President Obama on Thursday called to thank the woman who persuaded a gunman inside a Georgia elementary school to lay down his high-powered rifle earlier this week, avoiding a tragedy similar to last year's Newtown, Conn., shooting.
The president thanked Antoinette Tuff for her courage. She was trained to deal with situations involving trespassers.
Tuff, a school staffer who works in the front office at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy near Atlanta, convinced 20-year-old gunman Michael Brandon Hill to put down his AK-47 style assault rifle. No one was injured Tuesday because Tuff calmed Hill down, offered him reassurance, and told him she loved him.
Watch: How Antoinette Tuff was trained to be a hero
Tuff acted as an intermediary between Hill and the police, telling officers not to enter the school during her 24-minute 911 call. She is credited with saving the lives of many children by stopping Hill.