Loved Ones Lost: Victims of the Florida School Shooting

The names of the 17 victims who were killed during Wednesday’s mass shooting are starting to be released.

While the Broward County Sheriff’s Office is withholding the full list of names of victims until all family members are notified, we are continuing to learn more about those killed at the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

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Jaime Guttenberg

Jamie Guttenberg, a student at the school, was killed during the rampage. Jaime’s Facebook page, now memorialized, shows photos of her dancing, hanging out with friends, enjoying the beach and snuggling a dog.

Her father, Fred, shared the tragic news in a Facebook post.

“My heart is broken. Yesterday, Jennifer Bloom Guttenberg and I lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school. We lost our daughter and my son Jesse Guttenberg lost his sister,” he wrote. “I am broken as I write this trying to figure out how my family get’s through this. We appreciate all of the calls and messages and we apologize for not reacting to everyone individually. Jen and I will be figuring things out today and so we ask that you respect out privacy. We will be getting messages out later regarding visitation. Hugs to all and hold your children tight.”

Martin Duque Anguiano

Martin Duque, a 14-year-old freshman, was at school Wednesday and died in the shooting. His older brother Miguel, who the Miami Herald reports graduated from Douglas High last year, shared the news via an Instagram post early Thursday morning. “Words can not describe my pain,” he wrote. “I love brother Martin you’ll be missed buddy.”

On a GoFundMe page for Martin’s funeral expenses, Miguel described his brother as “a very funny kid, outgoing and sometimes really quiet.”

“He was sweet and caring and loved by all his family,” Miguel wrote. “Most of all he was my baby brother.”

Alyssa Alhadeff

The Miami Herald

Alyssa was a competitive soccer player who had just played the best game of her life, according to her mom.

“Her passing was on, her shooting was on, her decision-making was on,” her mother, Lori Alhadeff, told The New York Times. The score at what was to be her last time on the soccer field was 1-0, Parkland.

“I was so proud of her,” her mother said. “I told her it was the best game of her life.”

Aaron Feis

Aaron Feis was an assistant football coach and security guard at the school. Many are remembering him as a hero after he jumped in front of bullets to save the students around him. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel called him “one of the greatest people I knew.”

Chad Lyons, a student and football player, told CNN Feis was there for him when Lyons was going through leukemia treatments.

“He guided me through them. He would send me prayers. He would send me Bible scripts and just stuff to cheer up my day. Funny memes,” Lyons said.

“He was just an amazing person to be led on and taught by, and I’m thankful enough to even be in his presence, just going through high school.”

Gina Montalto

A freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Gina’s death was confirmed by family friends. Armando D. Sotero Jr., a high school classmate of Gina’s mother Jennifer, posted a tribute to Gina on his Facebook page.

Gina was a member of the winter guard on the school’s marching band. One of her middle school color guard instructors told The Miami Herald that Gina “was the sweetest soul ever.”

“My heart is broken into pieces. I will forever remember you, my sweet angel,” Manuel Miranda told the paper.

Nicholas Dworet

Nicholas Dworet was a senior who had just received a scholarship to swim at Indiana University, according to the Miami Herald.

“Nick’s death is a reminder that we are connected to the larger world, and when tragedy hits in places around the world, it oftentimes affects us at home,” said Robert L. Manuel, University of Indianapolis president.

“Today, and in the coming days, I hope you will hold Nick, his family, all of the victims, as well as the Parkland community and first responders in your prayers.”

Luke Hoyer

Police found Luke on the third floor of the school. His great-aunt Toni Stroud Brownlee confirmed the teen’s death on Facebook. 

“This has devastated our family and we’re all in shock and disbelief. Our hearts are broken. Luke was a beautiful human being and greatly loved,” Stroud Brownlee wrote.

Luke’s cousin, Grant Cox, called Luke “an amazing individual. Always happy, always smiling. His smile was contagious, and so was his laugh.

Cox said Luke was a basketball player who was ambitious about the sport and admired NBA stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

“I know Luke loved his family,” Cox told The New York Times. “I know he did. He had a huge heart.”

“He was quiet, but a very happy individual,” he said.

Carmen Schentrup

Her cousin, Matt Brandow, said she was the smartest 16-year-old he had ever met. “I’m in a daze right now,” he wrote in a Facebook tribute. 

Meadow Pollack

Pollack, a senior, planned to to attend Lynn University​ in Boca Raton, according to her father, Andrew Pollack.

“She was just unbelievable,” Pollack told The New York Times. “She was a very strong-willed young girl who had everything going for her.” He described his daughter as smart, beautiful and caring. She worked at her boyfriend’s family’s motorcycle repair business.

“She just knew how to get what she wanted all the time,” Pollack said. “Nothing could ever stop her from what she wanted to achieve.”

“Please say a prayer for the family of an amazing girl I got to call my best friend growing up,” posted her friend Gii Lovito on Facebook. “Her life was taken way too soon and I have no words to describe how this feels.”

Joaquin Oliver

Born in Venezuela, Jaoquin Oliver moved to the U.S. at the age of three with his family. He had become a U.S. citizen in Jan. 2017. His Instagram account includes several photos with his mother and sister, with whom he was extremely close. His girlfriend Victoria González confirmed he was killed in the massacre.

An Instagram post dated December 31 was his final social media post — a message to his girlfriend.

“Thank you lord for putting a greater blessing than I could ever imagine into my life this past year,” he said. “I love you with all my heart.”

Alaina Petty

Alaina Petty’s family said she was vibrant and determined. She had volunteered after Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September and she was an active member of a volunteer group with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

“Alaina loved to serve,” the statement from her family said.

“Her selfless service brought peace and joy to those that had lost everything during the storm,” the family’s statement said. “While we will not have the opportunity to watch her grow up and become the amazing woman we know she would become, we are keeping an eternal perspective.”

Alaina’s great-aunt, Claudette McMahon Joshi wrote on Facebook that the 14-year-old was one of the victims.

“There are no hashtags for moments like this, only sadness,” she wrote. “Our hearts are with them and all the families touched by this tragedy.”

Cara Loughran

Cara Loughran, an Irish dancer who adored the beach and her cousins, was confirmed dead by a peer counselor at her church.

“RIP Cara, and fly with the angels. You will be greatly missed, and we will always love you and celebrate your beautiful life,” her neighbor wrote on Facebook.

“We are absolutely gutted,” by her death, her aunt, Lindsay Fontana, wrote in a Facebook post. “While your thoughts are appreciated, I beg you to DO SOMETHING. This should not have happened to our niece Cara and it cannot happen to other people’s families.”

Chris Hixon

Chris Hixon, the school’s athletic director, was confirmed dead by family and friends Thursday. He previously served as South Broward’s athletic director.

Hixon, 49 would give students rides or lunch money and, if they needed it, open up his home to them. “He just loved being around kids and giving back to the community,” his widow, Debra Hixon told CNN.

A Naval reservist, Chris Hixon deployed to Iraq in 2007.

“He loved being an American and serving his country and he instilled that in our kids,” she said.

Hixon was also the school’s wrestling coach, something that was his passion.

“Chris is such a great guy,” said Coral Springs High School athletic director Dan Jacob told the Sun-Sentinel. “Chris is probably the nicest guy I have ever met. He would give you the shirt off his back. He does so much. That is terrible that it would happen to anybody. It is so senseless.

“I am crushed. … I am totally crushed.”

Alex Schachter

Alex Schachter played the trombone in the Stoneman Douglas marching band, and was proud to have participated in winning a state championship last year. A freshman at the high school, he often played basketball with friends and was “a sweetheart of a kid,” his father, Max Schachter, told CNN.

Max Schachter said Alex had loved his mother, who died when he was five years old. His older brother also attends Stoneman Douglas and survived the shooting. Alex “just wanted to do well and make his parents happy,” his father said.

 

Scott Beigel

Scott Beigel, a 35-year-old geography teacher at the school, unlocked his classroom to allow students to take shelter inside during the shooting. Student Kelsey Friend told Good Morning America that he was struck and killed by a bullet while closing the door behind him.

“When he opened the door, he had to re-lock it so that we could stay safe, but he didn’t get the chance to,” Friend said.

Directly addressing Beigel’s family, Friend said “Thank you for bringing and having this amazing person in life and giving him the power to be stronger than I could have ever been.”

“Mr. Beigel was my hero and he still will forever be my hero. I will never forget the actions that he took for me and for fellow students in the classroom,” she told CNN. “I am alive today because of him.”

Peter Wang

Wang was last seen on Wednesday wearing his gray ROTC uniform and holding a door open so other people could escape, said his cousin, Aaron Chen. Chen later confirmed the 15-year-old was killed in an interview with First Coast News. “He wasn’t supposed to die,” Chen said. “He was supposed to grow old with me.”

“He was always so nice and so generous,” Aaron, 16, said, adding that even though Peter was younger he had worked to be sure Aaron didn’t get bullied when he first moved to Florida.

“He was the kid in school who would be friends with anyone,” said the other cousin, Lin Chen, 24. “He didn’t care about popularity.”

Helena Ramsey

Student Helena Ramsey was killed during the massacre, officials confirmed on Thursday. A member of her family wrote on Facebook that the 17-year-old was “smart, kind hearted and thoughtful.”

“Helena was a smart, kind hearted, and thoughtful person. She was deeply loved and loved others even more so. Though she was some what reserved, she had a relentless motivation towards her academic studies, and her soft warm demeanor brought the best out in all who knew her.”