The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was killed by a shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, is addressing the need for bipartisan legislation nationwide to require silent panic alarms for educators 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, killing 17 people.
Since her daughter's death, she has advocated for the passage of Alyssa's Law, named after her daughter, which requires public schools to be equipped with silent alarms that are directly linked to police.
WHO IS THE ALLEGED GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER? WHAT WE KNOW
Alyssa Alhadeff was 14 years old when a shooter opened fire at her high school in Parkland, Florida. (Lori Alhadeff)
“It was the most horrible, horrific thing any parent could ever go through, to see their child murdered; shot,” Alhadeff told Fox News Digital during a video interview.
“I remember just holding my hands and trying to warm Alyssa up because she was so cold and trying to bring her back to life.”
Alhadeff said her daughter wasn't looking forward to the holiday because she didn't have a Valentine's gift. To lift her spirits, she gifted Alyssa a chocolate bar and a new pair of diamond earrings that morning before school.
“She looked so beautiful,” Alhadeff said.
“I told Alyssa that I loved her and that this would be the last time I would see her alive.”
WHAT IS CENTEGIX? THE SECURITY SOLUTION PANIC BUTTON USED TO NOTIFY POLICE ABOUT A SHOOTER AT A GEORGIA SCHOOL
Alyssa's parents, Dr. Ilan Alhadeff and Lori Alhadeff, have worked to pass Alyssa's Law nationwide. (Lori Alhadeff)
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 come over my body,” she said. “I knew something was terribly wrong.”
Alhadeff described her daughter as an “amazing, vivacious, incredible girl” and said she had a zest for life, loved the beach and shopping with her friends.
“She was just an amazing person,” Alhadeff said.
On Sept. 4, 2024, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a lone 14-year-old gunman carried an “AR platform-style weapon” to Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, and opened fire, according to law enforcement.
APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT COLT GRAY AND HIS FATHER APPEAR IN COURT FOR SEPARATE HEARINGS
Alyssa's Law has passed in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Oklahoma. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is pictured with the Alhadeffs and a signed copy of the bill. (Lori Alhadeff)
The victims of the deadly mass shooting include 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 that was activated today prevented this from being a much bigger tragedy than what we had here today,” GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters during a news conference Wednesday.
Teachers at Apalachee High School receive ID badges from Centegix, a cloud-based wearable security technology company. Panic buttons worn by teachers and school staff allow them to discreetly alert law enforcement of emergency situations.
“I think it's amazing that they had a wearable panic button,” Alhadeff said. “I know that when that panic button is pressed, Alyssa is helping save lives.”
COLIN GRAY, FATHER OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT, CHARGED WITH MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER AND CHILD CRUELTY
Alhadeff is working tirelessly to introduce and pass Alyssa’s Law into state laws across the United States to provide schools with an additional layer of protection and improve the response time of local law enforcement.
Once a teacher presses the panic button, Centegix technology mass-communicates to the rest of the campus that a state of emergency or threat is occurring, and every second counts. School staff are encouraged to follow lockdown protocol, which includes locking doors and concealing students and staff.
No Wi-Fi or cellular signal is required to alert all personnel.
Alyssa's Law was passed in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Oklahoma. The bill was introduced in Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia.
Although legislation is in the works in the Peach State, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a news conference Wednesday that police were first alerted to the shooting when teachers used their panic buttons.
Lori Alhadeff told Fox News Digital on February 14, 2018 that she and her husband, Dr. Ilan Alhadeff, frantically searched for their daughter Alyssa before police told them she had been shot. (Satellite video)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We are optimistic that we will continue to pass Alyssa's Law in Georgia and other states across the country,” Alhadeff said.
Students who wish to advocate 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 prepared to help students create a culture of safety within schools.
Parents, alumni, and others passionate about enacting Alyssa’s Law in their state can email and become a MOSS volunteer.
