‘Singing from our hearts’ for the fallen

Shattered families and friends remember lives taken too soon

A beloved coach. A senior headed to college on a swimming scholarship. Teenagers who died surrounded by their friends.

These are the victims of Wednesday’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Authorities have not formally identified any of the victims, but friends, family and coaches are sharing their memories.

Alyssa Alhadeff, 15

“Many innocent souls were taken a few short hours ago,” Alhadeff ’s cousin Ariella Del Quaglio posted on Facebook. “Among them we just got confirmation was my little cousin. My heart is broken, not sure what I can even say, I am at a loss for words.”

Alhadeff ’s friends at the Parkland Travel Soccer Club were organizing a memorial vigil for the freshman Thursday evening.

In a statement distributed by the club, her family asked her friends to “honor Alyssa by doing something fabulous in your life. Don’t ever give up and inspire for greatness. Live for Alyssa! Be her voice and breathe for her. Alyssa loved you all forever!”

Scott Beigel, 35

A social studies teacher, Beigel is credited with saving lives by unlocking his classroom door to let fleeing students shelter inside.

One of the students told CNN Beigel was gunned down as he closed the door. “When he opened the door, he had to relock it so that we could stay safe, but he didn’t get the chance,” Kelsey Friend said.

Camp Starlight in Pennsylvania, where Beigel was a camp counselor, shared campers’ memories of their friend on Facebook: “The Starlight Family is wrapping their arms around each other today singing from our hearts to Starlight’s beloved friend and hero, Scott Beigel.”

Nicholas Dworet

A senior headed to swim competitively for the University of Indianapolis, Dworet is being remembered as a hard-working role model who found excellence in discipline.

“This is a kid who went from middle of the pack last year to being just lightsout,” said his coach, Andre Bailey of TS Aquatics in Broward County. “He helped put our program on the map.”

Aaron Feis

An assistant football coach and security guard, Feis died shielding students from the shooter, the school’s football team said in a tweet: “He died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories.”

Feis graduated from the school in 1999 and coached the school’s junior varsity team for eight years starting in 2002. He had recently been working with linemen on the school’s junior varsity and varsity teams. He was married with a wife and daughter, according to the team.

Jamie Guttenberg

She was one of the first victims identified, and her Facebook profile has been turned into a memorial site. Her parents posted frantic messages on social media seeking help in finding their “baby girl,” but later they confirmed she died in the shooting.

“My heart is broken. Yesterday, Jennifer Guttenberg and I lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school,” Jaime Guttenberg’s father, Fred Guttenberg, told friends on Facebook. “We lost our daughter and my son Jesse Guttenberg lost his sister. I am broken as I write this trying to figure out how my family gets through this.”

Luke Hoyer, 15

His grandfather, Eddie Stroud of Simpsonville, N.C., said Thursday that the teen, a freshman, recently trans- ferred to the school after living in Colorado. His great-aunt Toni Stroud Brownlee said family members were rushing to Florida to be with Hoyer’s parents.

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

Stroud said the family received the news after hours of waiting.

“They were going to the hospital trying to find him because he never made a phone call,” Stroud said. “I thought, ‘It’s not going to be good.’ It took hours, hours. She was looking desperately for him all day long.”

Gina Montalto, 14

A freshman and member of the winter guard team, Montalto is being remembered as a vivacious and enthusiastic member of the school community.

“My heart is broken into pieces. I will forever remember you my sweet angel,” her former coach, Manuel Miranda told the Miami Herald. “She was the sweetest soul ever. She was kind, caring always smiling and wanting to help.”

Joaquin Oliver, 17

Born in Venezuela, Oliver moved to the United States as an infant and became an American citizen in January 2017, friends and family said.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, his friend Tyra Hemats said the two had just been discussing their upcoming graduation and college plans.

“He’s never going to graduate high school like I get to graduate,” Hemats said. “He’s literally stuck there forever.”