An assistant football coach who was killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is being hailed a hero for shielding students from bullets as the gunman opened fire.

Aaron Feis is among the 17 people killed in Wednesday's shooting at the Parkland, Florida, school, according to the Twitter account of Douglas High's football team.

"It is with Great sadness that our Football Family has learned about the death of Aaron Feis. He was our Assistant Football Coach and security guard. He selflessly shielded students from the shooter when he was shot. He died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories," the tweet read.

At a Thursday morning news conference, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel confirmed that Feis, a personal friend who coached the sheriff's two children, was killed.

"When Aaron Feis died — when he was killed, tragically, inhumanely — he did it protecting others, you can guarantee that, cause that's who Aaron Feis was," Israel said. "The kids in this community loved him, they adored him. He was one of the greatest people I knew, he was a phenomenal man."

Senior Gabrielle Pupo said Feis was trying to help her and other students get out of the shooter's path before she saw him shoot the coach.

"Mr. Feis, he kept waving at me to leave, and I had my earphones in so at first I didn't hear the alarm or the gunshots, so when I took my headphones off the alarm was going off and I heard the shots and then I saw the shooter run after Mr. Feis and I saw Mr. Feis get shot," Pupo said.

Pupo said she was close to the gunman, who was in one of her classes in 7th grade.

"He just looked at me and I ran away. He was just very focused on what he was doing," Pupo said.

Head football coach Willis May told the Sun-Sentinel that Feis' family was notified of his death around midnight Wednesday or early Thursday.

May said Feis responded to the incident and was communicating with someone on the school’s security radio walkie-talkies who thought the loud sounds were firecrackers.

"I heard Aaron say, 'No, that is not firecrackers.' That’s the last I heard of him," May told the Sun-Sentinel.

May said he heard from a student that Feis jumped between her and the shooter, pushing her out of the line of fire.

Broward sheriff's officials said a 19-year-old former student is behind bars, charged with 17 counts of murder in the shooting.

According to the football team's website, Feis was a former student and football player at Douglas, graduating in 1999. He spent eight years as the head coach of the junior varsity team beginning in 2002 and has remained at the school ever since.

He lived in Coral Springs with his wife and their daughter, the website said.

The Olympic Games are the highest echelon of sports. And the Finnish team in Pyeongchang has found a crafty way to deal with the stress of the intense competition.

Finland's snowboarding coach Antti Koskinen made waves on social media when he was filmed casually knitting at the slopestyle starting gate earlier this week while Finnish snowboarder Roope Tonteri prepared for his run. 

The Nordic coach briefly paused to fist-bump Tonteri, but he quickly went back to his project.

Twitter lit up with commentary from intrigued viewers, with many wondering what exactly Koskinen was crafting and showing their love for the multi-tasker. 

"Thinking about staying up to watch the second heat in #slopestyle so I can see if the Finnish coach is still knitting," one tweet read.

"It has become something of a hobby for me," Koskinen told reporters in Pyeongchang. "I mean I do it every four years. It is a nice, Finnish thing. It means no unnecessary chit-chat is needed."

While viewers seemed to be enthralled by the relaxed coach, Koskinen said about half of Finland's 102 Olympic athletes are knitting in Pyeongchang as well.

Olympic Team Finland posted photos on Twitter of its athletes crafting a blanket together for the Finnish president's newborn son.

"Everyone is knitting a little square, and then we will join them together. I got a bit carried away, so, a rectangle," he said laughing, holding up his contribution.

"I love this 'close knit' team!" another Twitter user commented on the photos.

And fans won't be left wondering how the team's hard work pays off. Team Finland said it is sure to show off the blanket when it's done.

This isn't the first time Finland's athletes came together over needles and yarn. The tradition began at the 2014 Sochi Games with a giant scarf.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has ordered that flags be lowered in honor of the 17 people killed in a school shooting in Florida Wednesday afternoon. 

Malloy said his order is in accordance with a presidential proclamation directing flags to be lowered to honor the victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

U.S. and state flags in Connecticut will fly at half-staff until sunset on Monday, Feb. 19.

A news release from the Newtown Action Alliance says this is the 18th school shooting in 2018 and the 231st since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012, where 20 first grade students and six faculty and staff members were killed.

Police are investigating a robbery at a Subway sandwich shop in Milford.

Police said the man who robbed the Subway at 1 River St. Thursday morning implied he had a weapon, but he did not show one.

The robber is around 6-feet-tall and has brown hair. He was wearing dark clothing and was last seen headed toward the train station.

From the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang:

• You'll hurt just watching these scary Olympics
• Watch: Mikaela Shiffrin's golden slalom.
• Madison residents Kiley McKinnon and Mac Bohonnon find their Olympic journey intertwined. 

On Wednesday a group of kindergartners from Middletown showed the true meaning of Valentine’s Day by sharing gifts of love with new babies in Hartford. 

Each year, the students in Gretchen McInvale's class at Spencer Elementary School travel to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center's maternity department to deliver individually boxed baby items, such as a blanket, bib, clothing, a book and comfort items. 

“It’s a day of love, this is a day of really what it should be about. It’s not about candy and flowers, it’s really about sharing love,” said McInvale. 

The effort is part of the "Keep A Baby Warm" initiative that McInvale started 30 years ago to provide essentials to new mothers who might not have these items when taking their babies home from the hospital. All of the items are donated and many are handmade by community members. Kindergartners also signed each box. 

In celebration of 30 years of kindness, former students showed up to support their teacher and the new generation of students giving back. 

“It just really warms my heart to see all these kindergartners,” said Cameron Moskey, a high school senior in Middletown. “Just to see the joy that they bring and just really to share all these gifts and it's just warmth and love from everyone.” 

Parents, including Erin and Steve Meyer, enjoyed the surprise Valentine’s Day gift for their baby, Sadie Rose. 

“It was very kind, especially to know all the kids put their time into making the box for all of the babies that are here. It's really, really kind and special and to share that message of giving and caring in the community that's really nice to see,” Erin Meyer said. 

In all, 52 “Keeping A Baby Warm” gifts were given. 

Officials are asking that anyone who wants to donate to the victims of Wednesday's deadly school at a South Florida high school use an official account.

The Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund, named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was created Thursday to "provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific shooting," according to the GoFundMe page.

It had received just over $250,000 by 2 p.m. ET, about four hours after it was created, with a goal of $350,000.

It was created to be a credible place to donate money in an attempt to prevent, Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said.

"Please keep our babies, our families and this entire community in your prayers as we go through this healing process. It's going to take quite a while," he said at a news conference, where he announced the fund had been created.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said she talked to officials at GoFundMe to ensure it is safe to give there.

"They're pulling bad websites off constantly. They're monitoring everything," she said.

Bondi also said that Florida will pay for the victims' funeral expenses.

For those in the Parkland area, another way to help the victims is by donating blood, especially the universal donor type O negative.

Fourteen more flu deaths have been reported in Connecticut over the last week, bringing the total to 77 this flu season. 

Influenza remains widespread within most of the continental United States and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported an additional increase in the percentage of people seeing their health care provider with influenza-like-illness. 

Of the 77 influenza-associated deaths in Connecticut, 61 are associated with flu A and 16 with flu B). 

Sixty-two were among patients older than 65 years old, nine were 50 to 64 years old, four were 25 to 49 years old, one was between 19 and 24 years of age and one was between 5 and 18 years old.

Learn more on the state Department of Public Health’s website.

From Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang:

• You'll hurt just watching these scary Olympics
• Watch: Mikaela Shiffrin's golden slalom.
• Madison residents Kiley McKinnon and Mac Bohonnon find their Olympic journey intertwined. 

A female inmate at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut, gave birth in her cell Tuesday morning and the state Department of Correction is conducting an internal investigation. 

As soon as the Department of Correction discovered the baby, the new mother and her child were treated onsite and immediately transported to an area hospital for further evaluation, state officials said. 

The mother and child are reported to be in good health. 

The state Department of Correction is investigating circumstances that led up to a baby being born inside a cell but said the preliminary findings have led to two UConn Health, Correctional Managed Health Care employees being told not to report to the facility for work until the investigation is completed. 

State officials said their employment status is “predicated by the administration of UCONN Health, Correctional Managed Health Care” and the Department of Correction contracts with UConn Health for inmate medical services. 

State officials said pregnant women at the York facility are routinely provided with prenatal care and it is standard policy that they be transported to an outside hospital when they are in labor. 

“Although the details of this incident are still unfolding, I cannot overstate how seriously this agency takes the health and wellbeing of the offender population,” Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple said in a statement. “The goal of health services within a correctional environment should always strive to meet the community standard of care.” 

Officials have not released the woman’s name because of laws covering health-related information. 

From the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang:

• You'll hurt just watching these scary Olympics
• Watch: Mikaela Shiffrin's golden slalom.
• Madison residents Kiley McKinnon and Mac Bohonnon find their Olympic journey intertwined. 

Police have arrested a 53-year-old Canton man who is accused of hitting an elderly woman in the parking lot of a CVS in Canton on Jan. 19 and leaving the scene.

Police said they received several 911 calls after a woman was struck in the parking lot of the CVS on Route 44 just after 7:33 p.m. on Jan. 19.

The woman sustained serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

Police began searching for a four-door white sedan and said they made an arrest after media attention on the case.

Police have charged Geoffrey Ledden with evading responsibility, operating under suspension and unsafe backing.

Bond was set at $150,000.

As emergency responders secured the chaotic scene at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wednesday, Officer Michael Leonard was driving through a nearby residential area, looking for the man, still at large, who'd killed 17 people.

Leonard had been at the Coconut Creek, Florida, police headquarters when he heard about the school shooting, and had come to nearby Parkland to help. But he saw how many other officers were at the school, so he decided to expand his search, Leonard recalled at a news conference Thursday. He headed into a residential area nearby with a description of what the suspect was wearing.

There weren't many people on the back roads Leonard drove down — "a couple people walking their dogs," he recalled — and then he saw a teenager who matched the description he'd heard over the radio.

"He looked like a typical high school student and for a quick moment I thought, could this be the person? Is this who I need to stop?" Leonard said.

His moment of doubt didn't last long.

"Training kicked in. I pulled my vehicle over immediately, engaged the suspect. He complied with my commands and was taken into custody without any issues," Leonard said.

The 19-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student who Leonard arrested, Nikolas Cruz, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. He is being held without bond. Sheriff's investigators say he's confessed to being the gunman.

"He’s sad, he’s mournful, he’s remorseful. He is fully aware of what is going on. And he’s just a broken human being," his court-appointed attorney told the media after his arraignment.

Cruz had arrived at the school about an hour before his arrest in what a witness called a small, goldish-colored vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit filed Thursday by a Broward County sheriff's investigator. The vehicle was an Uber; the company is cooperating with the investigation.

Cruz was wearing a maroon shirt, black pants, a black hat and a black backpack, and carried a black duffel, according to the witness' account in the affidavit. The witness, whose name is redacted in the public report, radioed a colleague to report Cruz, but gunshots rang out within a minute and the witness called a "Code Red."

Christopher McKenna, a student at the school, said he met face to face with the gunman right before the bullets spread.

"I was on the first floor and the first-floor bathroom is locked so I had to go the second floor. I had a pass in my hand, I was going to the bathroom and then I open the staircase door and there the kid was, loading up his gun," McKenna said. "And he said something to me, he said: 'You better get out of here. Things are going to get messy.'"

McKenna said he ran out the closest door and ran into football coach Aaron Feis, who helped provide security at the school, and he took him to a nearby baseball field before going back inside.

Feis was shot to death while selflessly shielding students from bullets.

911 calls reached police about 2:23 p.m. ET. There was an armed school resource deputy on campus, but he never encountered the gunman, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has said.

At some point, Cruz stopped shooting and abandoned his AR-15 at the scene, the affidavit said. The gun was traced to Cruz, who purchased it in February 2017.

Cruz blended in with fleeing students, successfully making his way out of the school, according to the affidavit. Israel said Cruz arrived at a nearby Walmart before he was apprehended. He said Cruz bought a drink a Subway, left the store on foot and went to McDonald's and sat down.

Less than an hour after he left McDonald's, Cruz was apprehended. While he was in custody, the witness who watched him walk into the school was brought over and confirmed Leonard had captured the same man.

According to the affidavit, Cruz confessed to police after being read his Miranda rights "that he was the gunman who entered the school campus armed with [an] AR-15 and began shooting students that he saw in the hallways and on the school grounds." He said there were extra magazines in his backpack, according to the affidavit.

He also admitted to discarding the rifle and blending in with the crowd, according to the affidavit, which attests that the location of the gun and extra magazines was consistent with what Cruz said.

At his arraignment Thursday, Cruz didn't enter a plea. He only spoke to say "Yes, ma'am" when the judge asked if he is Nikolas Cruz.

Chrissy Metz, who stars as Kate in the NBC show “This is Us,” is coming to Connecticut for a book signing and more tickets are available after the event was moved to a new venue.

Metz wrote the book is “This is Me” and RJ Julia Bookseller in Madison is hosting the event at the Morgan School in Clinton at 7 p.m. on March 28.

The book signing was originally going to be held at the Clinton Town Hall Auditorium, but that venue sold out and the event was moved to the auditorium of the Morgan School.

“In ‘This is Me,’ Chrissy Metz shares her story with a raw honesty that will leave readers both surprised but also inspired. Infused with the same authenticity she brings to her starring role, Chrissy’s ‘This is Me’ is so much more than your standard Hollywood memoir or collection of personal essays. She embraces the spirit of Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes, and shares how she has applied the lessons she learned from both setbacks and successes. A born entertainer, Chrissy finds light in even her darkest moments, and leaves the reader feeling they are spending time with a friend who gets it,” the listing on RJ Julia’s website says.

Tickets are $33, which includes admission and one signed copy of “This is Me.” 

The book signing starts at 7 p.m. and the school is located at 71 Killingworth Turnpike. Tickets previously purchased will be honored at the new location.

“This is Us” airs on NBC Connecticut.

Steve Bannon, who served as President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, was interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller over multiple days this week, NBC News has learned from two sources familiar with the proceedings.

Bannon spent a total of some 20 hours in conversations with the team led by Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia as well as other issues that have arisen around the probe.

Bannon left his job as a senior White House adviser in August and returned to a leadership role at Breitbart, the right-wing news site based out of Washington. But he fell out of favor with the site’s financial backers, the Mercer family, after criticizing the president and his family in "Fire and Fury,” a book about the Trump administration published earlier this year by author Michael Wolff.

After a more than four-week stalemate, Bannon also returned to Capitol Hill Thursday to resume his interview with the House Intelligence Committee, which was halted when he earlier refused to answer key questions in the Russia probe.

Dozens of local towns identified by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters are losing critical tax revenue because of the state's crumbling concrete crisis.

There’s growing number of homes across the state with cracking foundations due to a mineral in the concrete used is causing the material to crack from the inside out. Because hundreds of these homes are now damaged, they are worth less and lower home values translate to less property tax revenue for local towns.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters exclusive investigation drilled down on the cash crunch many of these communities are now facing and identified some of those hardest hit.

• In Manchester, tax losses due to crumbling concrete will cost the equivalent of three police officers
• Tolland is losing the equivalent of five firefighters
• In Vernon, tax losses equal to 14 new police cars

Losses to these towns and more than a dozen others will only go up as more people step forward with the same concrete problem.

People like Mary Anne Williams said her basement is literally crumbling beneath her feet. Williams and her husband must pay an estimated $200,000 to replace the foundation in their Tolland home.

"It's kind of like a living nightmare," Williams told the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters.

Not only does crumbling basement cost homeowners, but it will cost towns thousands of dollars.

The Williams are among hundreds of households with crumbling basements who have had the value of their homes lowered because of the damage. This is resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars in tax revenues for towns across north central and eastern Connecticut, like Ellington.

"The way I look at it, it's just the tip of the iceberg," Ellington First Selectman Lori Spielman said.

Spielman's town sits miles away from the now-defunct company that made the concrete containing a naturally occurring mineral, experts believe, caused hundreds of basements to crack.

The problem takes years to develop, well beyond the time that's allowed for people to make a defective product claim. Most insurers don't cover this damage, but so far, 678 homeowners have filed complaints with the state.

The reduced value of these homes has reduced the amount of property tax money Ellington can collect by $62,000 per year.

"That's one teacher or one snowplow driver," State Representative Christopher Davis said.

Data gathered by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters show seven towns have it even worse than Ellington. Willington is losing $99,000 in annual tax revenues, Stafford totals $103,000 and South Windsor will take a $330,000 hit.

It's alarming to state representative Jeff Currey, whose district includes South Windsor.

"That means a handful of paraprofessionals at schools that means secretaries at the town offices I mean those are those numbers could potentially translate into real people," Currey said.

Government assistance has come in the form of $100 million the state will borrow to replace crumbling concrete basements and that could help restore home values and property tax revenues.

Some elected officials, however, believe the state money will run out as more homeowners come forward with crumbling basements, and then, towns may come to the state for help again.

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NBC Connecticut Meteorologists a tracking a weekend storm that will bring plowable accumulations to the entire state.

Snow will overspread the state Saturday evening with a period of heavy snow during the overnight hours.

This will be a very quick hitting system with snow coming to an end between 6 and 8 a.m.

Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected.

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The snow won't stick around for long as some warm air moves into the state by early next week.

Sheriff Scott Israel gave a detailed account of the initial timeline of the Florida high school shooting that left 17 dead and 14 injured. The ATF confirmed that the shooter had purchased the firearm used in the attack legally over a year ago.

In striking contrast to the detestable tragedy that unfolded, the city of Parkland joined hearts and minds to hold vigils as South Florida and the nation at large mourn alongside in remembrance of victims.

For the 17 lives lost in the massacre on Wednesday, hundreds gathered at the City of Parkland Amphitheater on Thursday.

While dozens of students affected by the shooting struggle to cope with the reality of what transpired, their surrounding community is offering deep-seated support.

“Emotionally, spiritually they’re struggling as they lost loved ones and friends so this is gonna be a tough road as we move forward," Parkridge Church pastor Eddie Bevill, whose church held a vigil earlier in the day, said.

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Earlier on Thursday, students gathered at Parkland's Pine Trails Park to hold a separate moment of silence.

An official candlelight vigil event began at the Amphitheater at 6 p.m. Standing at center stage, 17 angels: four-foot tall ornamental angels adorned with lights that represent the innocent lives violently ended.

But before the angels stood in Parkland, those symbols stood among others in the city of Sunrise where they represented victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

On Dec. 14, 2012, 26 lives were tragically taken at the Connecticut elementary school by a gunman who also died.

The Parkland school tragedy joins an undesired podium position as one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history – third behind Sandy Hook and the Virginia Tech massacre, in which 32 died.

Sunrise placed the angels on the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting.

“Unfortunately, we have to use them again,” Sunrise city official Kevin Pickard said of the angels. “We didn’t think we’d need them so close to home.”

Seventeen lives lost. Dozens upon dozens of others possibly scarred.

“It’s gonna take a while to recover from this situation and to realize that our lives are gonna be changed forever," Manolo Alvarez, a junior at the afflicted school, said. "That school isn’t gonna be the same ever again.”

In the coming days, heartwrenching details will continue to surface and bewildering questions will arise – all as mourning families steadily put their lost loved ones to rest.

For the time being, a community – families, survivors and neighbors – stand in solidarity as the positive reflection of a forced juxtaposition derived from despair.

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The Broward County Sheriff's Office said the person who posted an image spreading on social media of an unidentified man seen holding a rifle with the caption "Round 2 of Florida tomorrow" has been arrested.

The image generated concern among communities in South Florida, as many feared their schools could be the next target following the Parkland shooting tragedy in which 17 people were gunned down at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

BSO said the person who originally posted the image was arrested by local authorities in South Carolina.

"Variations of the post have continued to be circulated over social media with captions added to warn people not to go to various schools throughout South Florida," BSO said in a statement. "The posts being circulated are being monitored for any violations of law or threats to public safety."

BSO said that anyone who comes across images or content threatening violence should notify authorities so they can investigate the validity of the threat and attempt to identify the source.

In its statement, BSO did not say whether the person who posted the image who was arrested is the same person seen in the image, nor did it elaborate on whether the suggested threat was valid.

"Should any violations of laws or threats to public safety be found, the poster will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," BSO said.

A Stanford law professor received a written rape threat and an unknown white substance in an envelope disguised as a party invitation Wednesday afternoon, prompting authorities to evacuate and shut down several rooms at the university's Neukom Building.

The professor targeted in the threat, Michele Dauber, is leading the charge to recall Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the Brock Turner sexual assault case.

"The recall campaign is not going to be intimidated," Dauber said in an interview with NBC Bay Area. "We are going to continue to stand with survivors, even when we face these kinds of threats."

Dauber, who has received threatening letters and e-mails in the past, said Wednesday's threat was disguised as a party invitation. The white powder was ultimately deemed harmless.

Dauber also provided the following statement:

"Judge Persky's campaign continues to use hate-filled language and continues to actively defend Brock Turner and attack Emily Doe and me personally. The verbal attacks have continued to escalate.

Today is not the first time I have a received a rape threat focused around my effort to defend sexual assault survivors and recall Judge Aaron Persky. It is the first time I received a rape threat accompanied with an unknown white powder that is intended to harm or scare me.

We can not stand for these type of actions that occurred today or allow people to blame the survivors of sexual assault. We are not going to back down. On June 5, voters will vote to recall Judge Persky and say 'enough is enough."

Members of the Stanford community during the response were asked to stay clear of the area.

Stanford recently canceled plans to put a plaque on the campus site where Turner, a former athlete, sexually assaulted a woman after the university and the woman could not agree on a quote to use on it.

Stanford is deferring to the victim nicknamed "Emily Doe," who removed herself from the project after the school rejected two quotes from her statement made during the sentencing of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner in 2016.

Dauber, a Stanford law professor and a family friend of the victim, originally suggested the plaque. She said in a statement that the university's "poor handling of the situation" hurried the plaque that was intended to have a deeper meaning of acknowledging the sexual assault.

"Emily Doe's impact statement inspired millions around the world," Dauber said. "It would have been a real benefit to the Stanford community to have a quote from this important piece of writing selected by the author for that location."

Turner's sentencing made national headlines after Persky sentenced Turner to six months in jail after prosecutors recommended Turner receive a six-year sentence. Turner was released from county jail after serving three months.

Turner appealed the sentencing last December, claiming the initial trial was "a detailed and lengthy set of lies" and asked for a new trial. Turner's team is also looking to overturn the convictions against him, which mandate he register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Turner was convicted in March 2016 of three felony counts of sexual assault. A Standford student testified that on the night of the attack in January 2015 he found Turner behind a dumpster lying on top of the partially clothed victim, who police later determined was unconscious.

Turner, who was a decorated swimmer at Stanford at the time, pleaded not guilty.

Bay City News contributed to this story.

It was supposed to a star-studded night draped in red, white and blue:

Mikaela Shiffrin, the skiing sensation who won a gold medal one day earlier, was skiing in her signature event, expected to easily win the gold medal.

Nathan Chen, the Quad King on the ice, would erase that disappointing team performance and start his path toward the podium in the individual competition.

Lindsey Jacobellis, the most decorated women's snowboard cross athlete ever, a five-time world champion, would end her Olympics woes and finally win a gold.

Then, in a span of just a few hours, it all went sideways.

Shiffrin vomitted before her first run, then turned in two subpar performances by her world-class standards. She finished in fourth place, just off the podium.

Chen, expected to turn in a wow performance with his signature quads, didn't land a single one. But he did fall three times, a devastating performance for the man who entered the Olympics as a medal contender.

And Jacobellis' appeared to put her Olympics struggles behind her by easily advancing to the finals, then taking a lead through the first half of the race. But she couldn't keep up with the competition down the stretch, and she finished in fourth place.

The result? Americans at home wondering what just happened. 

Mikaela Shiffrin's first run, just after vomitting: 

Shiffrin's second run leaves her in fourth place:

Nathan Chen falls three times during short program:

Linsdey Jacobellis finishes fourth in snowboard cross:

Several times a week at Mount Southington, you’ll find a hero helping heroes.

Jerry Miserandino has made it his mission to help veterans ski the mountain because he knows they can.

"It’s more than one way to live your life other than sitting in a chair and saying this is all life has for me," Miserandino said.

As a bilateral arm amputee, Miserandino helps skiers like John Vacca learn how to use adaptive equipment through the LOF Adaptive Skiers program.

"Last time I was at Mount Southington I was not a standup skier yet," Vacca said.

Vacca, a below the knee amputee, took on Mount Southington with ease using a prosthetic leg designed specifically for skiing. The high down the mountain he says brings a healing effect as well.

"It’s like an addiction- once you do it you want to do it again and again," Vacca said.

For Miserandino, helping these veterans is more than just a hobby, it’s a reminder to them like any mountain in life, there’s always a down.