Mary Joy Greene Sherlach, a 56-year-old Caucasian female, had dedicated her life to helping children, a path that led her to the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where she served as the school psychologist. She was a beloved wife of over thirty years and a proud mother to two daughters. Colleagues and friends remembered her as a caring and compassionate soul, someone who was always ready to lend an ear and who considered her work with children to be of the utmost
importance. Having worked at Sandy Hook since 1994, she was a fixture in the school community, known for her dedication and her ability to make everyone feel at ease. She was nearing the end of her career, with plans to retire and spend more time with her husband at their house in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
On the morning of December 14, 2012, Sherlach was in a meeting with the school principal, Dawn Hochsprung, and another staff member when they heard the first sounds of gunfire. Without hesitation, both Sherlach and Hochsprung ran towards the danger in an attempt to confront the source of the noise and protect the students and staff under their care. They were the first two victims to encounter the 20-year-old gunman, Adam Lanza, who had shot his way through the school's entrance. In the hallway, Lanza fatally shot both Sherlach and Hochsprung before proceeding to kill 20 first-grade students and four other staff members in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, there were no arrests to be made concerning the death of Mary Sherlach and the other victims. The suspect, Adam Lanza, took his own life at the scene before law enforcement could apprehend him. His motives remain a subject of investigation and speculation, but it was determined he acted alone in carrying out the massacre at the school. Sherlach's heroic actions in the face of unimaginable violence have been widely recognized, with many citing her selfless act of running toward the danger as a testament to her character and her profound commitment to the children she served.
