PARKLAND, Fla. _ Alyssa Alhadeff was a 14-year-old Stoneman Douglas High School student and a skilled soccer player who was a member of Parkland Travel Soccer.
Her mother, Lori Alhadeff, remembered her in a Facebook post:
"My Daughter Alyssa was killed today by a horrific act of violence. I just sent her to school and she was shot and killed.
"Alyssa was a talented soccer player, so smart, an amazing personality, incredible creative writer, and all she had to offer the world was love. She believed in people for being so honest. A knife is stabbed in my heart. I wish I could (have) taken those bullets for you. I will always love you and your memory will live on forever.
"Please kiss your children, tell them you love them, stand by them no matter what they want to be. To Alyssa's Friends 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!"
In an appearance on CNN, a grief-stricken Lori Alhadeff put her pain on full display, tearfully screaming into the camera for change and pleading for President Donald Trump to do something to stop mass shootings.
"I just spent the last two hours putting the funeral arrangements for my daughter's funeral, who's 14! President Trump, please do something. Do something! Action! We need it now! These kids need safety now!"
Alhadeff's message had CNN host Brooke Baldwin fighting back tears.
"Just hearing that mother, I'm sorry, it got me," Baldwin said, turning to Congressman Ted Deutsch, whom she was interviewing,
"What that grieving mother said is the most powerful message that everyone needs to hear," Deutsch said.
"Alyssa Alhadeff was a loved and well respected member of our club and community. Alyssa will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and all the other victims of this tragic event," the club wrote on its Facebook page.
Camp Coleman, a summer camp in Georgia run by the Union for Reform Judaism, also announced Alyssa's passing Thursday morning: "It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the very sad news that our camper Alyssa Alhadeff (Kesher 2017) was a victim in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. ... On behalf of the entire Coleman community, we offer heartfelt condolences and prayers for comfort to Alyssa's family and friends. May Alyssa's memory forever be ... a blessing."
Madison Ciccone, a Stoneman Douglas senior soccer player, was at a vigil at Parkland's Pine Trails Park on Thursday evening.
"At first she was quiet and then she came out of her shell as the season came long. She was always so sweet and whenever (people) were around her, everyone was laughing. She was such a light to be around ...
"She made everyone around her smile and she just had this energy that no one would contain," Ciccone said.
Alhadeff started the season on JV, but was called up to the varsity team near the end of the season.
"She was ecstatic (when she was called up)," Ciccone said. "It's an amazing feeling being a freshman on varsity."
Alhadeff is being buried Friday at Star of David in North Lauderdale, according to Rabbi Shuey Biston, of Chabad of Parkland.
