Librarians at Both Sandy Hook and Parkland During Shootings Are i95 Alumni

Longtime friends, Diana and Yvonne, share a common bond, they both experienced the unthinkable, one in Sandy Hook and the other in Parkland Florida.

Yvonne Cech was the librarian at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the mass shootings and her close friend, Diana Perri Haneski was the librarian at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida where a shooter murdered 17 people.

According to reuters.com, as soon as Diana heard the words, "Code Red Lockdown," she screamed, "Get back in here! Get back in here!" She told reuters about how she channeled her friend Yvonne:

She was there that day in Sandy Hook and because of her, I knew what to do.

Back in the 1980s, I had the pleasure of working with both of these amazing women here at i95. Yvonne was in sales and Diana was the Program Director and on the air at 940-WINE. Mindy and I sang at Diana and Ray's wedding, and I was the DJ for Mike and Yvonne's wedding. We've all remained friends for over 30 years.

Haneski recalled that some staff members thought it was a drill and that one teacher climbing over the dead and injured in the hallways thought they were theatre students drenched in fake blood. Haneski hustled 50 students and 5 adults into a media equipment room and told them to sit on the floor and find a place to hide behind anything they could find. She locked the door and placed a covering over the window. Haneski went on to say:

I could see between the door and the floor. I could see if the shooter walked past. After the lockdown was announced the shooting began, and we heard his name.

Diana Perri Haneski saved several lives on that horrible day at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School as did her longtime friend, Yvonne Cech at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I have never been so proud to call these two courageous women my friends.