As his teacher tried to protect the class, a six-year-old boy saw a brief window when the gunman paused to reload — and used it to warn his classmates to run.
December 14, 2012
Jesse Lewis, 6, of Newtown, Connecticut, was a first-grade student at Sandy Hook Elementary School. On the morning of December 14, 2012, a gunman entered the school and opened fire, ultimately killing 20 first-grade students and six staff members before taking his own life as police arrived. The gunman had also killed his own mother earlier that day.
Jesse's Final Moments
According to accounts investigators later shared with Jesse's mother, Scarlett Lewis, Jesse's teacher, Victoria Soto, tried to shield her students and redirect the gunman's attention away from where they were hidden. During a pause as the gunman reloaded, Jesse called out to his classmates to run. Several children were able to escape the classroom as a result. Jesse did not survive the attack. Of the students in his classroom, 11 survived.
Remembering Jesse
Jesse's family has described him as fearless and full of life, someone who ran toward the sound of danger to try to help rather than away from it — consistent, they've said, with how he lived even in his short life.
A Lasting Legacy
Jesse's mother, Scarlett Lewis, founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation, a nonprofit promoting compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness in schools and communities. The foundation takes its inspiration from a message Jesse had written on the family's kitchen chalkboard shortly before his death, emphasizing themes of nurturing, healing, and love.
FAQ
How many students survived in Jesse's classroom?
11 of his classmates survived the attack.
What inspired the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation?
A message about love, healing, and nurturing that Jesse had written on a chalkboard at home shortly before his death.
How many people died in the Sandy Hook shooting overall?
20 first-grade students and six staff members were killed, along with the shooter's mother earlier that day.