Boy, 8, Recounts Comforting Scared Classmates During Newtown School Shooting
NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- You never know who will step up and be a leader in a tough spot.
In the middle of all the fear and chaos on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School, one 8-year-old boy offered words of comfort to his classmates.
Last Friday began as a normal day for Luke Santana and his third-grade classmates, but things got scary quickly.
PHOTOS: Newtown Shooting Victims
"They were about to announce something on the speaker and we heard gunshots," he told CBS 2's Dana Tyler.
On the other side of the building, the shooter was beginning his rampage. Luke's teacher tried to protect her kids.
"She was crying. Then, our next door teacher said to come to her classroom...because probably the gunman was going to come into our classroom. I don't know," Luke said.
As they were rushed to safety at a firehouse, Luke bravely tried to help his scared classmates.
"They're crying and I'm like 'It's okay, my dad is a cop. He'll like help us,'" Luke said.
His dad, Luke Ramirez, is a police officer in nearby Oxford. He was one of the first responders on the scene.
"I saw that my husband was calling me. I picked up the phone right away and I just heard the terror in his voice telling me 'Something terrible happened, you have to get here to the school,'" said Luke's mother, Lisandra Santana.
Luke's mom frantically made it to the firehouse and saw a welcome sight.
"He was with my husband," Lisandra Santana said.
"He grabbed me actually and I said oh I said 'Oh you're finally here. What took you so long?'" said Luke.
Luke said he's very proud of his dad.
While the family is relieved Luke is ok, they're expressing condolences for the families who lost loved ones, including one of Luke's classmate's little sister and his former first grade teacher Victoria Soto.
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