Town remembers Parkland shooting victims

Published in the February 28, 2018 edition

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield stands with Parkland.

That was the message of 60 citizens who gathered on the steps of Town Hall to remember the victims and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 21.

Lynnfield for Love hosted the vigil in order to honor the 17 people killed during the Feb. 14 shooting. Lynnfield for Love members Wendy Dixon and Natasha Shah organized the vigil, and local children created heart shaped signs reading “Light in Lynnfield for Parkland” that were held by attendees.

“Thank you for coming tonight to honor the lost lives of another school mass tragedy in which 17 lives were lost and 15 people were wounded,” said Dixon.

Parkland is a suburb of Miami.

“Parkland is very similar to Lynnfield although their population is double than ours,” said Dixon. “It’s a town filled with nice residents, good schools and a lovely environment. Just as we can’t imagine an event happening here, I doubt Parkland saw their tragedy coming.”

Dixon noted Lynnfield students “do intruder drills in school in hopes the practice never has to be utilized in real life.”

“Tragedies such as this hit us hard as we can put ourselves in the shoes of the victims’ parents, family and friends and imagine the unthinkable,” said Dixon. “There are so many dreams unfulfilled in the lost lives of these kids and teachers.”

While Dixon said Parkland will never be the same in the aftermath of the shooting, she said “there is light in the darkness.”

“Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the students of Parkland have organized the March For Our Lives,” said Dixon. “They have emerged as eloquent, strong voices that are being heard. We should be proud of these youth and support them in any way we are able. The fallen and their families must be incredibly proud of their friends. I hope they have the stamina to fight until they can make a change that will make kids in our nation safer.”

Victims remembered

After Dixon concluded her remarks, volunteers said a few remarks about the 17 victims. The first person honored was 49-year-old Christopher Hixon.

“Christopher was the school’s athletic director,” said one of the volunteers. “He was a well-known figure in Florida high school sports. One man, Jose Roman, posted on social media that Mr. Hixon was ‘a great coach and an awesome motivator.’”

A volunteer noted 37-year-old Aaron Feis was “known to all as an assistant football coach and security monitor.”

“(Feis) knew exactly what it was like to be a student in those halls,” said the volunteer. “He was critically injured after jumping in front of the shooter to protect students. He died from the wounds. He was seen as someone who looked out for students who got in trouble, those who were struggling and those without fathers at home.”

Beth Barrett, 38 Fairview Ave., paid tribute to 35-year-old Scott Beigel.

“Beigel was a geography teacher and a cross country coach,” said Beth. “At the school, he unlocked his classroom to allow panicked students take shelter inside during the shooting. The Coral Springs man was struck and killed by a bullet while closing the door behind him. Kelsey Friend, one of the students whose life he saved, told CNN ‘when he opened the door, he had to re-lock it so we could stay safe.’ But he didn’t get the chance. Directly addressing Beigel’s family, Kelsey said ‘thank you for bringing and having this amazing person in my life and giving him the power to be stronger than I could have ever been.’”

Selectmen Chairman Chris Barrett honored 18-year-old Meadow Pollack.

“Meadow was a senior who was planning to go to Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida next year, according to her father,” said Barrett. “Her father went on to say ‘she was just unbelievable. She was a very strong willed young girl who had everything going for her. He described his daughter as smart, beautiful and caring.’”

Seventeen-year-old Helena Ramsey was also honored by a volunteer during the vigil.

“Helena was smart, kind-hearted and thoughtful, her relative Curtis Page wrote on Facebook,” said the volunteer. “Though she was somewhat reserved, she had a relentless motivation towards her academic studies, and her soft warm demeanor brought the best out in all who knew her.”

Kimberlee Kossover Hansen said 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver “was extremely close” with his family and girlfriend.

“Joaquin was born in Venezuela and moved to the U.S. at the age of 3,” said Kossover-Hansen. “He became a U.S. citizen in January 2017 and lived in Coral Springs. People often spelled Joaquin’s name wrong, so he went with a snappy nickname: Guac. A close friend of Joaquin said ‘he played basketball in the city recreation league, loved to write and filled a notebook with poetry.’”

Fire Chief Mark Tetreault honored 17-year-old Nicholas Dworet during the vigil.

“Nicholas was a star swimmer and a senior,” said Tetreault. “He had a scholarship to the University of Indianapolis, and planned to study physical therapy. Mr. Hite, the university’s swim coach, said he was on a major upswing in his life and he felt like the best has yet to come from him.”

Wendy Dixon paid tribute to 16-year-old Carmen Schentrup.

“Carmen Schentrup was a 2018 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist,” said Dixon. “She was the smartest 16-year-old her cousin, Matt Brandow, had ever met. ‘I am in a daze right now’, he wrote. Her funeral was the day before her 17th birthday. Remarks at her funeral included ‘Carmen, a musician, was a future Gator who would have made this world a better place for all of us after she attended the University of Florida.’”

A volunteer honored the life and legacy of 15-year-old Luke Hoyer.

“Luke spent last Christmas with his extended family in South Carolina, where he bowled, enjoyed a big holiday meal and swapped stories with relatives,” said the volunteer. “A cousin, Grant Cox, said Luke was a basketball player, was ambitious about the sport and admired NBA stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. ‘I know Luke loved his family,’ Grant said. He had a huge heart, and was a quiet and happy individual.”

Lorelei Eckhardt paid tribute to 15-year-old Peter Wang, who died while helping classmates escape the shooting. The United States Military Academy at West Point posthumously accepted Wang on Feb. 20.

“Peter was always so nice and so generous,” said Lorelei. “He was the kid in the school who could be friends with anybody. He didn’t care about popularity.”

Annabelle Eckhardt honored 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg.

“Jamie danced non stop,” said Annabelle. “Her aunt Ellen said she would dance for hours. Jamie’s Facebook page, now memorialized, shows her dancing, hanging out with friends, enjoying the beach and snuggling with a dog.”

Another volunteer honored 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff.

“Alyssa played competitive soccer since she was 3-years-old,” said the volunteer. “She had an outgoing personality and a wide circle of friends. The score at her last time on the soccer field was 1-0 Parkland. Her mother told her, ‘I am so proud of you. It was the best game of your life.’”

A volunteer noted 14-year-old Alex Schacter “played trombone in the Stoneman Douglas Marching Band.”

“(Schacter) was proud to have participated in winning the state championship last year,” said the volunteer. “A freshman at the high school, he often played basketball with friends and was a sweetheart of a kid.”

A volunteer recognized the life and legacy of 14-year-old Alaina Petty.

“Alaina had helped clean up after Hurricane Irma in Florida,” said the volunteer. “She was an active member of a volunteer group, Helping Hands, with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her family said, ‘her selfless service brought peace and joy for those who lost everything during the storm.’”

Patrick Curley paid tribute to 14-year-old Martin Duque Anguiano.

“Martin’s brother described him as a very funny kid, outgoing and sometimes really quiet,” said Curley. “His brother Miguel went on to say he was sweet, caring and loved by all his family.”

A volunteer said 14-year-old freshman Gina Montalto was “a member of her school’s winter color guard team.

“A choreographer who works at Stoneham Douglas posted on Facebook ‘we lost a beautiful soul,’” said the volunteer.

A volunteer recognized 14-year-old Cara Loughran.

“Cara loved the beach, adored her cousins and was an excellent student,” said the volunteer. “Her aunt, Lindsay Fontana, wrote on 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.”

Reflections shared

After the vigil’s mourners said a few words about the victims, Chris Barrett spoke on behalf of the Board of Selectmen. He thanked Lynnfield for Love for hosting the vigil and honoring the “17 souls who are truly angels among us.”

“Though thousands of miles may separate our communities, this significant loss has been felt in cities and towns across America like our town,” said Barrett.

Five-year-old Sahana Pareek said the 17 victims will be truly missed.

“I want to send lots of love to the 17 people who died,” said Pareek.

Fifteen-year-old Isabel Geary gave an emotional speech during the vigil.

“When I think about people, I think about stories,” said Geary. “People always have stories that they share. Seventeen people’s stories ended too soon, but that should not be the end of their story. This should be a teaching lesson for all of us to learn that it’s not okay for a kid to go to school and have to worry about getting shot.”

Bourque Road resident Mark McDonough said the time has come to pass gun control legislation.

“We have had enough memorials and we have had enough prayers,” said McDonough. “It’s time to start doing something about this.”

The vigil’s attendees also signed a card that will be sent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.