In 911 Call, Atlanta School Bookkeeper Calms Shooter With ‘Love’

Antoinette Tuff’s extraordinary empathy prevented a massacre, talking down a mentally ill gunman who laid down his AK-47—all captured on tape. By Patricia Murphy.

Antoinette Tuff, the Atlanta-area elementary-school bookkeeper who talked a mentally ill gunman into giving himself up to police this week, rightly became a national hero Thursday as the 911 recording of her role in the ordeal went viral.

Celebrities like Reggie Bush, Thandie Newton, and Mia Farrow tweeted about her courage in the terrifying situation as national and international news outlets replayed the 911 recording of Tuff relaying messages between the shooter, Michael Hill, and police, before she eventually persuaded him to lay down the AK-47 that he had loaded in front of her.

In 911 Call, Atlanta School Bookkeeper Calms Shooter With ‘Love’