Avielle Richman, 6
The curly-headed little girl known as Avie Richman loved a lot of things. Horses. Harry Potter. The color red. She tried archery after watching the Disney movie "Brave." She told her parents that her dream car was a minivan. To reward her for reading over the summer, they took her to lunch. Avie had moved to Sandy Hook from San Diego about two years ago with her parents, Jeremy Richman and Jennifer Hensel. "They still call Avielle their California girl," Melissa C. Stewart, a family friend, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "When they first moved here, it was hard to keep shoes on Avielle because she was so used to running barefoot on the beach in San Diego." In a blog called "Avielle's Adventures," Jeremy Richman would tell friends about their family life: trips to the Thanksgiving Day parade in Stamford, Arielle's 6th birthday at the horse stable and a road trip to Iowa. In August, he wrote about the newest milestone for his "little hummingbird," who was about to start first grade. "We can't believe it," he wrote. "Jenn and I are both very nervous and excited."
Josephine Gay, 7
Josephine Gay had turned seven just three days before the shooting. On Monday, purple balloons - her favorite color - sprouted from the family mailbox and those of all her neighbors. In the back of the yellow house on a quiet cul-de-sac sat a jungle gym. "'Joey' is a beautiful little girl, may she never be forgotten and live forever in our hearts," wrote Polly Larsen, of Sunnyvale, Calif., on Facebook. She said she was close friends with the cousin of Josephine's mother.
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Dawn Hochsprung's pride in Sandy Hook Elementary was clear. She regularly tweeted photos from her time as principal there, giving indelible glimpses of life at a place now known for tragedy. Days before the shooting, she had tweeted an image of fourth-graders rehearsing for their winter concert; days before that, the tiny hands of kindergartners exchanging play money at their makeshift grocery store. She viewed her school as a model, telling The Newtown Bee in 2010 that "I don't think you could find a more positive place to bring students to every day." She had worked to make Sandy Hook a place of safety, too, and in October, the 47-year-old Hochsprung shared a picture of the school's evacuation drill with the message "safety first." When the unthinkable came, she was ready to defend. Officials said she died while lunging at the gunman in an attempt to overtake him. "She had an extremely likable style about her," said Gerald Stomski, first selectman of Woodbury, where Hochsprung lived and had taught. "She was an extremely charismatic principal while she was here."
Dylan Hockley, 6
The Hockley family moved to Sandy Hook two years ago from England, in love with the sense of community and the elementary school that their boys, Dylan and Jake, would attend. Dylan's mother, Nicole, is American, and his father, Ian, is British. They moved into a house on the same street as the mother of the shooter, Adam Lanza. In a statement, the family said their youngest boy had thrived at Sandy Hook. "We do not and shall never regret this choice," the Hockleys said. "Our boys have flourished here, and our family's happiness has been limitless." Dylan had a beaming smile. He played tag every morning at the bus stop with neighbors, bounced on the trampoline and played computer games. He loved purple, chocolate and seeing the moon. He was learning to read and was proud to show off his new skills to his parents. Jake was his best friend and role model. "We love you Mister D," the Hockleys wrote in their statement. Dylan also adored his teacher's aide, Anne Marie Murphy, and would point to her picture on the family fridge every day. They took great comfort, they said, in knowing that when Dylan died, he was wrapped in Murphy's arms. She also died.