One of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims has a connection to Brevard County, Local 6 news partner Florida Today reports.
Allison Wyatt was one of 20 students killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday. Six other adults were killed by the gunman, who took his own life.
Florida Today reports her father, Ben Wyatt, graduated from Satellite High School and her mother, Cheyanne Wyatt, is also from the Melbourne area. In their first public comments since the Friday shooting, the Wyatts released a statement via a family spokeswoman on Wednesday.
"Allison was a kind-hearted little girl who had a lot of love to give, and she formed special bonds with most people who spent any amount of time around her," the statement reads. "Allison made the world a better place for six, far too short years and we now have to figure out how to move on without her. She was a sweet, creative, funny, intelligent little girl who had an amazing life ahead of her. Our world is a lot darker now that she's gone. We love and miss her so much."
They said Allison liked to draw and wanted to be an artist, often filling their home with rows of pictures posted on the walls.
"She loved to laugh and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly 6-year-old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter," the statement reads.
Allison's paternal grandparents, Dan and Marty Wyatt, still live in Satellite Beach and she has other relatives in the area. Her maternal grandparents, Bill and Joyce Wirtz, live in Dayton, Ohio.
Anyone who wishes to help the family can make donations to two accounts. A memorial fund eligible for tax-deductible donations is available, and another private fund is set up for Allison's younger sister, Lauren. Checks should be made to Allison Wyatt Memorial Fund or, for the private family fund, Ben Wyatt as custodian. All checks can be sent to Steve DeMartino, c/o TransAct Technologies, Inc, One Hamden Center, 2319 Whitney Ave. Suite 3B, Hamden CT, 06518.
The Allison Wyatt Memorial Fund donations go to Fidelity Charitable, an independent public charity, and any grants of that money are made by fund advisors. Only checks are accepted.