Mormon Casualties in Florida School Shootings
On February 14, 14-year-old Mormon teen Alaina Petty passed away due to injuries she sustained during the Florida school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Another Mormon teen, Madeleine Wilford was shot in the back and in her arm during the attack. Madeleine has undergone multiple surgeries and will require more in the future.
Here is a brief excerpt of the report from LDS Living:
Minutes before classes were to end on February 14, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz allegedly opened fire on students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 and injuring another 14—five of whom sustained life-threatening injuries, according to NBC.
Cruz, who had recently been expelled from the school, has been charged with 17 counts of pre-meditated murder.
The slain and injured LDS teens both belonged to the Coral Springs Stake, and at this time we ask for your prayers for their families.
Here is the Church’s statement on the Florida shooting:
“Once again we find ourselves as a nation and as communities faced with a tragic loss of life and incomprehensible sorrow following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Among the many injured or killed were two members of our faith. To all of the victims and their loved ones, we extend our love. These are hours filled with grief, emptiness and a terrible sense of loss. We unite our prayers with millions of others who are mourning and praying for them.”
The family’s statement of slain LDS teen:
“We are heartbroken by the loss we feel in the tragedy that unfolded yesterday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Our hearts go out to the families of all impacted by this tragedy, and our prayers are for their comfort and healing. We wish to thank our family, friends, and the community for the love and support demonstrated to our family.
“It is important to sum up all that Alaina was and meant to her family and friends. Alaina was a vibrant and determined young woman, loved by all who knew her. Alaina loved to serve. She served her community through her participation in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas JROTC program and her countless hours of service as a volunteer for the “Helping Hands” program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Alaina was part of hundreds of volunteers that rushed to the most heavily impacted areas of Florida to clean up and help rebuild the lives of those devastated by Hurricane Irma. Her selfless service brought peace and joy to those that had lost everything during the storm. While we will not have the opportunity to watch her grow up and become the amazing woman we know she would become, we are keeping an eternal perspective. We are grateful for the knowledge that Alaina is a part of our eternal family and that we will reunite with her. This knowledge and unabiding faith in our Heavenly Father’s plan gives us comfort during this difficult time.
“Over the past 24 hours, our family has been touched by hundreds of acts of service. Words cannot convey the gratitude we have in our hearts for each of those acts. We wish to thank the staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the bravery that we understand they showed in protecting and ultimately saving many lives. We would also like to especially thank the first responders for their courage and bravery by running toward harm’s way and for bringing an end to yesterday’s violence.”