Mother of Parkland school shooting victim pushes for Alyssa’s Law

The mother of a 14-year-old girl killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, is calling for bipartisan legislation nationwide that would require silent panic alarms for teachers following 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 been advocating for the passage of Alyssa’s Law, named after her daughter, which requires public schools to be equipped with silent alarms that communicate directly with 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 during a video interview.

“I remember grabbing 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 card. To cheer her up, she gave Alyssa a candy bar and a new pair of diamond earrings before school that morning.

“She looked 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 gunfire 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, vibrant, incredible girl” and said she had a passion for life, loved the beach and enjoyed going shopping with her friends.

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

On September 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, police said.

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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 the system that was put in place today prevented this from becoming a much greater tragedy than what we experienced here today,” GBI Director Chris Hosey told reporters during a news conference Wednesday.

Teachers at Apalachee High School are getting identification badges from Centegix, a cloud-based wearable safety technology company. The panic buttons, which teachers and staff wear discreetly, allow school personnel to alert law enforcement to emergency situations.

“I find it incredible that they had their portable panic button,” Alhadeff said. “I know that when that panic button is pressed, Alyssa is helping to save lives.”

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Alhadeff is working tirelessly to introduce and pass Alyssa’s Law into state law, giving schools extra protection and allowing local law enforcement to respond more quickly.

Once a teacher presses a panic button, Centegix technology communicates en masse to the rest of the campus about an emergency or threat when every second matters. School staff are encouraged to follow lockdown protocol, including barricading doors and hiding students and staff.

No WiFi or mobile signal is needed to alert all employees.

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.

While legislation is still developing in the Peach State, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said during a news conference Wednesday that law enforcement was first alerted to the shooting when teachers used their panic buttons.

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

Students who want to get involved with 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 meet with students to create a culture of safety within schools.

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