More funerals held for Sandy Hook victims

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- With fresh heartbreak, hearses crisscrossed two New England towns Wednesday, bearing three little victims of the Sandy Hook school massacre and a heroic teacher in a seemingly never-ending series of funeral processions.

At least nine funerals and wakes were held Wednesday for victims who were among the 26 killed when gunman Adam Lanza, armed with a military-style assault rifle, broke into the school and opened fire on their classrooms. Lanza also killed his mother at her home before committing suicide.

At St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, mourners arrived for Caroline Previdi, an auburn-haired 6-year-old with an impish smile, before the service had even ended for Daniel Barden, a 7-year-old who dreamed of being a firefighter.

"It's sad to see the little coffins," said the Rev. John Inserra, a Catholic priest who worked at St. Rose for years before transferring to a church in Greenwich.

Hundreds of firefighters formed a long blue line outside the church for little Daniel's funeral. Two of his relatives work at the Fire Department of New York, and the gaptoothed redhead had wanted to join their ranks one day.

At Caroline's funeral, mourners wore pink ties and scarves -- her favorite color -- and remembered her as a Yankees fan who liked to kid around.

"Silly Caroline" was how she was known to neighbor Karen Dryer. "She's just a girl that was always smiling, always wanting others to smile." Across town, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, hundreds gathered for the funeral of Charlotte Helen Bacon, many wearing buttons picturing the 6-year-old redhead. Speakers, including her grandfather, told of her love of wild animals, the family's golden retriever and the color pink.

And in nearby Stratford, family and friends gathered to say goodbye to Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher hailed as a hero for trying to shield her students, some of whom managed to escape. Musician Paul Simon, a family friend, performed "The Sound of Silence" at the service.

"She had the perfect job. She loved her job," said Vicky Ruiz, a friend since first grade.

Every year, Soto described her students the same way, Ruiz said. "They were always good kids. They were always angels," even if, like typical first-graders, they might not always listen.

In Woodbury, a line of colleagues, students and friends of slain Sandy Hook Principal Dawn Hochsprung, 47, wrapped around the block to pay their respects to the administrator, who rushed the gunman in an effort to stop him and paid with her life. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan attended the service.

"She loved kids. She'd do anything to help them and protect them," said Joann Opulski of Roxbury.

Authorities say the horrific events of Friday began when Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, at their home, and then took her car and some of her guns to the nearby school. Investigators are still seeking a motive.