The Woman Who Prevented A School Shooting, Antoinette Tuff, Received A Call From President Obama Tonight

"Awesome. Oh God it was awesome," she said.

CNN

President Obama called Antoinette Tuff on Thursday to thank her for preventing a shooting at a Georgia elementary school earlier this week. Tuff calmly talked to the gunman for over an hour while he held a loaded AK-47 he intended to use to kill students.

On Thursday evening, the White House released the following statement:

This afternoon, the President called Antoinette Tuff to thank her for the courage she displayed while talking to a gunman who entered the school where she works earlier this week.

Tuffs appeared on CNN Thursday evening and told Anderson Cooper "it was the best voice I could ever hear" and that it "was awesome" to receive the call.

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"He [President Obama] wanted to let me know that him and his wife and his family were very proud of what I did and they wanted to thank me," she said. President Obama also called her a hero and said he would like to meet her.

"I appreciate you too," she told the President. "I learn from the best, the best President in the world."

After the segment featuring Tuff aired, Anderson Cooper tweeted a link to a charity initiative set up by the "hero."

#AntoinetteTuff has set up a fundraising effort for underprivileged kids. The link to donate is http://t.co/iPww75MYWM

Anderson Cooper

@andersoncooper

#AntoinetteTuff has set up a fundraising effort for underprivileged kids. The link to donate is http://t.co/iPww75MYWM

/ Via

According to the fundraising page, her mission is to: "provide inner city kids the opportunity to see the world through a new set of eyes. If you change their vision, you can change their lives."

At 10:15 p.m. on Thursday, Tuff had raised $27,161. Her goal was $1,500.

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