Paul Simon Attends, Performs at Funeral for Teacher Murdered During Connecticut School Shooting

Courtesy of Paul SimonPaul Simon was among the mourners in attendance Wednesday in Stratford, Connecticut, at the funeral for Victoria Soto, one of the teachers ******** during the horrific mass shooting this past Friday at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

A Fairfield, CT, police officer confirmed to ABC News that Simon was on hand for the service. He performed an acoustic version of his classic Simon & Garfunkel tune "Sounds of Silence" during the memorial.

An unidentified member of Soto's family reportedly used to babysit for Simon's children, which apparently is why he came to the funeral. The 27-year-old Soto was one of six adults killed by the gunman, who also took the lives of 20 children before committing suicide.

James Wiltsie, a cousin of Soto's, told ABC News that authorities had informed Victoria's family that she was trying to shield her students when she was killed. "She was trying to…get her children into a ****** and protect them from harm," explained Wiltsie, "and by doing that put herself between the gunman and the children."