PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County schools and the Parkland community came together to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students and staff, and injured 17 others with a series of touching tributes.
7News cameras captured the moment 17 doves were released Friday, as a community mourns and remembers the victims of the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre. The victims’ names were read aloud as family members lit a candle for them.
Among the loved ones on hand was Mitch Dworet, who lost his son Nicholas in the shooting.
“Love conquers hate, right? And I think we have to really think about the love, right?” he said. “We can’t carry the anger, because if we carry the anger, it just doesn’t serve us.”
Lori Alhadeff spoke about her last full day with her daughter Alyssa.
“On February 13th, Alyssa played in her last soccer game. [Her team] won the game, and Alyssa got in the car, and I turned to Alyssa, and I said, ‘Alyssa, you just played the best game of your life,’ and Alyssa said, ‘I know, Mom,'” she said.
Linda Schulman spoke about her last conversation with her son, schoolteacher Scott Beigel, who perished that day.
“I said ‘I love you’ like we always do, and I said ‘talk to you tomorrow.’ He said, ‘Yeah, Ma. I love you, talk to you tomorrow.’ But tomorrow never came,” she said.
On Valentine’s Day in 2018, a mass shooting occurred inside the 1200 building of the school’s Parkland campus. Since then, South Florida has marked this day as a solemn reminder to never forget the countless of lives forever changed, maintaining the sentiment of what the day is truly about: love.
Tony Montalto, who lost his daughter Gina in the shooting, also addressed mourners.
“They were part of this community, and it’s so important to have everyone come out here and remember who they were — these bright smiles, the jokes, the fun times,” he said. “That needs to be their legacy, not how they were taken from us.”
It was a painful day for Kelly Kieran and so many in Parkland.
“It’s an emotional day. Every year you feel the love — you see the ribbons on the tree, you see the rocks — and hopefully that brings comfort to those that are hurting worse than we are today,” she said. “We are clearly one of the fortunate families that our son walked out.”
They and countless others stopped at the northeast corner of MSD’s campus to pay their respects, and most importantly, to never forget.
“What’s your message to folks on a day like today?” asked 7News reporter Alex Browning.
“Be grateful for every day,” said Kieran.
To honor the lives lost, a moment of silence was held across Broward County schools, Friday morning.
Cameras captured students at Hollywood Hills High School during the moment of silence.
“At this time we pause to honor those we remember by reading their names. Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel,” was heard over the school’s intercom, as all of the victims’ names were read.
Over at Glades Middle School in Miramar, more than 250 students formed a heart in the field.
“Broward County Public Schools will never forget our fallen Eagles, and on this day, we spread love and kindness in their names,” said Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn.
At Harbordale Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale, students made their mark unsing fingerprints for a mural that reads “You belong.”
“We got to hear students discuss how to interact with each other with love and respect and treat each other with kindness,” said Broward Schools Board Member Sara Leonardi. “It was a really beautiful morning to spend at Harbordale.”
BCPS employees were busy Friday packing approximately 2,000 personal hygiene bags to help support students experiencing homelessness.
“Deodorants, toothbrushes, toothpaste, all of those things that we take for granted every day. We wake up, and it’s there, and some of our students don’t have that, so we want to make sure that we’re giving them the basic luxuries of life,” said Dr. Dildra Martin-Ogburn with BCPS.
The Parkland community gathered Friday afternoon for a remembrance that got underway at 5 p.m. Community leaders addressed those in attendance.
“We honor their memory, their light and the love they brought into this world,” said a speaker.
“This day is a reminder of the pain endured by many, but it’s also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to hope, resilience and unity,” said another speaker.
Montalto spoke with 7News after the remembrance ended.
“The families here in Parkland, of the victims, have been blessed by great community support over the years,” he said.
Parents like Montalto continue fighting for more safety in schools across the U.S.
“It’s time to start building schools that protect kids from the threats they face in the 21st century,” he said.
Soon, a permanent memorial honoring the victims will be constructed on a 150-acre preserve on the border of Coral Springs and Parkland.
The concept, designed by a Northern California artist, will features a circular seating area with a central fountain. The names of all of the victims will be etched into the memorial, which will contain 17 limestone monuments and 17 royal palm trees.
The memorial will serve as a place to remember the victims and the fight for change in this country to prevent other families from feeling this heartbreak.
“They all left a legacy of love and smiles, and that’s how they should be remembered,” said Montalto. “Not how they died, but how they lived.”
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.