PARKLAND, Fla. – Five years after a mass shooting claimed the lives of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Local10.com remembers the victims lost on Feb. 14, 2018.
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Alyssa Alhadeff
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
Alyssa, who played soccer at the school, was among the 14 students killed. On the day before she died, the talented midfielder played the game of her life, her mother said.
LEGACY: The national nonprofit Make Our Schools Safe, founded by parents Lori and Ilan Alhadeff, is dedicated to protecting students and teachers at schools. The tragedy inspired her mother to run for and win a seat on the Broward County school board.
Scott Beigel
AGE: 35
GEOGRAPHY TEACHER AND CROSS COUNTRY COACH
The beloved teacher is credited with saving the lives of students when he opened the door to his classroom to escape the gunfire. Kelsey Friend, who was a student in Beigel's classroom, said he was shot while trying to lock the door.
LEGACY: The Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund provides scholarships to send children to summer camp.
Martin Duque
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
Born in Mexico and raised by his grandmothers before his parents could afford to bring him and his brother to South Florida, Martin was a member of the school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
LEGACY: The U.S. Army awarded Martin and two other cadets killed in the shooting with the ROTC Medal for Heroism.
Nicholas Dworet
AGE: 17
SENIOR
The 17-year-old swimmer was one of four seniors killed. He had earned a scholarship to swim at the University of Indianapolis.
LEGACY: The Nicholas Dworet Memorial Fund provides college scholarships to swimmers at the school.
Aaron Feis
AGE: 37
SECURITY MONITOR AND ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH
The husband and father is credited with saving the lives of students by shielding them from the bullets during the shooting.
LEGACY: Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget, who didn't know Feis but grew up in South Florida and attended Hialeah Senior High School, established the Coach Aaron Feis Scholarship, donating $10,000 to the fund. The scholarship is awarded to a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School football player who exhibits characteristics representative of who Feis was and the traits he valued.
Jaime Guttenberg
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
Jaime, who had a passion for dancing, was among the 14 students killed.
LEGACY: The national nonprofit Orange Ribbons for Jaime, founded by parents Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg, supports programs that were important to her, as well as causes dedicated to ending violence in schools.
Chris Hixon
AGE: 49
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND WRESTLING COACH
Then-Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said Hixon and Feis “gave their lives” to protect the students. A former U.S. Navy sailor, Hixon had been honored as the county’s athletic director of the year in 2017.
LEGACY: The Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship is awarded annually to one student-athlete at the three schools where he had worked -- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, South Broward High School and Blanche Ely High School.
Luke Hoyer
AGE: 15
FRESHMAN
Hoyer's mother took her son to school just hours before he was killed. His relatives said he loved to play basketball and eat chicken nuggets.
LEGACY: Awarded by the Parkland Basketball Club, the Luke Hoyer Sportsmanship Award provides a $2,000 scholarship to high school seniors participating in the club.
Cara Loughran
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
The 14-year-old freshman was a member of the Drake School of Irish Dance.
LEGACY: Established by the Broward Education Foundation, A Dancing Angel Award is given to a Broward County high school senior who is currently enrolled in dance and plans to pursue dancing personally or professionally.
Gina Montalto
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
Gina was a Girl Scout and a member of the school's color guard.
LEGACY: The Gina Rose Montalto Memorial Foundation, founded by parents Tony and Jennifer Montalto, helps students with the cost of post-secondary education.
Joaquin Oliver
AGE: 17
SENIOR
Nicknamed “Guac,” the 17-year-old became a U.S. citizen in 2017 after moving to the U.S. from Venezuela. On the night before the shooting, his father went with him to buy flowers for his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day.
LEGACY: Change the Ref was founded by parents Manuel and Patricia Oliver to provide children with the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues involving education, conversation and activism.
Alaina Petty
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
Alaina participated in the school's JROTC and was active in community service projects as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
LEGACY: Alaina, like Martin and another JROTC cadet, was posthumously awarded with the U.S. Army's ROTC Medal for Heroism.
Meadow Pollack
AGE: 18
SENIOR
One of four seniors killed in the shooting, Meadow had been accepted to nearby Lynn University in Boca Raton.
LEGACY: Her father, Andrew Pollack, served on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, established by the state to investigate the shooting. He later resigned to focus on an independent investigation.
Helena Ramsay
AGE: 17
JUNIOR
Helena is credited with saving the life of her friend during the shooting, helping her to hide.
LEGACY: Established by MedPro Healthcare Staffing, the Helena Ramsay Soaring Leader Scholarship is awarded annually to a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student who has shown a commitment to Helena's vision of creating stronger societies by making a positive impact on the community or a cause.
Alex Schachter
AGE: 14
FRESHMAN
A member of the school's marching band, Alex played the trombone and baritone. He was just 4 years old when his mother died, Alex's father said during his eulogy.
LEGACY: The Safe Schools for Alex campaign is part of a crusade by father Max Schachter to protect the nation's children and teachers through a nationwide school safety commission.
Carmen Schentrup
AGE: 16
SENIOR
Carmen was a National Merit Scholarship finalist, but she didn't know it on the day of the shooting. The 16-year-old senior received her award letter the day after she died. Her family said she wanted to become a medical scientist and change the world by discovering a cure for ALS.
LEGACY: Carmen’s parents used their daughter’s life savings to create the Carmen Schentrup ALS Research Fund and make an initial donation in the amount of $5,628.84.
Peter Wang
AGE: 15
FRESHMAN
Witnesses said Wang, who was also a member of the school's JROTC, was fatally shot while ushering others to safety. He died while wearing his uniform.
LEGACY: Wang was the third cadet to posthumously be awarded with the U.S. Army’s ROTC Medal for Heroism.