Students Make Emotional Return To Florida School After Shooting
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published March 01, 2018 | 01:45 AM
Parkland, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 01st Mar, 2018 ) :With tears, fears and defiance, students made an emotional return Wednesday to their Florida high school where a former classmate went on a shooting rampage two weeks ago, killing 17 people.
Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland were greeted by heavy security and scores of well-wishers as they returned to classes. Dozens of police officers lined the sidewalks saying "Good morning" to each child, retired officers passed out flowers.
Former students, neighbors and their children held banners reading "We love You," "You've Got This" and "We Are With You." "It's all a little overwhelming," said one 17-year-old student named William, who shared a classroom with two of the young victims, Nicholas Dworet and Meadow Pollack.
"It was just sad to go back there and not have my friends who were in the class with me anymore." Likewise, for Kimberly Miller, the first day back meant confronting the absence of her geography teacher, 35-year-old Scott Beigel.
Beigel was one of three staff killed, along with 14 teenagers, when former student Nikolas Cruz entered the school on Valentine's Day and opened fire with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. "It's pretty upsetting," said Miller.
"But it was also refreshing to talk to everyone because people don't really understand how it feels, no matter how much they try to understand." "You're at home and they try to empathize with you, but you come here and everyone else experienced it -- it's kind of a relief because they can just relate," said the 14-year-old.
While there were few open displays of grief, many students looked somber, speaking in hushed tones with their eyes downcast. Jonathan Abramchaev, 15, said it was "very emotional" to see his school again -- and that the first day back was largely spent working through those emotions.
"Seeing all the flowers by the gate, that really hurt me," he told AFP. "Today we were just discussing and talking out our feelings."
Recent Stories
Punjab CM Maryam faces legal case for wearing police uniform
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
More Stories From World
-
Ukraine jails couple for helping Russia strike hospital
10 minutes ago -
Togo opposition asks W.Africa court to overturn reforms
20 minutes ago -
Paris landmark Moulin Rouge's windmill sails collapse
40 minutes ago -
Ahead of feared Rafah invasion, Palestinians mourn bombardment dead
40 minutes ago -
155 killed in Tanzania as heavy rains cause floods, landslides: PM
40 minutes ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
40 minutes ago
-
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
50 minutes ago -
China-Bangladesh to hold joint military exercise in May
1 hour ago -
Residents protest as Venice launches five-euro entry fee
1 hour ago -
Portugal marks 50 years of democracy with far right on rise
2 hours ago -
Pakistan envoy visits TomatoWorld in Netherlands
2 hours ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
2 hours ago