NEWTOWN, Conn. – Ann Marie Merlot is a native of Marine City, Mich. who now calls Newtown, Conn. her home.
Merlot's house sits across the road from Sandy Hook Elementary School. She watched from her window Friday morning as the chaos unfolded.
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"I was hearing sirens and about three of them at first. Then it got so much more," Merlot said.
When she learned of the final death toll of the school massacre she ran outside, fell to the ground in her front yard and began crying.
"When you put yourself in that moment it gets upsetting," she said.
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Merlot made an American flag after 9/11 which has victims' names sewn into the stripes. Sadly, she brought the flag back out to add the names of the Sandy Hook victims.
"My kids went to this school. Just being kids ... it's hard, and having my own kids. It's something that shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened," said Merlot.
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-- Ann Marie Merlot with her flag for the victims