The victims of the 2018 Parkland high school massacre
Photo shows an image of each victims who died in the 2018 Parkland mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
PARKLAND, Fla. - A jury has recommended a sentence of life without parole for the attacker in the 2018 shooting massacre that left 17 people dead at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Here are the victims:
Alyssa Alhadeff, 14
Photo of Alyssa Alhadeff, provided by family
Alyssa excelled in math and Spanish, was a gifted writer, and captain of her soccer team. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, according to her family.
Her mother, Lori, was elected to the Broward County school board nine months after the shooting on a platform to improve campus security.
A law that passed in 2020 mandates every public and charter school campus across Florida’s 67 school districts are now required to have mobile panic alarm systems. It is called Alyssa’s Alert. The 14-year-old’s mother championed the legislation.
MORE: Law requiring panic alert systems in schools goes into effect this year
Scott Beigel, 35
Runners run past the memorial at Pine Trails Park on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 for the victims of last week's shooting. Members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas' cross country team organized a run to honor their fallen coach, Scott Beigel, and the 16 oth
Beigel, a beloved geography teacher and cross-country coach, died trying to escort students into his classroom and away from the shooter.
Martin Duque, 14
Victim Advocate Jennifer Mejia Coronell holds a photograph of Martin Duque Anguiano before reading a victim impact statement on behalf of the Duque family during the penalty phase of the trial. (Photo by Amy Beth Bennett-Pool/Getty Images)
Martin, an immigrant from Mexico, was remembered by his family as an avid football fan, a good student and a devout churchgoer. He was a member of the school’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
He was one of three junior ROTC cadets who were honored with heroism medals by the U.S. Army.
Nick Dworet, 17
Image of Nick Dworet with a backdrop showing a memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Nick was an accomplished swimmer who had accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Indianapolis, where he planned to study finance. His younger brother Alex was wounded in the shooting. Their parents have started a charity, Swim4Nick, which offers college scholarships for swimmers and swim clinics, and soon will offer water survival classes for toddlers.
Aaron Feis, 37
Feis was an assistant football coach and security guard at Stoneman Douglas, his alma mater. He died rushing into the building to save students.
He was survived by a wife and daughter.
FROM 2018: Florida high school coach described as 'hero' died while shielding students
Jaime Guttenberg, 14
Fred Guttenberg holds a picture of his slain daughter, Jaime, as he listens to questions from the media in front Stoneman Douglas high school on March 5, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. (Jose A. Iglesias/El Nuevo Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Jaime was a performing dancer who hoped to become an occupational therapist and mother. She always stood up for the bullied.
Her father, Fred Guttenberg, has become an outspoken national advocate of tighter gun regulations.
Christopher Hixon, 49
Debbie Hixon and her son, Corey Hixon, address protestors during the second March for Our Lives rally against gun violence at Pine Trails Park on June 11, 2022 in Parkland, Florida. Corey Hixon is holding a portrait of his father, Marjory Stoneman Do
Hixon, the school’s athletic director, and a Navy veteran, died rushing to confront and stop the shooter. His wife, Debbi, was elected to the Broward County school board last year.
Corey Hixon leans in close to his mother, Debbie Hixon, while giving his victim impact statement during the penalty phase. Hixon's husband and Coreys' father, Christopher, was killed in the 2018 shootings. (Photo by Amy Beth Bennett-Pool/Getty Images
A video of President Joe Biden comforting the Hixons’ special needs son, Corey, a month after the shooting went viral during last year’s campaign.
Luke Hoyer, 15
Gena Hoyer rubs the front of a photograph of her son, Luke, as she shows it to the jury before giving her victim impact statement during the penalty phase. (Photo by Amy Beth Bennett-Pool/Getty Images)
Luke’s family said he was a loving, sweet person who adored basketball and "smiled all the time." Reserved but with a wry sense of humor, he was known by his friends as the king of the one-word answer.
Cara Loughran, 14
Photo of Cara Loughran
Cara enjoyed Irish dancing and gymnastics. Her family said she was an excellent student who loved the beach.
Gina Montalto, 14
Photo of Gina Montalto
Gina was a member of the Stoneman Douglas winter color guard team and was described by one of her instructors as "the sweetest soul ever." Her father, Tony Montalto, is president of Stand With Parkland, the group that represents the victims’ families.
Joaquin Oliver, 17
Photo of Joaquin Oliver
Joaquin, a gifted writer who loved soccer, was known as "Guac," short for "guacamole," because some struggled to say his name.
He had brought flowers to school as a Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend. His father, artist Manuel Oliver, has become known for pieces decrying gun violence and started the organization "Change the Ref" to lobby for stronger gun regulations.
Alaina Petty, 14
Photo of Alaina Petty
Alaina was a member of the school’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and spent countless hours volunteering through her church. A few months before the shooting, she had helped Florida families recovering from Hurricane Irma. Her father, Ryan, served on a state commission that investigated the shooting’s causes and has become active in conservative political causes.
Petty's family was presented with a Junior ROTC Heroism Medal from the U.S. Army during her funeral service.
Meadow Pollack, 18
Photo of Meadow Pollack
Meadow, an aspiring lawyer, was an outgoing personality who died trying to shield a younger student with her body. She was three months from graduating and planned to attend Lynn University in Boca Raton.
Her father, Andrew Pollack, has become a conservative activist. He spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, blaming the shooting on Broward County’s "far-left" school board.
Helena Ramsay, 17
Photo of Helena Ramsay
Helena was described by friends as a relentless student with a reserved personality. A native of England, she had moved to the United States when she was 2. She died trying to protect a friend from the gunman as he fired into their classroom.
Alex Schachter, 14
Photo of Alex Schachter
Alex, a quiet youngster, was an enthusiastic member of the school’s band, playing trombone. His mother died when he was a young child.
His father, Max, served on the state commission that investigated the shooting’s causes and has become a national advocate for stronger school security measures.
Carmen Schentrup, 16
Photo of Carmen Schentrup
Carmen was a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, one of 53 in Broward County. She planned to attend Washington State University with the goal of becoming a medical researcher and finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the neurological disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Peter Wang, 15
Photo of Peter Wang
Peter, wearing his Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps uniform, died trying to usher other students to safety. He dreamed of attending the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The school granted him posthumous admission.
He also received a Junior ROTC Heroism Medal from the U.S. Army. According to students and teachers, Wang died in his junior ROTC uniform while helping students, teachers, and staff escape from the shooting rampage.