor, writes and performs still, according to a profile on the website of the Flagpole Radio Cafe theater, with which he's performed in Newtown. The family are members of Trinity Episcopal Church, whose website noted that Nate, also a student at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was not harmed in Friday's shooting.

Allison Wyatt, 6

<a href="http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Allison-Wyatt-Made-the-World-a-Better-Place--184002071.html">Allison Wyatt "loved to laugh</a> and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly six-year old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter,? her family wrote in a statement obtained by NBC. She was talented and wanted to be an artist, and would often "surprise [her family] with random acts of kindness -- once even offering snacks to a complete stranger on a plane."

Victoria Soto's Sister, Jillian

Jillian Soto uses a phone to get information about her sister, Victoria Soto, a teacher at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 after a gunman killed over two dozen people, including 20 children. Victoria Soto, 27, was among those killed. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Emilie Parker, 6

This photo posted to the Emilie Parker Fund Facebook page shows Emilie Parker and her father Robbie Parker. Fighting back tears and struggling to catch his breath, Robbie Parker the father of 6-year-old Emile Parker who was gunned down in Friday's school shooting in Connecticut told the world about a little girl who loved to draw and was always smiling, and he also reserved surprising words of sympathy for the gunman. (AP Photo/Emilie Parker Fund)

Robbie Parker

Robbie Parker, the father of six-year-old Emilie who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, fights back tears as he speaks during a news conference, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Victoria Soto's Mother, Donna

STRATFORD, CT - DECEMBER 15: Donna Soto (R), mother of Victoria Soto, the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who was shot and killed while protecting her students, leans on her son Matthew while mourning their loss at a candlelight vigil in honor of Victoria at Stratford High School on December 15, 2012 in Stratford, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Emilie Parker, 6

This photo posted to the Emilie Parker Fund Facebook page shows Emilie Parker and her father Robbie Parker. Fighting back tears and struggling to catch his breath, Robbie Parker the father of 6-year-old Emile Parker who was gunned down in Friday's school shooting in Connecticut told the world about a little girl who loved to draw and was always smiling, and he also reserved surprising words of sympathy for the gunman. (AP Photo/Emilie Parker Fund)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/newtown-gifts_n_2366658.html

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