Josephine was among 20 first-graders killed on Dec. 14 when a gunman shot his way into the school in Newtown and opened fire with a military-style semi-automatic rifle. The shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother before carrying out the massacre in which he also killed six women, including D’Avino, and then committed suicide.

Lanza was said to have had Asperger’s syndrome, an autism-like disorder that is not associated with violence. It is not known whether he had other mental health issues. Some autism experts and advocacy groups have complained that Asperger’s is being unfairly blamed for the shootings, and say people with the disorder are much more likely to be victims of bullying and violence.