Hundreds of students and families walked through the gates of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Sunday for the first time since a shooter killed 17 teenagers and teachers on Valentine's Day.
Returning back to campus today was hard. To the 17 beautiful people we lost, I love you.
Carrying flowers, dressed as angels, and wearing burgundy Eagles shirts, members of the Parkland community visited the high school campus for a “reunification” day Sunday. Supported by counselors, teachers, and staff, students walked back into their classrooms to gather the textbooks and backpacks they left behind while running for their lives during the shooting, the Miami Herald reported.
Here are some images from their emotional return.
Emma Gonzalez, a vocal member of the #NeverAgain gun control movement that emerged after the massacre, walks back to the high school.
Cameron Kasky, another student activist and leader of the movement, shared a photo of the return on Twitter.
It is GOOD TO BE HOME #MSDStrong #NeverAgain #MarchForOurLives
"Today was my first day back at school to retrieve my belongings. First thing I did was grab my camera and check the photos from that day...our lives have changed entirely, how i wish we could all just go back," another Stoneman Douglas student, Rain Valladares, tweeted.
today was my first day back at school where i had to retrieve my belongings. first thing i did was grab my camera f… https://t.co/TJy0dRBLKJ
People are seen in front of the freshman building where the mass shooting took place.
Another photo shared on Twitter showed flowers and tributes in front of the school.
Going back to school for the first time...this movement is for the 17 ❤️
People dressed as angels walk near Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
"My school. My home."
My school. My home. 🌹
"I missed you," another student said.
hi. i missed you.
People wait in line to visit the campus.
A couple wearing "Douglas Strong" shirts walks into the school.
"I will, I promise," one student tweeted, alongside a photo of a school building engraved with the motto "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World."
I will, I promise. #NeverAgain