Valerie Burd: Statement

Valerie Burd, the teacher of the Marinette High School class held hostage by Sam Hengel, issued a statement today.

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"First, I would like to express my condolences to Sam's family and friends. He was an excellent student and had many friends in class.

My goal during this incident was to keep Sam and the other students as calm as possible and get them all out safely. The students responded in an exceptionally calm manner and kept him engaged in conversation throughout the entire time.

My personal feeling is that the entire situation was handled appropriately under the circumstances."