ATLANTA, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said he may invite the Georgia elementary school bookkeeper who prevented a school shooting to the White House.
Antoinette Tuff, who works at Ronald E. McNair Learning Academy in DeKalb County, Tuesday talked down suspect Michael Brandon Hill, 20, who was armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle, from carrying out a shooting at the school, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
No one was injured in the incident although Hill did shoot at police officers. He was eventually taken into custody.
After Hill was removed from the premises, students where taken to a field behind the school, then to a nearby Walmart where parents picked them up hours after the incident began.
Parents said they were thankful Tuff was working that day.
"I really feel that had she run, things would've gone differently," said parent Briana Bolt. "Everybody has been calling her a hero."
Classes resumed Thursday at the elementary school of 870 students.
In an interview with CNN to air Friday, the president gave Tuff kudos and said he may invite her to the White House, the newspaper said.
"Here is somebody who is not just courage, not just cool under pressure, but also had enough heart that somehow she could convince somebody that was really troubled that she cared about him," Obama said. "I think we might have to have her maybe make a visit to the White House."
Obama also made a personal call to Tuff on Thursday, which the bookkeeper said was "awesome."
