PARKLAND, Fla. _ Alex Schachter was a freshman trombone and baritone player who was on the rise in the school's marching band and orchestra, said Alexander Kaminsky, director of bands at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Alex started playing in the sixth grade at Westglades Middle School and was in his second semester in the high school marching band, which is physically demanding. He played baritone in the band and trombone in the orchestra.
"He was fairly quiet," Kaminsky said. But Alex worked hard to establish himself as someone who belonged in the 200-member band.
"The improvement I witnessed from him was admirable and inspiring," Kaminsky said. "I felt he really had a bright future on the trombone."
His mother died at an early age. An older brother, who also attends Stoneman Douglas, survived the attack.
The boy's father, Max, frequently visited the school to help out, Kaminsky recalled. "I know this was devastating for him."
