could have expected when her alarm clock went off that morning. when i woke up that morning, it was just a normal day for me. a typical tuesday, going to work as a bookkeeper at the school in suburban atlanta. except on this day, antioinette tuff was not working in her usual back office. we turned this entire event the miracle on second avenue. it started with a decision made on monday. a decision made by principal brian bolden. he unknowingly put antoinette tuff on the front lines that day. i said miss tuff, i need you to operate the front office. between the time of 12:00 and 1:00, that s our busiest time for checkouts for early dismissals for students. she said in her usual fashion, no problem, i ll be there. we were sitting there just going a normal day. and the gunman came into the door fully armed and ready. what did you think first of all? that it was a joke.
yes, ma am. he let her alert the school that they could evacuate. all the students were able to escap escape. no injuries, all the kids are safe. all the employees are safe. as helicopters and news crews captured the joy, outside antoinette was on the inside trying to save herself. you going to be okay? i thought the same thing, you know, i tried to commit suicide last year after my husband left me. but look at me now, i m still working and everything is okay. a remarkable moment that many believe turned the whole thing around. she had the ability to touch his heart. and once you touch a person s heart touching the hand is easy, when she touched his heart, she was able to take the gun, she made him feel like he was a human. she has always been someone
stable. on the 911 call, you do sound very calm. i was calm on the call, but i was terrified, i was literally screaming on the inside, i knew if i got upset or anything he would actually start to shoot me, too. antoinette was now a mediator between the police and the gunman. do you believe you were meant to be in the room at that time? oh, most definitely. i truly believed god prepared me for everything that i went through just for that moment. reporter: the past year had been particularly hard for antoinette. experiences she used to connect with the gunman. well, don t feel bad, baby, my husband just left me after 33 years. but i kind of started to feel sorry him. you felt sorry for him, how? because i knew the pain, i just had the pain myself, my son was multiple disabled, too, so i
school. and so then it became just me and michael in the office again. i was terrified on the inside. i know that if i kept him there with me, it was a likelihood that no other one would actually get hurt. i called miss tuff. i said, miss tuff, tell me what s going on. she said, everything is fine. we are having a great day here. have a good day. i knew at that point the threat was in the building. as police started mobilizing outside the school, inside hill forced antoinette tuff to call 911. stop all movement on the ground. stop all movement on the ground. you are talking to the shooter? he s telling me to tell them on the radio. a call that would be her life line. he said he don t care if he die. he don t have nothing to live for. and he said he s not mentally stable. on the 911 call, you do sound remarkably calm.
understand the pain of wanting to be heard and having mental issues and things like that. do you think he heard you on that? i think he started to listen. and we started to connect within that time. after about 15 minutes, tuff had managed to calm hill down. if i walk out there with him, so they won t shoot him or anything like that he wants to give himself up is that okay? and they won t shoot him? yes, ma am. he let her alert the school that they could evacuate. all the students were able to escape. no injuries, all the kids are safe. all the employees are safe. as helicopters and news crews captured the joy, outside antoinette was on the inside trying to save herself. you going to be okay? i thought the same thing, you know, i tried to commit suicide last year after my husband left me.