Mom Of Jewish School Shooting Victim Begs Trump: ‘Do Something’

By Josefin Dolsten February 15, 2018

(JTA) — The mother of a 14-year-old Jewish girl killed in a shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, has a heartbreaking but powerful message for President Donald Trump.

Alyssa Alhadeff was among the 17 people killed when a gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon and began shooting. At least four other Jews, three students and a teacher, were among the victims.

In an intensely emotional interview with CNN, Lori Alhadeff yelled at the camera and begged Trump to take action.

“The gunman, a crazy person, just walks into the school, breaks down the window of my child’s door and starts shooting, shooting her, and killing her,” Alhadeff said.

“President Trump, you say what can you do? You can stop the guns from getting into these children’s hands. Put metal detectors at every entrance to the schools. What can you do? You can do a lot. This is not fair to our families, that our children go to school and have to get killed. I just spent the last two hours putting the burial arrangements for my daughter’s funeral, who’s 14. President Trump, please do something, do something, action, we need it now,” she continued.

Mother of one of the victims in the Florida shooting in an emotional CNN appearance: “Action! We need it now! These kids need safety now!” pic.twitter.com/kS5KDZnJnN

— Jim Dalrymple II (@Dalrymple) February 15, 2018

Josefin Dolsten is a New York-based writer who has reported for the Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Times of Israel and other Jewish publications. She currently works as an account director at Fenton Communications, supporting organizations that work to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights and more. Dolsten earned her B.A. in government from Cornell University and her M.A. in comparative religion and Jewish studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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