Mother of Parkland school shooting victim pushes for bipartisan legislation after Georgia mass shooting

The mother of a 14-year-old girl killed by a school shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, speaks out about the need for bipartisan legislation nationwide to mandate silent panic alarms for teachers in the wake of the Georgia school shooting.

Lori Alhadeff, founder of the nonprofit Make Our Schools Safe, lost her daughter Alyssa Alhadeff on Valentine’s Day 2018 when a lone gunman opened fire and killed 17 people.

Since her daughter’s death, she has campaigned for the passage 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’s the most horrific thing a parent can go through to see their child murdered, shot,” Alhadeff told Fox News Digital in a video interview.

“I remember taking my hands and trying to warm Alyssa up because she was so cold and trying to bring her back to life.”

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Alhadeff said her daughter wasn’t looking forward to the holiday because she didn’t have a Valentine. To cheer her up, she gave Alyssa a candy bar and a new pair of diamond earrings that morning before school.

“She was so beautiful,” Alhadeff said.

“I told Alyssa that I loved her and that this would be the last time I would see Alyssa alive.”

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Alhadeff, a former teacher, first learned of the shooting at her daughter’s school when she received text messages about the attack.

“I immediately felt a sense of loss in my body,” she said. “I knew something was seriously wrong.”

Alhadeff described his daughter as an “incredible, lively and full of life” and said she had a zest for life, enjoying the beach and shopping with her friends.

“He was just an incredible person,” Alhadeff said.

On September 4, 2024, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a lone 14-year-old 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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Among the victims of the deadly shooting were two students, Mason Schermerhorn, 14, and Christian Angulo, 14, as well as two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irmie.

“The protocols in this school and this system that were activated today prevented this from becoming a tragedy much greater than what we experienced today,” GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

Apalachee High School teachers are receiving ID badges from Centegix, a cloud-based wearable security technology company. The panic buttons worn by teachers and staff allow school personnel to discreetly alert law enforcement in the event of an emergency.

“I think it’s amazing that they have their wearable panic button,” Alhadeff said. “I know that when that panic button is pushed, Alyssa is helping save lives.”

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Alhadeff works tirelessly to introduce and pass Alyssa’s Law into state legislation across the United States to provide schools with an additional layer of protection and improve response times for local law enforcement.

Once a teacher presses the panic button, Centegix technology mass-communicates an emergency or threat to the rest of the campus when every second counts. School staff are encouraged to follow lockdown protocols, including barricading doors and hiding students and staff.

No Wi-Fi or cellular signal is needed to alert all personnel.

Alyssa’s Law has 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.

Although legislation is still being worked on in the Peach State, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said at a news conference Wednesday that police were first alerted to the shooting when teachers used their panic buttons.

“We are optimistic that we will continue to pass Alyssa’s Law in Georgia and other states across the country,” Alhadeff said.

Students who are interested in advocating for Alyssa’s Law in their state can sign up to start a MOSS club at their high school. Make Our Schools Safe staff is ready to welcome students to help create a culture of safety in schools.

Parents, alumni and others passionate about implementing Alyssa’s Law in their state can email and become a MOSS volunteer.

Source of the original article: Mother of Parkland school shooting victim pushes for bipartisan legislation after Georgia mass shooting