PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student spoke to 7News about her long road to recovery after coming within inches of death during the shooting.
Survivor Samantha Fuentes was shot multiple times and watched her friends die during the school shooting on Feb. 14.
Fuentes has since been released from Memorial Hospital West, and she told 7News that her mission is now to make America’s schools safer.
It’s amazing that Fuentes can even walk, since she was shot in both legs.
Shrapnel is also lodged behind her right eye.
“At first there wasn’t any pain, actually,” Fuentes said. “I was so in such shock. There was so much adrenaline.”
The high school senior was hiding in her classroom when gunfire came through a window in the door.
“I remember not hearing for a while because of how loud the shots were,” she said, “and looking around and seeing my classmates and seeing that two were limp and not moving or verbal at all.”
Her friends Helena Ramsey and Nicholas Dworet died just feet away from her.
“Helena was overtly shot in the chest, so I thought she was done. I couldn’t see Nick’s face, but he was most likely shot in the face,” Fuentes said. “I remember panicking and then trying to calm everyone else down for a moment and then panicking again. I remember checking their pulses to see if they were alive, but they weren’t.”
7Skyforce hovered above as Coral Springs Parkland Fire Rescue placed Fuentes on a stretcher and then placed into the ambulance.
It has been a long week as Fuentes continues to recover, but she wants to join her classmates to fight to change gun laws.
When asked what her message is, Fuentes said, “That scenarios like this are entirely preventable. For you to point fingers is not the way of fixing any issues. It’s about holding each other’s hands, and it’s about uniting and acknowledging what the real issues are, and that’s that people are getting guns when they don’t need to.”
Despite her pain, Fuentes said she will be at Wednesday night’s town hall meeting on gun violence.
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