NEWTOWN, Conn. — Bill Cario, who was among the first law enforcement officers to enter Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012, is adamant that a story about the 10th anniversary of the shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators should not focus on him.
He said it should be about Rick Thorne, the school janitor who heard gunfire and moved down hallways locking classrooms to protect those inside. Or about the unnamed officer who helped lead the hunt for the gunman while knowing his boy was somewhere in the school.
Or about Rachael Van Ness, the police detective who hand-laundered the clothing children wore that day and returned the items to their grieving parents, nestled in small trunks she decorated in each child’s favorite colors.
And most of all about the families themselves, who have honored their loved ones with countless acts of charity and public service.