Family pushes for silent panic alarms in NY schools in honor of Parkland victim

Family members are pushing for a new law requiring silent panic alarms in all New York state public schools in honor of one of the victims of the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting.

The law, called Alyssa's Law, in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, is already in effect in New Jersey.

Alhadeff, a 14-year-old freshman soccer player, was among the 17 people gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. Friday will mark two years since the massacre.

"What we saw in Parkland was a fire alarm going off, and that caused chaos," New York State Senator David Carlucci said at a news conference Wednesday. "We need to keep it orderly and silent and make sure the first responders can respond as quick as possible."

"We need to provide our schools with the security funding that they need," Carlucci said, "and we believe this is the first step forward in making sure our students, our teachers are protected and safe in the place where they learn."

Alyssa was sitting in English class when she was shot 10 times, Alyssa's cousin, Jadyn Turner, a student in New York state, said at Wednesday's news conference.

The two cousins were just a few months apart in age and extremely close, she said.

"Alyssa is more than just a name or another statistic of a school shooting. She's a real person with a story and a life that was cut far too short," Turner said.

"Alyssa's Law would put silent panic alarms in all public schools across the state so that first responders could get to schools faster in order to help in any non evacuation emergency," she said. "By New York state taking the initiative to pass Alyssa's Law one life could be saved. And that one life will change hundreds of people's lives. Cousins can make memories, parents can laugh with their daughters instead of crying because of their deaths and siblings can fight instead of sitting in painful silence."

A relative also read a statement Wednesday on behalf of Alyssa's mother, Lori Alhadeff.

"As we approach the 2-year commemoration, my hurt burns with a pain and longing for Alyssa," her statement said. "Alyssa was everything. A bright scholar, talented soccer player, a wonderful friend to those who knew her and the center of our family unit."

"I remember sending a text to Alyssa during the indent. I told her to run and hide, that help was on the way," she said. "Unfortunately that help did not arrive. Had common sense school safety measures been in place that day, there's a chance that Alyssa and some of the other 17 who were murdered would have survived."

Carlucci tweeted, "We need to push for Alyssa's Law at the federal level, but if NY can lead the way with NJ, let's get it done."