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Vermont native Sandy Casey, 35, was killed Sunday in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, according to NBC5.
Casey, originally from Dorset, graduated from the College of St. Joseph in Rutland in 2004.
College president Lawrence Jensen said the school community was shocked by Casey’s death.
"We join her classmates and fellow alumni in heartbreak at the loss of Sandy. When tragedy occurs, we are fortunate to have one another to lean on, talk to, and help through the toughest of times," he said. "Many of her classmates and friends have taken to social media and expressed their grief. In that grief, they have painted a picture of a wonderful woman, teacher and fiancé, a beloved classmate, and friend."
She graduated from Burr and Burton Academy in 2000.
"Sandy was an active member of the class of 2000; she was a four-year basketball player, a dancer and a friend to many. Her spirit and positive energy are remembered by teachers, coaches and staff members," the school said in a statement.
Casey received a Master of Arts in Special Education from Assumption College in Worcester, MA, in 2005.
The Manhattan Beach Telegram reported that she went to the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas with a group of teachers and staff from her work.
"[Sandy] will be remembered for her sense of humor, her passion for her work, (and) her devotion to her students," the superintendent of the Manhattan Beach school district said. Casey taught at the school for nine years, according to the Telegram.
Christopher Willemse, who became engaged to Casey in April, shared news of Casey’s death on his Facebook page.
"The love and support that she and I have received during these trying times just shows how important this wonderful woman truly was. She lived life to the fullest and made me the happiest man in the world. [I'm] so grateful for the kind words and gestures, it means the world to me, especially for her," he wrote.
Willemse told The Washington Post that Casey died after suffering a gunshot wound. He carried her out of the festival after she was shot, but she did not survive the incident.
“Her parents request prayers and privacy for her sisters, coworkers, students and her large extended family," Linda O’Leary, a family spokesperson, told NBC5.
"They know that I love them and I've reached out. My heart is breaking with them," Casey’s childhood friend, Jamie Norse, told WTEN.
SOURCE: NBC5