Last Hostage

I am a Firefighter on two Fire Departments. I work as a career firefighter in the city and I volunteer on my small hometown fire department.

Last fall Sept. 27th 2006 I responded to a shooting at our high school where I have two children attending that are currently seniors. This is my daughter and my step-son.

I had just radioed dispatch to let them know that the apparatus (Engine 2) that I was on was responding to the High School incident, when I suddenly got the worst 'gut'feeling about my daughter. I then visualized and prayed for my daughter's Guardian Angels to protect her.

The gunman had entered my daughters classroom, lined the students up facing the chalk board and then he went up and down the row of students a few times. He stopped at my daughter, as he held a gun to her head he asked her what her father's name was. My daughter said that after she answered his question he hesitated for a moment and then told her she could go. My daughter was the last female to be released from the classroom before the final six hostages (girls) were killed.

When discussing this with my daughter I figured out that at the time I visualized and called for my daughters guardian angel was the same time she was released by the gunman.

Even though she felt lost and frightened beyond belief, I truly feel and believe her angels came to her rescue.

My only regret is that I did not visualize angels for all of the students.