Mother of Parkland school shooting victim pushes for bipartisan legislation after Georgia mass shooting
The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was killed by a school shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, 2018, is addressing the need for nationwide bipartisan legislation mandating silent panic alarms for educators in the wake of the Georgia school shooting.
Lori Alhadeff, founder of the nonprofit organization Make Our Schools Safe, lost her daughter Alyssa Alhadeff on Valentine’s Day in 2018 when a lone gunman opened fire and killed 17 people.
Since her daughter’s passing, she has advocated for the passing of Alyssa’s Law, named after her daughter, which requires public schools to be equipped with silent alarms that are directly connected to law enforcement.
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"It was the most horrific, horrible thing that any parent could have to go through to see their child murdered; shot," Alhadeff told Fox News Digital during a video interview.
"I can remember just taking my hands and trying to warm Alyssa because she was so cold and trying to bring her back to life."
Alhadeff said her daughter was not looking forward to the holiday as she was without a Valentine. To lift her spirits, she gifted Alyssa with a chocolate bar and a new pair of diamond earrings that morning before school.
"She looked so beautiful," Alhadeff said.
"I told Alyssa I loved her and that would be the last time that I would see Alyssa alive."
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Alhadeff, a former teacher, was first made aware of shots at her daughter’s school when she received text messages regarding the attack.
"I immediately had this sense of loss that came over my body," she said. "I knew that something was horribly wrong."
Alhadeff described her daughter as an "amazing, vivacious, incredible girl" and said that she had a zest for life, loved the beach and shopping with her friends.
"She was just an incredible person," Alhadeff said.
On Sept. 4, 2024, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a 14-year-old lone gunman carried an "AR-platform style weapon" into Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, and opened fire, according to law enforcement.
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Victims of the deadly mass shooting included two students, Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irmie.
"The protocols at this school and this system activated today prevented this from being a much larger tragedy than what we had here today," GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters during a press conference Wednesday.
Apalachee High School educators are provided with identification badges from Centegix, a cloud-based wearable safety technology company. The panic buttons worn by teachers and staff discreetly enable school personnel to alert law enforcement of emergency situations.
"I think it’s incredible that they had their wearable panic button," Alhadeff said. "I know that when that panic button is pushed, that Alyssa is helping to save lives."
Alhadeff is working tirelessly to both introduce and pass Alyssa’s Law into state law across the U.S. to deliver schools an extra layer of protection and improve response time from local law enforcement.
Once a panic button is pressed by a teacher, Centegix technology mass communicates to the rest of the campus of an emergency state or threat when every second makes a difference. School personnel are encouraged to follow lockdown protocol, including barricading doors and hiding students and staff.
No Wi-Fi or cell signal is required to alert all staff.
Alyssa’s Law has been passed in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Oklahoma. The bill has been introduced in Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia.
Though the legislation is in progress in the Peach State, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a press conference Wednesday that police were first alerted to the shooting when teachers used their panic buttons.
"We’re optimistic that we will continue to pass Alyssa’s Law in Georgia and other states across the country," Alhadeff said.
Students who are looking to advocate for Alyssa’s Law in their state can sign up to initiate a M.O.S.S. club at their high school. Staff from Make Our Schools Safe are prepared to accommodate students to create a culture of safety within schools.
Parents, former graduates and others who are passionate about enacting Alyssa’s Law in their state can send an email and become a M.O.S.S. volunteer.