Tuesday, and everything was normally busy at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy until a man armed with an AK-47 with a bag of ammunitions was able to slip through, started shooting on the ground in the school’s front office and barricaded himself inside with the employees.

Authorities have even confirmed he opened fire on the incoming policemen who responded to the emergency several times.

But the hostage drama, and what could have ended as another school shooting massacre ended a few hours with no-one hurt, in spite of the gunfire earlier, and the suspect walking out of the school peacefully into the waiting cuffs of the police. All this happened thanks to the bravery of a school employee who was able to talk to the suspect through the whole ordeal – Antoinette Tuff.

Scared Inside but Showing Calmness Outside

“Let me tell you something, babe, I’ve never been so scared in all the days of my life. Oh, Jesus,” Turff reportedly told the 911 dispatcher she was in contact with the whole ordeal after the suspect, 20-year-old Michael Brandon Hill, was placed into police custody. However, despite her inner fear, she projected a calm and cool disposition as she talked to the suspect sharing to him her personal inner struggles in life, telling him that she loves him as a person and finally, volunteering to escort him out of the front office he blockaded to give himself up to the police because Hill had feared the police might shoot him if he surrendered alone.

She acted as the middleman between Hill and the authorities, telling the latter through the 911 dispatcher to turn off their radios and other movements or the suspect would resort to shooting. In the end, with the police never talking directly to Hill throughout the whole distressing experience, Tuff was able to divulge so much information about the going on in the school’s front office where the drama took place talking to Hill on where he would place his weapon, how he would empty his pockets of ammo he was carrying and where he would lay down before the police would get him. Meanwhile, as the school employee and the suspect talked things out, teachers and the school administrators were able to evacuate the children out of the school into safety.

The Real Hero

Wednesday, a day after the dreadful standoff, Chief Cedric Alexander of the DeKalb County Police applauded Miss Tuff for being a “real hero” claiming that without her insight and compassionate treatment of the suspect, things would have gotten worse.

“She was in there; she was able to talk him down. Had that not been the case, this could have certainly turned into something very, very ugly very quickly,” Chief Alexander stated.

On the other hand, the suspect, Michael Brandon Hill, is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Kudos to Miss Tuff for being true to her namesake – tough in the face of crisis!