In the wake of a horrific shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 27 victims dead—20 of them children—stories of heroic teachers trying to defend their pupils have begun to be told. Principal Dawn Hochsprung and psychologist Mary Sherlach both died trying to stop the killer. Victoria Soto, a 27-year-old teacher, hid some of her students before being killed. “She put those children first,” said her friend Andrea Crowell. “She wanted to do her best for them, to teach them something new every day.” There’s evidence the massacre could’ve been far, far worse. Authorities report the gunman was carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition—enough to kill almost every student in the school. (Associated Press)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.