I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello and welcome to 3ABN.
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My name is John Lomacang
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and here we are in
Coral Springs, Florida
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with the Grady family.
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Many of you may have
heard about the tragic shooting
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at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas
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High School in
Parkland, Florida.
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And we have the privilege today
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and an opportunity to interview
one of the young ladies
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that is a student at
the Douglas High School.
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February 14th was a day
that changed Parkland for,
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I would say forever.
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And the events
that surrounded that day
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are going to be
recounted and shared
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through the life
of Samantha Grady.
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Samantha, it's so good
to have you here today.
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Matter of fact, it's
good to be in your home.
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And since we are not strangers,
it's good to see Sally and Jim,
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thank you for giving us
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the opportunity to
come in your home today.
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And we know that,
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with what happened
at Douglas High School,
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it's still fresh in your mind,
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it's something
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that you will be
living for some time,
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and I know that
with the tragedies
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and the things
that continue to happen
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as a result of that day.
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We are just praying for you,
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and we have
been praying for you,
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and we thank you
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for just giving
us the opportunity,
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even though we
are family friends.
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Thank you for taking the
time to tell us the story.
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And, Jim and Sally, thank you
for opening your home up to us
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and giving us a
chance to get the story.
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I want to just
dive right into it.
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Samantha, tell us about...
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Take us back to February
14th at Douglas High School.
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All right.
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So as usual,
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I was running late
because, unfortunately,
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but that morning I
had a lot of things to do.
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The night before,
I had this concert,
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All-County with my orchestra,
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and I played in that
so I was sleep-deprived,
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and I had a test the next day,
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and I was just, I
was completely out of it.
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But I had to go
rush to my teacher,
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get my course card signed,
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and I had a lot of
things to do that day.
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So I was...
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As soon as I got to school,
I was rushing to do that.
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And like most
days when I'm on time,
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I meet with my friend Helena,
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and we like walk
to class together,
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or we have like a few
like, we chat before school,
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but I didn't have
time to see her today
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because I had to do
a lot of other things.
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So I went to my class AP Psych
and suffered through my test.
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And then I met up with Helena,
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and she gave me
like a little valentine,
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like with a
person's picture on it
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that she knew kind
of that I kind of like,
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like and then a nice lollipop.
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And I was like, I
was really touched
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'cause like she knew exactly
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what I liked and it
was, I mean, I cried, kind of
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'cause that's just who I am,
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like when someone gives
me something I'm just like,
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"Oh, my goodness,
thank you so much."
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And so I was really
touched and then we separated,
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and I had to go to my
personalization class,
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and I was doing some homework,
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and then there was a fire drill,
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and then we all got up we left.
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We came back in
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and it was
nothing like really big
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because we were just
like, "Okay, fire drill."
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Routine. It's a routine, yeah.
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And we were
kind of annoyed by it
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because like I
just got situated.
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And the thing is
with fire drills now,
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I have to take everything up.
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So I just put all my stuff down,
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and then I had to take
them all up and go out.
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So it was...
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That was, that's
pretty much my day,
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and then lunch,
and then we sat lunch,
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we talked together.
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There's a group of
us at lunch with Helena,
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and a few other
friends, and we were talking,
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and, you know, making jokes,
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watching videos,
things that teenagers do.
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And then I went to
physics, and my class,
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and then I went to
Holocaust after physics, and...
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And fire drills at your
school are not a small event.
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How many students about
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are at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School?
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Around almost 4,000. Wow.
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So it's a really,
really big school.
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So when they say fire
drill, everybody has to go out.
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I mean, we all separated
into our different zones.
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So they just put that regulation
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in like a month ago actually.
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So we're all separated
into our different zones.
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So some teachers go here
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and other
teachers go another place.
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So it's not all confusion
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because it used to be like
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everyone just get out,
but now it's more organized.
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And what are some of the
things that they did that day
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because of the fire drill?
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Well, I mean, what we did
in the first fire drill...
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We're just in the fire drill.
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We left the class,
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we took all of
our bags and stuff.
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Some people didn't
because after a month,
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you kind of started to get
a little lackadaisical like,
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with like everything.
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So you just don't think
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it's as
important as it used to be.
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So we just went to
the senior parking lot.
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We lined up and
the teacher counted us
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to make sure we were all there
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and then they
held up a sign saying,
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"All of our students are here."
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Then we just waited
for the bell to ring,
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and then we went back to class,
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and then we did what
we had to do in the class.
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So that takes
all about how long?
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Took more like
a 20-minute. Okay.
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Yeah, 'cause the
administrators had to go around
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and check everything so...
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So this fire drill happened
about what time of the day?
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Around like 9:30.
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Okay, early part
of the day. Yeah.
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Kind of get it out of the
way, not to break the class.
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But after you had already
gotten situated you thought,
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well, we could really
do without a fire drill.
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Yeah.
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But when you look back on it,
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some of the things that happened
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because of the
fire drill were keys
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to keeping the casualties down
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because just to kind of clarify,
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is it true that some of
the classrooms remained locked
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because of the fire drill?
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How does that happen?
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So according to my teacher
that morning for some reason,
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thank goodness,
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the school
decided to like reinforce,
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like all of the
security measures
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that they previously
made because as I was saying
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before a lot of
people were kind of like
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they were getting a
little bit lazy with,
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they're keeping
their doors unlocked,
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you know, so they
wouldn't be bothered
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by students
going to the bathroom.
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But this time they made sure
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like every door
has to be locked,
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which really, really
helped and saved multiple lives.
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So yeah, all of the doors
just like locked in general,
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not necessarily
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because of the fire
drill, but in general.
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So like if the student
has to go to the restroom,
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the teacher has to like...
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Well, they can
open the door and go,
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but the teacher has
to like stop the lesson
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then go open the door for
them when they come back so,
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I mean, I'm happy
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that those security
measures were put in place.
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Yeah, that
proved to be significant
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as you said keeping
the casualty count down.
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But there's something else
that happened on February 14th
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you have a
particular family routine
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that how you start your day.
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Let's talk about that.
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So in the morning
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after I get
dressed and I rush and eat,
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me and my mother,
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since my father is not awake yet
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because, you know,
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it's like really
early in the morning.
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We have worship,
we read a scripture,
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sometimes we sing a song,
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and then we talk
about the scripture,
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and what it means, and
then after that we pray,
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and then we start the
day of going to school.
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And that particular day,
bringing your mom, Sally,
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it's so good to have you here.
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Tell us through the microphone,
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what scripture
you read that day?
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Psalms 22, and it was,
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"My God, my God why
hast thou forsaken me?"
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And Samantha said to me,
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"But, Mom, this
was what Jesus said
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when He was dying on the cross."
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And I said yes, and she said,
00:09:03.64\00:09:06.21
"Well, I didn't know it
was David wrote about it."
00:09:06.24\00:09:09.21
And I said yes, and
I started to give her,
00:09:09.24\00:09:12.15
you know, a little
quick synopsis of David
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when he was
running away from Saul.
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Yeah, and then afterwards
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because time, we
didn't have a lot of time.
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I said to her,
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"And, remember,
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you're almost
through high school.
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Now you only have a year,
and some more months to go,
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and you have to be a witness.
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God have you at this
school for a specific reason
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and someone there
needs to know about God."
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That's right.
00:09:36.47\00:09:37.81
And we noticed that
by the way just to...
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As we talk about, just
peeking into the interview
00:09:39.51\00:09:41.98
and what was seen on NBC
and maybe some other networks.
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There was a peace that you had
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that I think
contributed to the routine
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you have in your
family of praying,
00:09:51.19\00:09:53.76
beginning your day with the God.
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But then on that particular day,
00:09:55.59\00:09:58.46
you always have
a particular prayer
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that you pray
00:09:59.86\00:10:01.20
before you take
Samantha to school.
00:10:01.23\00:10:03.10
Yes. And what was it that day?
00:10:03.13\00:10:04.47
Yes, we prayed, we
knelt, and she prayed,
00:10:04.50\00:10:06.63
and I always prayed last.
00:10:06.67\00:10:08.17
And I pronounced,
00:10:08.20\00:10:09.54
"Lord, I'm asking You to
bring us safe on the road,
00:10:09.57\00:10:14.34
keep Samantha safe in school,
00:10:14.38\00:10:16.08
and bring her
back home safe to us."
00:10:16.11\00:10:18.91
We pray this prayer
every day and there was...
00:10:18.95\00:10:21.98
Many times I say,
00:10:22.02\00:10:23.35
"Lord, we cannot make it
without You going and leading."
00:10:23.39\00:10:27.86
And that was the prayer.
00:10:27.89\00:10:29.22
But what meaning
does that have to you,
00:10:29.26\00:10:31.83
beginning your day with God?
00:10:31.86\00:10:33.23
When I don't have worship,
00:10:33.26\00:10:34.83
I do kind of feel
a sense of unease.
00:10:34.86\00:10:37.20
So, like, when I
did as a routine,
00:10:37.23\00:10:38.83
I didn't think it
was like important
00:10:38.87\00:10:40.30
but when I don't have it,
00:10:40.34\00:10:41.67
I know that like
I'm missing something.
00:10:41.70\00:10:44.37
So it definitely does generate
00:10:44.41\00:10:47.94
some type of
calm, some type, like,
00:10:47.98\00:10:50.35
it does make me
feel more like protected
00:10:50.38\00:10:53.01
or that I'm okay
going out in the world,
00:10:53.05\00:10:56.62
you know, I'm not more safe
but like, you know, I'm more...
00:10:56.65\00:11:00.76
Feel more comfortable.
Feel more confident.
00:11:00.79\00:11:02.16
Confident that you're
not going by yourself.
00:11:02.19\00:11:04.19
Yes. That the Lord is with you.
00:11:04.23\00:11:06.36
Take us back.
00:11:06.39\00:11:07.73
So you had the fire drill,
everybody's back in class.
00:11:07.76\00:11:13.13
What actually,
what subject were you in
00:11:13.17\00:11:15.20
at that particular time?
00:11:15.24\00:11:16.60
Well, during the fire
00:11:16.64\00:11:17.97
I was in a
personalization or study hall.
00:11:18.01\00:11:20.41
So I just had
00:11:20.44\00:11:21.78
the whole two hours to myself
like to do homework and stuff.
00:11:21.81\00:11:26.38
And so now take us to
the scene as it unfolded.
00:11:26.41\00:11:30.99
The school is
pretty much relaxed...
00:11:31.02\00:11:34.19
Take us to the
moments leading up
00:11:34.22\00:11:37.33
to that tragic event?
00:11:37.36\00:11:39.89
So I was in my Holocaust class,
00:11:39.93\00:11:42.60
which is the class
dedicated to like knowing about
00:11:42.63\00:11:44.90
the Holocaust and
spreading awareness.
00:11:44.93\00:11:46.80
And we were doing
this eyewitness program,
00:11:46.84\00:11:50.47
where we were like listening
00:11:50.51\00:11:51.84
to the tales or
Holocaust survivors
00:11:51.87\00:11:56.58
and the trials
that they go through,
00:11:56.61\00:11:58.41
more
specifically of the Olympics,
00:11:58.45\00:12:00.45
I believe of 1936 in Germany.
00:12:00.48\00:12:03.95
We were focusing mainly on that.
00:12:03.99\00:12:06.65
And I was typing on my computer
00:12:06.69\00:12:09.29
which took me a while to get on
00:12:09.32\00:12:10.76
because it was like the
internet was going crazy.
00:12:10.79\00:12:13.60
But I finally got on, and
I was typing my responses,
00:12:13.63\00:12:17.00
watching the videos,
00:12:17.03\00:12:18.37
typing like a little paragraphs,
00:12:18.40\00:12:20.54
and I was also listening
to some music, and I want...
00:12:20.57\00:12:24.51
'Cause like that's what, I
mean, like me and my friend,
00:12:24.54\00:12:26.51
we kind of just
like it's not like
00:12:26.54\00:12:28.94
we just had this
bond over something,
00:12:28.98\00:12:31.05
and like I wanted
to show her something.
00:12:31.08\00:12:33.42
So I'm just like look
at this and she's like,
00:12:33.45\00:12:35.52
"Oh, I don't know what that is."
00:12:35.55\00:12:39.45
So I'm just like, okay,
00:12:39.49\00:12:40.82
and then I took out my phone
00:12:40.86\00:12:42.19
'cause I wanted to
show her another picture.
00:12:42.22\00:12:43.56
It was Helena?
Yes, my friend Helena.
00:12:43.59\00:12:45.43
I took out a phone
00:12:45.46\00:12:46.80
'cause I wanted to show
her a picture of someone
00:12:46.83\00:12:48.63
and then I heard this shot.
00:12:48.66\00:12:52.17
My friend
Amanda, my good friend,
00:12:52.20\00:12:54.20
she was sitting
to the right of me.
00:12:54.24\00:12:56.04
And she ran as
soon as she heard it
00:12:56.07\00:12:58.57
'cause I guess her body
00:12:58.61\00:12:59.94
just identified it
and it took action.
00:12:59.97\00:13:02.71
But it took me
like a few seconds
00:13:02.74\00:13:05.31
'cause I heard the
first shot, I'm just like...
00:13:05.35\00:13:08.72
Okay, that's a thing.
00:13:08.75\00:13:11.02
Is this real? And
then the second one.
00:13:11.05\00:13:13.89
It still didn't process,
but I identified it but I'm,
00:13:13.92\00:13:17.76
like my body was
still slow to react
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.19
because I've never
ever heard a gunshot
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.06
in my life before that.
00:13:21.10\00:13:22.73
Except on television,
00:13:22.76\00:13:24.10
and you don't really know
when you're going to identify.
00:13:24.13\00:13:25.47
Right. Yeah,
'cause it's television.
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.07
Was it loud? Very
much so, very, very loud.
00:13:27.10\00:13:30.91
It wasn't
deafening but it was very...
00:13:30.94\00:13:32.77
Like I could tell it was close,
00:13:32.81\00:13:34.71
that's how I knew
it was something bad.
00:13:34.74\00:13:36.95
But my friend
Helena, she was behind me,
00:13:36.98\00:13:39.21
she pushed my
shoulder, and said, "Sam."
00:13:39.25\00:13:41.32
And that really jolted me
00:13:41.35\00:13:43.28
so I ran to the left
side of the classroom
00:13:43.32\00:13:47.56
by this huge bookshelf
00:13:47.59\00:13:49.26
and there was
two cabinets there.
00:13:49.29\00:13:52.13
One big metal cabinet,
00:13:52.16\00:13:53.93
and then the one like
tiny little like cabinet,
00:13:53.96\00:13:57.10
and there's this big TV,
00:13:57.13\00:13:58.87
not a TV but it's a smart board,
00:13:58.90\00:14:00.64
this big smart board.
00:14:00.67\00:14:02.00
So we all ran there and
we like huddled together
00:14:02.04\00:14:06.24
trying to get out
of the line a shot
00:14:06.27\00:14:07.61
as much as possible.
00:14:07.64\00:14:10.58
There was these guys there,
00:14:10.61\00:14:12.45
they were very
brave but they stood up
00:14:12.48\00:14:15.68
and they pushed one
of the cabinets over us,
00:14:15.72\00:14:19.72
not over us but
like trying to block it
00:14:19.75\00:14:21.42
as much as they could
00:14:21.46\00:14:22.79
before the guy
came to our classroom.
00:14:22.82\00:14:24.53
Because when the
first shots occurred,
00:14:24.56\00:14:27.60
he didn't come to our classroom,
00:14:27.63\00:14:29.36
he went to two
others previously.
00:14:29.40\00:14:31.30
And people in the
hallway unfortunately,
00:14:31.33\00:14:34.40
they were hit first.
00:14:34.44\00:14:36.30
So we had a little
time to move ourselves away
00:14:36.34\00:14:40.28
from the door, out
of the line of shot.
00:14:40.31\00:14:43.35
So they pushed the
cabinet in front of us,
00:14:43.38\00:14:46.31
we were crouching
all squished together
00:14:46.35\00:14:49.82
and then my friend
Helena behind me she's like,
00:14:49.85\00:14:52.35
"Grab a book, maybe
it'll help, grab a book."
00:14:52.39\00:14:54.52
I held a book, I grabbed
like any book I could find,
00:14:54.56\00:14:56.49
I wasn't really
concerned, I held it up.
00:14:56.52\00:14:58.06
It was such a tiny book, I
really don't think it helped,
00:14:58.09\00:15:01.66
but it was more of
like a defense mechanism
00:15:01.70\00:15:04.80
just holding it up,
just like, you know...
00:15:04.83\00:15:07.14
Yeah, reactionary.
00:15:07.17\00:15:08.50
Yeah, so something
that I felt a little safer.
00:15:08.54\00:15:11.51
One thing
though that I remember,
00:15:11.54\00:15:14.21
for some reason, I
was completely like...
00:15:14.24\00:15:16.75
And I was like...
00:15:16.78\00:15:18.11
My body was
shaking but I was calm,
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.65
and I just had this surety,
00:15:20.68\00:15:22.52
nothing's going to happen to me.
00:15:22.55\00:15:24.25
I don't know why, I
don't know how, but I mean...
00:15:24.29\00:15:27.79
You felt this
peace. I felt this peace.
00:15:27.82\00:15:30.09
I just... I'm
like, I'm not gonna die.
00:15:30.13\00:15:32.39
I knew for a fact,
00:15:32.43\00:15:34.26
I am not going to die, not like,
00:15:34.30\00:15:35.86
you know, reassuring
myself, "Oh, I'm not gonna die.
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.23
I'm not gonna die,
it's not gonna happen."
00:15:38.27\00:15:39.60
It was just... It was a fact.
00:15:39.63\00:15:40.97
Almost like a confirmation.
Yes, it was a confirmation.
00:15:41.00\00:15:42.77
I'm like, I'm not going to die.
00:15:42.80\00:15:44.81
And as soon as I
went to them like,
00:15:44.84\00:15:46.88
I prayed, I was
praying constantly.
00:15:46.91\00:15:48.54
I'm like, "God,
it's all in Your hands."
00:15:48.58\00:15:50.48
I didn't even say
help me, it was like,
00:15:50.51\00:15:52.55
"It's all in Your hands.
00:15:52.58\00:15:53.98
You know what You're
doing. It's all in Your hands."
00:15:54.02\00:15:57.45
I mean, I don't know
why I prayed that prayer,
00:15:57.49\00:16:00.26
but it just felt right,
00:16:00.29\00:16:01.86
and like it's all in Your hands,
00:16:01.89\00:16:03.96
everything is in Your hands.
00:16:03.99\00:16:07.13
And then, going on,
00:16:07.16\00:16:09.26
my friend Helena,
she was behind me,
00:16:09.30\00:16:10.97
towed me the book.
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.33
I held the book up
00:16:12.37\00:16:13.70
and then you
could feel the impacts,
00:16:13.74\00:16:16.27
like not necessarily on
us but it was like heavy,
00:16:16.30\00:16:20.14
like you could feel
it hitting the wall.
00:16:20.18\00:16:23.08
Like there's this certain
thing to like a gun, like,
00:16:23.11\00:16:25.41
you just know like
something's firing,
00:16:25.45\00:16:28.02
like the impact
hitting the wall.
00:16:28.05\00:16:30.85
And then, I felt it
hitting my friend and...
00:16:30.89\00:16:35.02
By then, had he
broken through or...
00:16:35.06\00:16:37.36
He didn't come in the classroom
00:16:37.39\00:16:39.59
because as I said
previously thankfully
00:16:39.63\00:16:41.50
the doors were locked.
00:16:41.53\00:16:42.86
And he was like kind of looking
for a door but he was very much
00:16:42.90\00:16:45.97
concerned about himself.
00:16:46.00\00:16:47.94
So he didn't want to be seen,
00:16:47.97\00:16:49.30
so he didn't really
like open the door and like,
00:16:49.34\00:16:51.91
you know, "Hey, I'm here."
00:16:51.94\00:16:53.44
So he shot through the window,
there's like a little glass,
00:16:53.48\00:16:58.15
rectangular thing.
00:16:58.18\00:16:59.51
He shot through the
window multiple times.
00:16:59.55\00:17:02.22
So he can first
get through the window
00:17:02.25\00:17:04.49
because our windows are designed
00:17:04.52\00:17:06.39
to kind of be a little
barrier to a gunshot, not...
00:17:06.42\00:17:10.46
So are they big
windows or little windows?
00:17:10.49\00:17:11.83
No, they're tiny windows
00:17:11.86\00:17:13.19
but they have
like zigzags on them.
00:17:13.23\00:17:14.93
So it doesn't go
straight through,
00:17:14.96\00:17:17.57
like something like a bullet
doesn't go straight through.
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.64
So he shot a few times,
00:17:20.67\00:17:22.10
trying to get
like a hole big enough,
00:17:22.14\00:17:23.81
and then he continued to shoot
in our classroom trying to,
00:17:23.84\00:17:26.34
you know, shoot as much...
00:17:26.37\00:17:27.71
Just randomly.
00:17:27.74\00:17:29.08
Just randomly, thankfully
he didn't do, like, specific
00:17:29.11\00:17:31.48
he was just
randomly as much as he could.
00:17:31.51\00:17:34.02
But it ended up
hitting my friend
00:17:34.05\00:17:35.48
and hitting this guy
Nick who was right next to me.
00:17:35.52\00:17:39.39
He, you know, he
unfortunately died,
00:17:39.42\00:17:42.66
and then unfortunately
my friend did as well.
00:17:42.69\00:17:45.19
Did you see
00:17:45.23\00:17:46.56
the immediate
impact on the people
00:17:46.59\00:17:48.06
that were hit next to you?
00:17:48.10\00:17:50.83
Kind of, it was more
like, it was kind of slow motion
00:17:50.87\00:17:52.97
because I've seen Nick,
00:17:53.00\00:17:54.47
he was like standing
a little away from me
00:17:54.50\00:17:56.87
and then he
laid down next to me,
00:17:56.91\00:17:59.34
not like laid down but he...
00:17:59.37\00:18:00.71
Collapsed.
00:18:00.74\00:18:02.08
He kind of collapsed next to me.
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.25
And I was still moving away,
00:18:04.28\00:18:07.12
closer to the people that I was
00:18:07.15\00:18:09.12
with because I was
kind of a little visual
00:18:09.15\00:18:13.86
like they could...
00:18:13.89\00:18:15.22
You couldn't see me completely
00:18:15.26\00:18:17.19
but I was like
00:18:17.23\00:18:19.09
if I moved my head a little bit,
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.66
I could see him.
00:18:20.70\00:18:22.03
So I'm just like
if I can see him,
00:18:22.06\00:18:23.87
he could probably see me.
00:18:23.90\00:18:25.23
So I was trying to move closer
to the people in front of me,
00:18:25.27\00:18:27.97
and I was
completely on top of this guy,
00:18:28.00\00:18:29.54
I mean, don't know him,
00:18:29.57\00:18:30.91
but I was
completely on top of this guy.
00:18:30.94\00:18:33.17
I'm trying to get
away and then my friend
00:18:33.21\00:18:36.64
she got hit
multiple times I believe.
00:18:36.68\00:18:42.05
Yeah, and I...
00:18:42.08\00:18:43.42
Is that Helena? Helena, yes.
00:18:43.45\00:18:45.09
I've seen her fall over,
00:18:45.12\00:18:47.16
not fall over but
slump to the right.
00:18:47.19\00:18:50.89
And, I mean, I knew, like,
00:18:50.93\00:18:55.33
in my mind I'm just
like, I've just seen this.
00:18:55.36\00:18:57.80
But it didn't, I
had to push it away
00:18:57.83\00:18:59.73
because he was
still firing and I'm like,
00:18:59.77\00:19:02.44
I can't
concentrate on that right now,
00:19:02.47\00:19:04.44
there is people crying.
00:19:04.47\00:19:06.14
I'm like...
00:19:06.17\00:19:07.51
And there was this
girl, she was crying,
00:19:07.54\00:19:08.94
she was texting
everyone she knew
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.68
because like she believed
that this was her last moment,
00:19:10.71\00:19:13.78
and I had to calm her down.
00:19:13.82\00:19:15.65
Because if I didn't, he might,
00:19:15.68\00:19:18.49
you know, come back or he might,
00:19:18.52\00:19:20.59
you know, put a
more target on us
00:19:20.62\00:19:22.79
'cause he knew
people were alive there.
00:19:22.82\00:19:24.93
And people covered her mouth
but then she couldn't breathe
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.10
so we had to let
go but she was...
00:19:27.13\00:19:28.46
In another words,
00:19:28.50\00:19:29.83
"Don't make noise,
don't get his attention."
00:19:29.86\00:19:31.20
Yeah, exactly,
'cause he wanted people
00:19:31.23\00:19:33.70
to, like, scream
and tear, at least,
00:19:33.74\00:19:35.97
from what I've heard,
00:19:36.00\00:19:37.34
he'd kind of, like,
had that gratification.
00:19:37.37\00:19:40.68
So we kind of were just like,
00:19:40.71\00:19:42.54
"Don't do that,
that's what they want,
00:19:42.58\00:19:44.08
be quiet, be quiet."
00:19:44.11\00:19:46.01
And we were
just calming her down
00:19:46.05\00:19:47.65
the whole entire time.
00:19:47.68\00:19:49.02
So, yeah,
00:19:49.05\00:19:50.39
I couldn't
really focus on, like,
00:19:50.42\00:19:51.75
I wanted to and,
00:19:51.79\00:19:53.12
I mean, at one
point I did lose my cool.
00:19:53.15\00:19:54.49
But it was like,
00:19:54.52\00:19:55.86
for a second I'm
like, you know, "Sam, stop.
00:19:55.89\00:19:57.29
Continue, just focus on
00:19:57.33\00:19:58.89
what we have to do
we will get out of this.
00:19:58.93\00:20:01.16
We got this,
just focus on a layer.
00:20:01.20\00:20:04.07
Call 911.
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.50
Do what you have to do."
00:20:05.53\00:20:06.87
And I ended up calling 911.
00:20:06.90\00:20:11.91
I spoke to them
00:20:11.94\00:20:13.27
and, you know, I
told them the situation,
00:20:13.31\00:20:14.64
I'm like...
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.01
So in the middle of all of this,
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.38
you were composed
enough to call 911?
00:20:17.41\00:20:19.75
For some reason, yes, I was...
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.62
He was still
shooting when I called,
00:20:22.65\00:20:24.79
but he wasn't in our classroom.
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.89
It was randomly,
the bullets were just...
00:20:26.92\00:20:28.89
It was, I mean, I
didn't have time to like,
00:20:28.92\00:20:31.29
you know, observe or...
00:20:31.33\00:20:33.13
I just, I wasn't
concerned about that.
00:20:33.16\00:20:34.50
I don't even know
00:20:34.53\00:20:35.86
when I got hit, I
don't even know how,
00:20:35.90\00:20:38.70
I don't know any of that.
00:20:38.73\00:20:40.17
All I know is I was trying
to move closer and closer,
00:20:40.20\00:20:43.10
closer up,
possibly that's when...
00:20:43.14\00:20:46.54
Did you feel it?
00:20:46.57\00:20:48.98
I didn't feel the impact,
but I knew something happened.
00:20:49.01\00:20:51.68
Okay.
00:20:51.71\00:20:53.05
Like, I didn't know exactly
00:20:53.08\00:20:54.42
'cause, I mean, I knew
something happened enough
00:20:54.45\00:20:57.75
for me to be hurt
00:20:57.79\00:20:59.12
because I felt, as I
said, I felt like some liquid.
00:20:59.15\00:21:00.96
So I knew I was
hurt in some way,
00:21:00.99\00:21:02.52
but I didn't think
it was anything really
00:21:02.56\00:21:04.86
because I didn't feel faint,
00:21:04.89\00:21:06.70
I didn't feel like I
was going to pass out.
00:21:06.73\00:21:09.26
So I'm just like,
"Okay, it must be minor.
00:21:09.30\00:21:11.43
Let me just
continue what I'm doing."
00:21:11.47\00:21:13.34
And you were shot twice?
00:21:13.37\00:21:16.17
Yeah, well kind of I was graced
00:21:16.20\00:21:18.17
and then a fragment
ricocheted into my chest
00:21:18.21\00:21:23.18
so I still kind of
have fragments there.
00:21:23.21\00:21:25.35
But, yeah, I was kind of,
00:21:25.38\00:21:28.05
technically there
was two bullets involved.
00:21:28.08\00:21:30.09
Okay. Not only one.
00:21:30.12\00:21:31.45
So it didn't go straight there.
00:21:31.49\00:21:32.82
But there was this
girl, her name was Caitlyn.
00:21:32.85\00:21:34.92
She was hiding
behind this laptop cart.
00:21:34.96\00:21:38.33
She was right next to
my friend Helena actually.
00:21:38.36\00:21:40.80
She was holding her
hand and just saying,
00:21:40.83\00:21:43.47
"It's going to be
okay, it's going to be okay."
00:21:43.50\00:21:45.17
But she was the one who told
me that I had God graced, like,
00:21:45.20\00:21:47.74
I knew something happened
00:21:47.77\00:21:49.10
but as I said I
thought it was minor,
00:21:49.14\00:21:50.54
and I didn't
really like focus on it.
00:21:50.57\00:21:52.54
But like I was on 911
calling and she's like,
00:21:52.57\00:21:54.54
"You got grazed,
00:21:54.58\00:21:55.91
you got to get
checked that out."
00:21:55.94\00:21:57.28
And I'm like,
"Okay, okay, okay."
00:21:57.31\00:21:58.68
I'm like, "I'll
deal with that later,
00:21:58.71\00:22:00.12
I'll deal with that
later, but I'm like okay."
00:22:00.15\00:22:02.18
So I was talking on the phone
00:22:02.22\00:22:03.55
to the
attendants on the 911 line,
00:22:03.59\00:22:06.05
and I'm just like,
00:22:06.09\00:22:08.52
"There's a
shooting on my school.
00:22:08.56\00:22:10.33
I'm in the freshmen building.
00:22:10.36\00:22:11.73
I'm in..."
00:22:11.76\00:22:13.26
I didn't know
what room we were in.
00:22:13.29\00:22:14.63
I didn't have
time to think that.
00:22:14.66\00:22:16.00
So I'm just like,
00:22:16.03\00:22:17.37
I'm in the
freshman building somewhere.
00:22:17.40\00:22:19.43
We're in Miss Sheamus's class,"
that's all I really remembered.
00:22:19.47\00:22:22.87
And then she's like,
00:22:22.90\00:22:24.24
"Hold on the
line, stay on the line,
00:22:24.27\00:22:25.61
stay on the line."
00:22:25.64\00:22:26.98
And I was shaking, but
I was calm like she said,
00:22:27.01\00:22:29.78
"No matter what,
00:22:29.81\00:22:31.15
even if you have to drop
the phone, stay on the line."
00:22:31.18\00:22:34.48
And like, I don't like... I
didn't like how that sounded.
00:22:34.52\00:22:37.32
So in my mind I'm just like,
00:22:37.35\00:22:38.69
"I sincerely hope
it doesn't come to that
00:22:38.72\00:22:40.06
because that means
00:22:40.09\00:22:41.42
I would have a
face-to-face conflict
00:22:41.46\00:22:42.79
or I would have
to pretend something
00:22:42.82\00:22:44.16
that I didn't want to pretend."
00:22:44.19\00:22:45.53
So, like, even during that time,
00:22:45.56\00:22:47.16
I was thinking of
ways to pretend like,
00:22:47.20\00:22:49.73
you know, that I was dead.
00:22:49.76\00:22:51.10
I'm just like, so like...
00:22:51.13\00:22:52.83
There's a lot of things
rushing through your brain.
00:22:52.87\00:22:54.80
There's just all
these emotions, thoughts,
00:22:54.84\00:22:58.64
what do I do
next, what do I not do.
00:22:58.67\00:23:01.34
I mean, you're
just trying to survive.
00:23:01.38\00:23:02.94
Like you're doing
00:23:02.98\00:23:04.31
every animalistic
instinct or every,
00:23:04.35\00:23:06.82
like, any tiny, like, anything,
00:23:06.85\00:23:09.28
you just try like it's
just coming back to you,
00:23:09.32\00:23:12.25
like, from what you
heard on the television,
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.92
from when you heard,
like what people did,
00:23:14.96\00:23:16.99
like from previous incidents,
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.19
everything is coming
back to you at that moment.
00:23:19.23\00:23:21.46
Just like,
00:23:21.50\00:23:22.83
"Okay, so this is how
people did it to survive.
00:23:22.86\00:23:24.20
Maybe, if I do this..."
00:23:24.23\00:23:25.57
But fortunately, it
didn't have to come to that.
00:23:25.60\00:23:26.97
There's no checklist
that you go through...
00:23:27.00\00:23:28.34
No, it was just
like, let me do this now.
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.37
And when did you
get out of the classroom
00:23:30.41\00:23:31.74
or how did you get out?
00:23:31.77\00:23:33.11
Well, we heard voices.
00:23:33.14\00:23:34.48
A lot of manlike voices,
00:23:34.51\00:23:36.11
and we're just
like I was speculative,
00:23:36.14\00:23:38.28
and I'm like what is that.
00:23:38.31\00:23:39.65
So I thought it
was a security guard
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.02
at the school or something.
00:23:41.05\00:23:42.38
And then I'm like no,
00:23:42.42\00:23:43.75
it has to be the police squad
they wouldn't come in here.
00:23:43.79\00:23:45.72
But like as I said, my
friend, she was inconsolable,
00:23:45.75\00:23:47.92
she's like,
00:23:47.96\00:23:49.29
"It's not the
police, it's not the..."
00:23:49.32\00:23:50.66
It's like,
"They're all together."
00:23:50.69\00:23:52.03
And she was very, she
was like very paranoid,
00:23:52.06\00:23:54.63
and very like distrusting.
00:23:54.66\00:23:56.50
And so we heard them
and then like as I said
00:23:56.53\00:24:02.47
there was a
window and I could, like,
00:24:02.50\00:24:03.84
if I move my head enough,
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.21
I could kind of
see what's happening.
00:24:05.24\00:24:07.11
So I got a little
courage just like moved my head
00:24:07.14\00:24:09.58
and at the window
00:24:09.61\00:24:10.95
I've seen like
00:24:10.98\00:24:12.31
the SWAT team
dressed in all black
00:24:12.35\00:24:13.68
had the helmets, had
like these huge guns,
00:24:13.72\00:24:15.05
but like I knew
00:24:15.08\00:24:16.42
they weren't gonna
do anything with them.
00:24:16.45\00:24:17.79
But they had the guns there
00:24:17.82\00:24:19.79
and then they were
yelling at us like,
00:24:19.82\00:24:21.16
"Who's in here or
is anyone injured?"
00:24:21.19\00:24:22.52
And we were telling them,
00:24:22.56\00:24:23.89
"Yes, there's
30 people in here."
00:24:23.93\00:24:25.63
Oh, I forgot the number
but there's people in here,
00:24:25.66\00:24:27.66
there's people
injured, there's people
00:24:27.70\00:24:30.97
we don't know how
badly they're hurt."
00:24:31.00\00:24:34.04
And they're just like,
"Okay, put your hands up."
00:24:34.07\00:24:37.34
And like I was holding my phone,
00:24:37.37\00:24:38.71
and we all had
to put our hands up
00:24:38.74\00:24:40.14
'cause at that time the shooter
00:24:40.18\00:24:41.51
is still at large unfortunately.
00:24:41.54\00:24:42.88
So they didn't know
00:24:42.91\00:24:44.25
if he came in the class
and slipped in or anything
00:24:44.28\00:24:46.31
so they were
suspicious of everyone.
00:24:46.35\00:24:47.68
So I put my hand up, he
knocked down the window,
00:24:47.72\00:24:50.35
opened the door.
00:24:50.39\00:24:51.72
And he said, "Who's injured?"
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.32
And I raised hand
because as I said,
00:24:53.36\00:24:54.92
I didn't feel anything
00:24:54.96\00:24:56.29
but she told me
that I was injured.
00:24:56.32\00:24:57.66
So I'm just like,
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.03
I had doubt
00:24:59.06\00:25:00.40
that I was
injured enough to be seen
00:25:00.43\00:25:02.36
'cause I know
there was other people
00:25:02.40\00:25:03.73
that were more.
00:25:03.77\00:25:05.10
But I'm just like let
me just get it over with.
00:25:05.13\00:25:06.47
So I'm like, I raised my hand.
00:25:06.50\00:25:08.94
He like, you know,
he held the gun to me
00:25:08.97\00:25:10.51
but like I knew
nothing was wrong
00:25:10.54\00:25:12.44
'cause he was
just being cautious.
00:25:12.47\00:25:13.81
So he escorted me out to
outside of the classroom.
00:25:13.84\00:25:17.95
Then we went to...
00:25:17.98\00:25:19.31
There's a right side.
00:25:19.35\00:25:20.68
There's two exits to
the freshmen building
00:25:20.72\00:25:22.12
so I went to the right one.
00:25:22.15\00:25:24.02
And there was other people
coming out of other classrooms,
00:25:24.05\00:25:26.15
and we kind of just like
stood there for a second, like,
00:25:26.19\00:25:28.86
we know there was a guard there.
00:25:28.89\00:25:30.23
We just stood there.
00:25:30.26\00:25:31.59
We were quite confused
like, "Oh, are we safe?
00:25:31.63\00:25:35.10
Are we not?" And
then, he said, "Run."
00:25:35.13\00:25:38.13
So I ran, I've never
run that fast in my life.
00:25:38.17\00:25:41.90
So the officer just
said run. He said run.
00:25:41.94\00:25:44.57
So we ran to the...
00:25:44.61\00:25:46.78
There's a street,
00:25:46.81\00:25:48.14
we ran across the
street to this hill.
00:25:48.18\00:25:51.08
But how many of you
were running about that time?
00:25:51.11\00:25:53.68
Just the ones in your classroom?
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.05
No, they didn't
come out yet. Oh, okay.
00:25:55.08\00:25:57.22
'Cause only the
injured were taken out first,
00:25:57.25\00:25:59.95
and I was one of the injured
00:25:59.99\00:26:01.92
so there was about 10 of us
that were just kind of like,
00:26:01.96\00:26:05.59
"So what do we do now?"
00:26:05.63\00:26:06.96
And he said run.
00:26:07.00\00:26:08.33
And then at first
all these guys passed me
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.30
because they're faster.
00:26:10.33\00:26:11.90
And I was just
trying to run and I ran...
00:26:11.93\00:26:14.24
I didn't go across the
street, I ran behind a truck.
00:26:14.27\00:26:17.77
Was there any smell
of gunpowder in the air?
00:26:17.81\00:26:19.97
Yeah, I'll never
really forget that.
00:26:20.01\00:26:22.78
There was like,
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.15
it was a
combination of a smoke bomb
00:26:24.18\00:26:25.78
'cause he set a smoke bomb
00:26:25.81\00:26:27.22
so to get the fire alarm
going so people would leave.
00:26:27.25\00:26:31.29
So he set a smoke
bomb and the gunpowder.
00:26:31.32\00:26:35.52
According to my friend,
00:26:35.56\00:26:36.89
it was like
fireworks mixed with metal.
00:26:36.93\00:26:39.83
I'll never forget the smell
00:26:39.86\00:26:41.23
but I don't know
how to identify it.
00:26:41.26\00:26:42.86
So I'll just say
fireworks mixed with metal.
00:26:42.90\00:26:44.33
Right. But yeah, it was present.
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.77
As I said,
00:26:46.80\00:26:48.14
I didn't really
bother too much to...
00:26:48.17\00:26:49.54
I didn't retain
it really too much
00:26:49.57\00:26:52.41
because I know
it's a contradiction,
00:26:52.44\00:26:53.98
but I didn't really retain it
'cause I wasn't focused on it.
00:26:54.01\00:26:56.78
So I'm like,
"Okay, that's a smell,
00:26:56.81\00:26:58.71
let me just focus on
what I have at hand."
00:26:58.75\00:27:01.32
Trying to get
out of the building.
00:27:01.35\00:27:02.68
So at this time then,
00:27:02.72\00:27:04.29
Helena was still
in the classroom?
00:27:04.32\00:27:06.35
Yeah, I mean,
00:27:06.39\00:27:08.99
she didn't look
okay, she didn't look...
00:27:09.02\00:27:11.49
It didn't look good.
00:27:11.53\00:27:12.89
The situation did
not look good at all.
00:27:12.93\00:27:16.33
I had a very
strong like premonition,
00:27:16.36\00:27:19.80
like I knew it wasn't,
00:27:19.83\00:27:24.11
you know, the
situation didn't look good.
00:27:24.14\00:27:26.74
But I still cling,
00:27:26.78\00:27:28.58
like I clawed at
that one thread of hope.
00:27:28.61\00:27:31.85
I'm just like, just
in case maybe a miracle,
00:27:31.88\00:27:34.62
and I was praying
to God for a miracle
00:27:34.65\00:27:36.72
'cause I knew it
would take a miracle.
00:27:36.75\00:27:41.16
Yeah, so I was just...
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.36
that's the situation
with Helena but, yeah.
00:27:43.39\00:27:46.73
How long was it before...
00:27:46.76\00:27:48.66
Were there students coming
00:27:48.70\00:27:50.03
from other places at
the same time or they just,
00:27:50.07\00:27:51.87
only the injured
right now were coming out?
00:27:51.90\00:27:53.90
Well, there was one
building which he really hit.
00:27:53.94\00:27:59.91
The other students,
they were on lockdown.
00:27:59.94\00:28:02.18
So the rest of the
school besides my area,
00:28:02.21\00:28:06.68
they were on lockdown.
00:28:06.72\00:28:08.58
So the people in
those classrooms,
00:28:08.62\00:28:11.65
so it's like five classrooms.
00:28:11.69\00:28:14.89
They were just taking
care of the injured first
00:28:14.92\00:28:17.83
and then they were moving on to,
00:28:17.86\00:28:19.19
like the
students were coming out,
00:28:19.23\00:28:20.56
but just more of
the injured ones.
00:28:20.60\00:28:23.77
Talk about Helena, a
little bit here for us
00:28:23.80\00:28:25.93
because, you know,
00:28:25.97\00:28:27.30
you made
references to her quite a bit.
00:28:27.34\00:28:30.41
Tell us about
her because you said,
00:28:30.44\00:28:31.77
"My friend Helena, she
pushed me out of the way,
00:28:31.81\00:28:33.71
and I believe I'm here
because of what she did."
00:28:33.74\00:28:35.58
Yes.
00:28:35.61\00:28:36.95
How long have you known
her? Since eighth grade.
00:28:36.98\00:28:40.58
Well, I've known
her since seventh grade,
00:28:40.62\00:28:42.78
but we didn't become
friends since eighth grade.
00:28:42.82\00:28:46.45
Like we were in the same class
00:28:46.49\00:28:47.82
but I never
really talked to her,
00:28:47.86\00:28:49.19
only occasionally,
you know, being friendly.
00:28:49.22\00:28:51.43
But in eighth grade
00:28:51.46\00:28:52.79
we sat next to
each other in science
00:28:52.83\00:28:56.20
and then we talked,
00:28:56.23\00:28:57.80
you know, doing what friends do,
00:28:57.83\00:28:59.53
teasing other
people, not teasing but like,
00:28:59.57\00:29:01.54
you know, like making fun
of their accents, you know.
00:29:01.57\00:29:04.44
So we were doing that.
00:29:04.47\00:29:06.61
We, you know,
pretended we were like,
00:29:06.64\00:29:08.58
you know, certain people.
00:29:08.61\00:29:10.15
And like it was
just teenager acting.
00:29:10.18\00:29:12.15
Role playing. Yeah, exactly.
00:29:12.18\00:29:14.15
So we had a lot of jokes
and a lot of other things.
00:29:14.18\00:29:18.55
But you were not
just friends at school,
00:29:18.59\00:29:20.19
you had life outside of school.
00:29:20.22\00:29:21.69
Yes, we went on
a cruise together
00:29:21.72\00:29:24.99
in freshman year of high school.
00:29:25.03\00:29:28.36
We went out to eat
whenever like often,
00:29:28.40\00:29:31.93
she was like always
here for my birthdays,
00:29:31.97\00:29:34.30
you know, always gave me gifts.
00:29:34.34\00:29:35.77
Christmas, she came over once,
00:29:35.80\00:29:37.74
you know, gave me
gifts and whatnot.
00:29:37.77\00:29:39.61
We had a pretty good friendship,
00:29:39.64\00:29:41.44
you know, we
had an inside jokes.
00:29:41.48\00:29:43.75
I mean, she was just a
beautiful person in general.
00:29:43.78\00:29:46.31
She was the
sweetest of anyone I know,
00:29:46.35\00:29:49.18
she was always caring,
00:29:49.22\00:29:50.55
she was really
accepting of who you are,
00:29:50.59\00:29:51.95
even if you were completely nuts
00:29:51.99\00:29:53.32
like I was.
00:29:53.36\00:29:54.69
But she was very
accepting who you were,
00:29:54.72\00:29:58.19
she didn't really discriminate,
00:29:58.23\00:30:00.96
she was always
there to talk to, like,
00:30:01.00\00:30:04.47
actually she gave
really good advice.
00:30:04.50\00:30:06.87
Did she ever come
to church with you?
00:30:06.90\00:30:08.57
Yes, actually.
00:30:08.60\00:30:09.94
And for good like
two months consecutively,
00:30:09.97\00:30:12.64
every week she
would come to church.
00:30:12.67\00:30:16.14
And she enjoyed it for a
while, you know, it was nice
00:30:16.18\00:30:20.38
'cause, I mean,
we're a family at church,
00:30:20.42\00:30:22.98
and we're very
welcoming to everyone,
00:30:23.02\00:30:26.15
and she was my good friend.
00:30:26.19\00:30:27.56
So as soon as she came
like all my other friends there,
00:30:27.59\00:30:31.69
they all welcomed her, you know.
00:30:31.73\00:30:33.06
"Samantha's friend is here."
00:30:33.09\00:30:34.43
Yeah, and they learned her name,
00:30:34.46\00:30:35.80
then personality.
00:30:35.83\00:30:37.17
And she was very
special in all of our hearts.
00:30:37.20\00:30:41.30
And you're 17 and
she was 17. She was 17.
00:30:41.34\00:30:44.91
Now you're outside the
school, they told you run.
00:30:44.94\00:30:49.88
Where did you run to?
00:30:49.91\00:30:51.25
I ran behind a truck
because during the class...
00:30:51.28\00:30:55.78
I was trying to call my parents.
00:30:55.82\00:30:57.92
But I was on the phone with 911
00:30:57.95\00:30:59.92
so I couldn't
hang up on them well.
00:30:59.95\00:31:01.96
So I'm just like, "Hele,
can I borrow your phone?"
00:31:01.99\00:31:04.33
She said yes.
00:31:04.36\00:31:05.69
But then she never
actually gave it to me
00:31:05.73\00:31:07.60
because she was one
with like, you know, scared.
00:31:07.63\00:31:09.80
So I'm just like, okay.
00:31:09.83\00:31:11.17
So I knew, I had to call
them as soon as possible.
00:31:11.20\00:31:13.94
So I ran behind this big
van, truck thing, and I'm like,
00:31:13.97\00:31:18.14
okay, I called them,
I'm like, "Mom, hello."
00:31:18.17\00:31:20.88
And she was just like, "Hi."
00:31:20.91\00:31:22.81
You know, 'cause
she didn't know anything
00:31:22.84\00:31:24.18
that was
happening, it just happened.
00:31:24.21\00:31:25.55
So I'm like,
00:31:25.58\00:31:26.92
"Mom, there was a
shooting at school I'm hurt,
00:31:26.95\00:31:31.02
but I'm okay, it's okay.
00:31:31.05\00:31:32.72
I'm fine, everything's okay.
00:31:32.75\00:31:35.16
If you don't see me,
00:31:35.19\00:31:36.52
I'm in an ambulance
on my way somewhere.
00:31:36.56\00:31:38.23
I was hurt a little
bit, don't worry, I'm okay."
00:31:38.26\00:31:40.76
And I was mostly
focused on calming them
00:31:40.80\00:31:43.47
'cause I didn't want them to...
00:31:43.50\00:31:45.23
Because my mom
she's very, you know...
00:31:45.27\00:31:47.94
She's a mom, you know.
00:31:47.97\00:31:49.30
A mom, exactly
concerned about her daughter.
00:31:49.34\00:31:51.41
And my dad, you know,
00:31:51.44\00:31:52.77
I just, I didn't want
them to worry too much
00:31:52.81\00:31:54.88
about anything
00:31:54.91\00:31:56.41
that was really
happening, you know.
00:31:56.44\00:31:58.95
And where were you, Sally,
when the call came through?
00:31:58.98\00:32:01.92
I was in the
kitchen making a sandwich
00:32:01.95\00:32:03.69
to take for her
00:32:03.72\00:32:05.05
because I was gonna pick her up
00:32:05.09\00:32:06.42
at the park at three to
take her for SAT review.
00:32:06.45\00:32:09.62
And then the phone rang,
00:32:09.66\00:32:10.99
I saw her name
came up, and I said,
00:32:11.03\00:32:12.49
"Hello, Samantha."
00:32:12.53\00:32:13.93
And then I heard some
noise in the background
00:32:13.96\00:32:16.56
and she says "I'm hurt."
00:32:16.60\00:32:18.33
I said, "What are
you talking about?"
00:32:18.37\00:32:19.70
And she says,
00:32:19.73\00:32:21.07
"I'm hurt but
I'm going to be okay.
00:32:21.10\00:32:22.44
There's a
shooting at the school."
00:32:22.47\00:32:23.81
I said, "Where are you?
00:32:23.84\00:32:25.17
I ran out of the
house and Jim drove over,
00:32:25.21\00:32:26.61
I mean, you know,
00:32:26.64\00:32:27.98
he was so good
getting there as quickly.
00:32:28.01\00:32:29.84
I was barefooted, I was running,
00:32:29.88\00:32:32.11
and I had even a
towel over my shoulder,
00:32:32.15\00:32:34.62
and it was just,
it was just so scary.
00:32:34.65\00:32:37.69
And when we got there,
00:32:37.72\00:32:39.05
you know, and I
decided to call her,
00:32:39.09\00:32:40.82
then I realized that
the battery had died.
00:32:40.86\00:32:44.43
And everyone was on their phone
00:32:44.46\00:32:45.79
calling their
children to see what happened,
00:32:45.83\00:32:47.56
it was panic,
everyone was panicking.
00:32:47.60\00:32:49.63
And then,
00:32:49.66\00:32:51.00
there was a
gentleman standing beside us,
00:32:51.03\00:32:52.57
and I borrowed his
phone and I called Samantha.
00:32:52.60\00:32:55.60
We didn't get her,
00:32:55.64\00:32:56.97
but we left the
number, left a message,
00:32:57.01\00:32:58.54
and then she called back,
00:32:58.57\00:32:59.91
and the gentleman gave me
the phone, and said it is her.
00:32:59.94\00:33:02.48
And then she said,
00:33:02.51\00:33:03.85
"Mom, I'm on my way to
North Broward Hospital."
00:33:03.88\00:33:05.98
Okay. And so we went there.
00:33:06.01\00:33:07.55
So that's where you
met up with your mom.
00:33:07.58\00:33:09.18
Jim, you were driving,
00:33:09.22\00:33:11.65
give me an account of
what you think about this.
00:33:11.69\00:33:13.56
When you're driving and
you hear the word shooting
00:33:13.59\00:33:16.69
and what's going
through your mind?
00:33:16.73\00:33:20.60
It was a worst day in my life,
the worst minute of my life.
00:33:20.63\00:33:24.57
She's the most
precious possession
00:33:24.60\00:33:26.70
God gave us 17 years ago.
00:33:26.74\00:33:29.50
And I love her beyond belief
00:33:29.54\00:33:33.17
and she's my life.
00:33:33.21\00:33:36.11
She is my life!
00:33:36.14\00:33:39.21
And I drove like a lunatic
00:33:39.25\00:33:44.29
to get to the school
00:33:44.32\00:33:46.49
and there was police cars
and ambulances all around.
00:33:46.52\00:33:51.66
And I got within about a
half a mile of the school,
00:33:51.69\00:33:54.93
and they made us park the car,
and we jumped out of the car,
00:33:54.96\00:33:58.70
and we ran, ran,
ran to the school.
00:33:58.73\00:34:02.50
And I tried to get a phone.
00:34:02.54\00:34:04.61
My phone has never been...
00:34:04.64\00:34:06.78
I never had it not charged
00:34:06.81\00:34:09.91
in the 10 years
I've had my phone.
00:34:09.94\00:34:13.08
It went blank, it
was out, it was on...
00:34:13.11\00:34:15.32
I could not believe.
We couldn't get to her.
00:34:15.35\00:34:19.19
I asked the policeman for his...
00:34:19.22\00:34:20.86
Could I borrow his
phone? He said, "No."
00:34:20.89\00:34:22.79
I said, "Can I go in?"
00:34:22.82\00:34:24.19
"No, you can't, you
guys stay back here."
00:34:24.23\00:34:26.53
We had no idea...
00:34:26.56\00:34:27.90
So you felt
helpless, pretty much.
00:34:27.93\00:34:29.26
No idea what was going on,
00:34:29.30\00:34:30.63
and the people are running
and running toward the school.
00:34:30.67\00:34:35.00
All the parents
were going crazy,
00:34:35.04\00:34:36.97
nobody knew
anything that was going on.
00:34:37.01\00:34:39.87
We just knew the cops,
00:34:39.91\00:34:41.31
and a helicopter,
and it was just...
00:34:41.34\00:34:45.58
I finally borrowed a
phone from this nice guy,
00:34:45.61\00:34:48.38
he let me take the
phone and we called her.
00:34:48.42\00:34:50.75
And I think you took the
phone, and spoke to Samantha,
00:34:50.79\00:34:53.46
and she said
00:34:53.49\00:34:54.82
she was on the
way to the hospital.
00:34:54.86\00:34:56.19
Well, I said what
hospital? North Broward.
00:34:56.22\00:34:59.19
I said, "That's
all I wanted to know.
00:34:59.23\00:35:01.06
I hung up the phone. I
said, "Come on, let's go."
00:35:01.10\00:35:03.77
We ran back to the car,
00:35:03.80\00:35:06.63
and all I know is North
Broward is about 20 minutes
00:35:06.67\00:35:11.27
from where we were.
00:35:11.31\00:35:12.97
But the traffic was
packed-up, it was unbelievable,
00:35:13.01\00:35:17.45
and I said, "I
can't take this, "
00:35:17.48\00:35:18.98
and I went in the other lane.
00:35:19.01\00:35:21.62
I hope the police
aren't listening to this.
00:35:21.65\00:35:24.22
I went in the
other lane, and drove,
00:35:24.25\00:35:26.19
and just drove like a madman,
I went through the lights,
00:35:26.22\00:35:29.72
and she's screaming,
"Take it easy, take it easy."
00:35:29.76\00:35:33.96
PS I got to the school
in probably 10, 15 minutes.
00:35:34.00\00:35:38.60
Went to the hospital?
I mean, to the hospital.
00:35:38.63\00:35:41.07
I passed ambulance.
00:35:41.10\00:35:42.44
I passed everybody,
00:35:42.47\00:35:44.04
and we got to the ambulance.
00:35:44.07\00:35:48.38
I mean, we got to the...
00:35:48.41\00:35:49.74
Hospital. To the hospital.
00:35:49.78\00:35:51.11
But the trauma,
00:35:51.15\00:35:52.48
you're going
through trauma now also,
00:35:52.51\00:35:53.85
both of you are.
00:35:53.88\00:35:55.22
So you guys finally
got to the hospital.
00:35:55.25\00:35:57.69
Were there a lot of
cars at the hospital?
00:35:57.72\00:35:59.72
Was it showing any
signs of the trauma
00:35:59.75\00:36:04.76
that was happening?
00:36:04.79\00:36:06.83
Did you see other
people rushing there?
00:36:06.86\00:36:09.23
There was all kinds
00:36:09.26\00:36:10.60
of havoc going
on at the hospital.
00:36:10.63\00:36:13.17
And what really upset
me is I heard she was okay
00:36:13.20\00:36:16.54
because I had spoken to her.
00:36:16.57\00:36:18.67
But I just didn't
believe it, I wasn't sure.
00:36:18.71\00:36:22.01
And what really bothered me
00:36:22.04\00:36:25.11
was when there was a
police officer saying,
00:36:25.15\00:36:27.48
"All right, family,
all family from the school,
00:36:27.52\00:36:31.32
go down that aisle,
and go into that room."
00:36:31.35\00:36:34.66
There was about seven
desks with women sitting there
00:36:34.69\00:36:38.39
with paperwork,
"What's the name?"
00:36:38.43\00:36:41.40
And I was, "Samantha Grady."
00:36:41.43\00:36:43.67
"Samantha Grady, Samantha Grady,
00:36:43.70\00:36:46.74
no she didn't come in yet."
00:36:46.77\00:36:49.17
I says, "Okay, but she left
the hospital like an hour ago."
00:36:49.20\00:36:54.04
"No, she didn't come
in yet." Okay, thank you.
00:36:54.08\00:36:57.65
And we're standing around
and a lady walks in and says,
00:36:57.68\00:37:01.88
"I got Samantha Grady."
00:37:01.92\00:37:03.62
We say, "That's us, that's us."
00:37:03.65\00:37:05.45
So she took us up to the room.
00:37:05.49\00:37:07.09
And so, Samantha,
00:37:07.12\00:37:08.46
when you see
your parents tell us
00:37:08.49\00:37:09.82
about that moment?
00:37:09.86\00:37:11.29
I was laying down, and
I was just, like, okay.
00:37:11.33\00:37:15.10
I was getting
calls from everybody
00:37:15.13\00:37:16.53
and they were
like, "Are you okay?"
00:37:16.56\00:37:18.23
I was confirming, I'm fine.
00:37:18.27\00:37:20.24
And then, at one point,
00:37:20.27\00:37:23.34
kind of like emotions
came like everything came back,
00:37:23.37\00:37:26.11
I finally let myself,
00:37:26.14\00:37:28.38
kind of have emotional anything.
00:37:28.41\00:37:31.38
And I'm just
like, "Oh, my goodness."
00:37:31.41\00:37:32.75
And I started bawling,
00:37:32.78\00:37:34.12
and then the
ambulance were just like,
00:37:34.15\00:37:35.48
"It's okay, it's
okay, it's fine."
00:37:35.52\00:37:38.82
But one thing I do
distinctly remember is this,
00:37:38.85\00:37:41.12
we were like at the
hospital, and all I was, like,
00:37:41.16\00:37:45.03
I was literally like singing,
00:37:45.06\00:37:46.59
I didn't want
to embarrass myself
00:37:46.63\00:37:47.96
'cause I'm just like,
00:37:48.00\00:37:49.33
you know, I'm
kind of in a situation,
00:37:49.36\00:37:50.70
but I was singing,
"God will take care of you."
00:37:50.73\00:37:53.23
Like the whole time,
like I knew I was fine,
00:37:53.27\00:37:55.47
but over and over,
I'm like be not dismayed
00:37:55.50\00:37:58.07
whate'er befall God
will take care of you.
00:37:58.11\00:38:00.48
And then I was
singing the chorus,
00:38:00.51\00:38:01.84
it was my dad's favorite song.
00:38:01.88\00:38:03.24
So I'm just like
singing it over and over again.
00:38:03.28\00:38:05.35
And then they're just like,
00:38:05.38\00:38:06.72
"It's going to be
okay, it's going to be okay."
00:38:06.75\00:38:08.08
And I'm just
like, "Let me sing."
00:38:08.12\00:38:09.45
So I was just singing...
00:38:09.48\00:38:10.82
In the ambulance? Yeah.
00:38:10.85\00:38:12.19
And like even, when I
was in the trauma room,
00:38:12.22\00:38:15.42
you know, when they were,
you know, putting the IVs in,
00:38:15.46\00:38:17.09
checking if I was okay.
00:38:17.13\00:38:18.46
I was just like God
will take care of you,
00:38:18.49\00:38:20.60
and I was singing over and over.
00:38:20.63\00:38:22.46
And like the personnel
there, they were just...
00:38:22.50\00:38:27.24
They were kind of
looking at me strangely,
00:38:27.27\00:38:28.87
I'm just like let me
just sing, stop looking at me,
00:38:28.90\00:38:30.91
I don't care, I'm going to sing.
00:38:30.94\00:38:32.94
Amen. They
tried to calm me down.
00:38:32.97\00:38:34.41
'Cause you knew,
00:38:34.44\00:38:35.78
'cause you knew, I
mean I just felt that.
00:38:35.81\00:38:38.15
'Cause you knew
that you were not there
00:38:38.18\00:38:39.81
because God had overlooked you.
00:38:39.85\00:38:41.68
And it's one of
those sour moments
00:38:41.72\00:38:43.92
but the sweet moments
00:38:43.95\00:38:45.79
because you were
thinking of your friend Helena
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.49
and as you had this
emotional reality check,
00:38:48.52\00:38:51.33
you know, "Okay, I
navigated out of that.
00:38:51.36\00:38:53.60
The Lord guided
me, He protected me.
00:38:53.63\00:38:56.93
But my friend's gone."
00:38:56.97\00:38:59.27
What happened when
you thought about that?
00:38:59.30\00:39:02.00
Well, as I was saying,
00:39:02.04\00:39:03.37
I left before
Helena was checked.
00:39:03.41\00:39:06.21
You didn't know at that time...
00:39:06.24\00:39:07.58
I didn't know, I
mean, really I figured,
00:39:07.61\00:39:10.48
and I was kind of like,
00:39:10.51\00:39:11.85
I was kind of sure
but as I said before,
00:39:11.88\00:39:14.42
I was like
holding on to any, like,
00:39:14.45\00:39:18.05
so I'm just like
maybe they got her out,
00:39:18.09\00:39:19.52
maybe the miracle happened
while I wasn't looking '
00:39:19.55\00:39:21.52
cause I was just,
I was on my way out.
00:39:21.56\00:39:23.99
So as soon as I
was taken care of,
00:39:24.03\00:39:28.03
you know, people were
trying to distract me,
00:39:28.06\00:39:29.70
but I was like any news
on this girl named Helena,
00:39:29.73\00:39:33.84
Helena Ramsey.
00:39:33.87\00:39:35.20
She has a mole right here,
00:39:35.24\00:39:36.57
and I was
describing her to everybody.
00:39:36.60\00:39:38.84
And then they were
like, "No, we don't see her."
00:39:38.87\00:39:41.41
'Cause she
wasn't at that hospital.
00:39:41.44\00:39:43.51
Like, "No, we don't
see her, we don't see her."
00:39:43.55\00:39:46.92
And then my parents came in,
and I was so happy to see them,
00:39:46.95\00:39:51.25
but I couldn't...
00:39:51.29\00:39:52.62
Like, I'm not going to cry
00:39:52.65\00:39:53.99
because they are
going to be worried.
00:39:54.02\00:39:55.36
So I'm just like, I
was smiling, and I'm like,
00:39:55.39\00:39:57.96
"I'm okay, I'm fine."
00:39:57.99\00:39:59.33
And I was trying to lighten,
00:39:59.36\00:40:01.16
not lighten but like
I was trying to be like,
00:40:01.20\00:40:03.83
"I'm okay, it's okay."
00:40:03.87\00:40:05.20
Trying to be a
strong lady in the moment.
00:40:05.23\00:40:06.57
Yeah, and my dad,
00:40:06.60\00:40:07.94
he was worried, it
was all over his face.
00:40:07.97\00:40:10.71
He just came in,
rushed to my side.
00:40:10.74\00:40:12.54
I'm just like,
00:40:12.57\00:40:13.91
"I am here, I'm fine, I'm okay."
00:40:13.94\00:40:15.54
And then my mom, she came in.
00:40:15.58\00:40:17.45
And I'm like,
00:40:17.48\00:40:18.81
I was holding
her arm and I'm like,
00:40:18.85\00:40:20.18
"I'm fine, I'm here, I'm okay."
00:40:20.22\00:40:21.85
And so there you are,
00:40:21.88\00:40:23.28
the medical
team is getting into.
00:40:23.32\00:40:26.25
When did you find out
00:40:26.29\00:40:27.99
what had actually
happened to Helena?
00:40:28.02\00:40:29.59
So I was
discharged from the hospital,
00:40:29.62\00:40:32.26
like everyone from
church came, like it was,
00:40:32.29\00:40:34.96
it was surprising
how much people...
00:40:35.00\00:40:36.33
It wasn't surprising
00:40:36.36\00:40:37.70
but it was just
like, "Oh, my goodness."
00:40:37.73\00:40:39.07
The news traveled so quickly.
00:40:39.10\00:40:40.44
Yeah, it was
really, really quickly.
00:40:40.47\00:40:41.80
People just stopped their lives
and just came to your side.
00:40:41.84\00:40:43.74
Yeah, which was, it's great
'cause, you know, they're like,
00:40:43.77\00:40:46.34
they're my brothers and sisters,
00:40:46.37\00:40:47.71
and my family, you
know, my second family.
00:40:47.74\00:40:50.18
So we, you know...
00:40:50.21\00:40:52.51
All the hugging
and are you okay...
00:40:52.55\00:40:54.78
Not hugging 'cause
I was kind of like,
00:40:54.82\00:40:56.42
you know, but they were
like, as soon as they came in,
00:40:56.45\00:40:59.32
I started crying and like...
00:40:59.35\00:41:01.56
And then Helena's best friend,
like she grew up with her,
00:41:01.59\00:41:06.53
like me and her we're close
00:41:06.56\00:41:07.90
but, like, this
girl she literally,
00:41:07.93\00:41:09.26
they were in
like diapers together.
00:41:09.30\00:41:11.23
She came in, like,
00:41:11.27\00:41:12.60
she is very
strong, I have to say that.
00:41:12.63\00:41:15.37
She came in, and I was bawling,
as soon as I had seen her,
00:41:15.40\00:41:18.57
I'm like, I was bawling.
00:41:18.61\00:41:20.01
'Cause she was the
first person, like,
00:41:20.04\00:41:21.38
besides my parents,
00:41:21.41\00:41:22.74
after her she
was the first person
00:41:22.78\00:41:24.11
who I called or who called me.
00:41:24.15\00:41:25.48
It's the first person
00:41:25.51\00:41:26.85
who called me after the incident
00:41:26.88\00:41:28.22
because she was like...
00:41:28.25\00:41:29.58
She knew me and
Helena were in the same room.
00:41:29.62\00:41:31.05
And I'm like,
00:41:31.09\00:41:32.42
"It does not look good,
but keep hoping, keep praying."
00:41:32.45\00:41:34.79
So she came into
the hospital room
00:41:34.82\00:41:36.49
and I was just like,
00:41:36.52\00:41:38.43
I started bawling and I'm like,
00:41:38.46\00:41:39.83
I asked for a hug,
and I'm like, "Any news?
00:41:39.86\00:41:42.03
Any news? Any news?"
00:41:42.06\00:41:43.40
She's like, "No,
we can't find her.
00:41:43.43\00:41:44.77
We came to this
hospital, but she's not here."
00:41:44.80\00:41:47.44
And they literally
went everywhere to find her.
00:41:47.47\00:41:51.81
And then I went to
bed because I had to,
00:41:51.84\00:41:54.38
it was like one in the
morning, and I had to go...
00:41:54.41\00:41:56.85
And we had to do the interview
00:41:56.88\00:41:58.21
with NBC that
morning at like six.
00:41:58.25\00:42:01.02
So...
00:42:01.05\00:42:02.38
So they discharged you...?
00:42:02.42\00:42:03.75
Yeah, they
discharged me at like 7:30ish.
00:42:03.79\00:42:06.92
I wasn't in
there for a long time.
00:42:06.96\00:42:09.99
But I was sleeping,
00:42:10.03\00:42:11.43
and I kept asking
like give me any updates.
00:42:11.46\00:42:13.83
And then, Helena's mom
she was the one who texted me.
00:42:13.86\00:42:16.16
She's like, "I'm
sorry to say this,
00:42:16.20\00:42:18.87
but Helena
passed away yesterday.
00:42:18.90\00:42:20.80
Sam, she loved you very much."
00:42:20.84\00:42:22.80
And like for a moment there,
I was just, like I had no...
00:42:22.84\00:42:26.17
Like it's not I had
no emotion, I was just...
00:42:26.21\00:42:28.68
Is this real?
00:42:28.71\00:42:30.35
Yeah, I had to
process everything.
00:42:30.38\00:42:32.48
I just, I didn't know
what to think and then my mom
00:42:32.51\00:42:36.42
is like
sleeping right next to me
00:42:36.45\00:42:37.79
because, you know, it
was a traumatic experience,
00:42:37.82\00:42:39.89
and they didn't want
me to sleep by myself.
00:42:39.92\00:42:41.96
So I started crying, and
then like my mom woke up,
00:42:41.99\00:42:46.16
and she's just
like, "What's happening?"
00:42:46.19\00:42:47.80
And I'm like, and I
showed her the text.
00:42:47.83\00:42:50.27
And she's like, "Oh, no."
00:42:50.30\00:42:51.63
And then I started
recounting everything
00:42:51.67\00:42:54.00
that I did with Helena.
00:42:54.04\00:42:55.80
How she was amazing, how
like just her personality,
00:42:55.84\00:43:00.88
you know, all the
fun things that we did,
00:43:00.91\00:43:03.24
like everything I was recounting
00:43:03.28\00:43:05.48
to my mom, and I was crying.
00:43:05.51\00:43:07.45
And that whole night,
00:43:07.48\00:43:09.02
I couldn't
really sleep after that,
00:43:09.05\00:43:11.12
and then like during the night
00:43:11.15\00:43:12.55
I kept getting phone calls
from all of Helena's friends,
00:43:12.59\00:43:15.22
and like Emma called me,
00:43:15.26\00:43:17.49
which is her best
friend who she grew up with.
00:43:17.53\00:43:19.33
They all called me,
and they were all crying.
00:43:19.36\00:43:20.90
And I'm like, "How
this is real, like, what?"
00:43:20.93\00:43:25.93
I was trying to
process everything.
00:43:25.97\00:43:28.80
Right 'cause you don't
think of losing a friend at 17.
00:43:28.84\00:43:30.97
No, you don't,
you definitely don't.
00:43:31.01\00:43:33.38
And how long before
00:43:33.41\00:43:34.74
that have you guys
celebrated her birthday?
00:43:34.78\00:43:36.85
Well, my birthday,
we celebrated on Sunday.
00:43:36.88\00:43:40.82
Just the Sunday before that?
00:43:40.85\00:43:42.18
The Sunday before
00:43:42.22\00:43:43.55
so like three or
four days before.
00:43:43.59\00:43:45.85
And then her
birthday was a month before,
00:43:45.89\00:43:48.06
she's a month older than me.
00:43:48.09\00:43:50.96
So we celebrated her birthday,
but I gave her a shirt,
00:43:50.99\00:43:54.80
you know, 'cause we
were into an agreement
00:43:54.83\00:43:57.53
and so I gave her a shirt.
00:43:57.57\00:43:58.93
I'm talking about
like a drama. Okay.
00:43:58.97\00:44:02.97
She took pictures of me,
00:44:03.00\00:44:04.41
you know, using
like filters and whatnot.
00:44:04.44\00:44:07.44
And like that's what
we did for her birthday,
00:44:07.48\00:44:11.41
not the last time I've seen her,
00:44:11.45\00:44:12.78
but the time that I
celebrated something with her
00:44:12.81\00:44:14.38
was the Sunday before.
00:44:14.42\00:44:16.02
So all of a
sudden, this close friend,
00:44:16.05\00:44:19.45
your comrade in
and out of school
00:44:19.49\00:44:22.76
is no longer here.
00:44:22.79\00:44:24.33
You know, 17 years
old is not the time,
00:44:24.36\00:44:27.20
you know, I looked
at some of the news
00:44:27.23\00:44:28.70
and there are a lot of people
that are going through pain.
00:44:28.73\00:44:31.87
Parents, some of
the children range
00:44:31.90\00:44:33.60
in age 14, 15, 16,
two or three adults,
00:44:33.64\00:44:37.64
I think were also
tragically victimized
00:44:37.67\00:44:41.04
by this shooting.
00:44:41.08\00:44:42.81
But the lot of young people,
00:44:42.84\00:44:44.61
you know, when
you think of your age,
00:44:44.65\00:44:46.61
you think, "Okay, I'm
planning for college."
00:44:46.65\00:44:50.69
Were you and her are
talking about kind of school
00:44:50.72\00:44:52.69
do you want to go together?
00:44:52.72\00:44:54.26
Not together.
00:44:54.29\00:44:56.06
She wanted to go back to England
00:44:56.09\00:44:58.69
'cause like that's
where she was born.
00:44:58.73\00:45:00.30
Oh, in England? Yeah.
00:45:00.33\00:45:01.66
So she wanted
to do school there,
00:45:01.70\00:45:03.93
something abroad
because she's just like,
00:45:03.97\00:45:05.70
"America's just not
for me at the moment."
00:45:05.73\00:45:07.64
So she wanted to
do something abroad,
00:45:07.67\00:45:09.34
she was an anti-American,
00:45:09.37\00:45:11.14
she just didn't
like, she's like...
00:45:11.17\00:45:12.51
Not her home.
It wasn't her home.
00:45:12.54\00:45:13.91
So she wanted to
go abroad London,
00:45:13.94\00:45:15.94
Spain like something in Europe.
00:45:15.98\00:45:18.35
So they were looking into that
00:45:18.38\00:45:19.71
and I wanted to
stay here in Nova,
00:45:19.75\00:45:21.18
or Andrews, or something.
00:45:21.22\00:45:22.75
So we would be
separated for college
00:45:22.78\00:45:25.29
but like we were,
00:45:25.32\00:45:27.19
I mean, it's the
time of the year,
00:45:27.22\00:45:28.96
and it's the time of our lives
00:45:28.99\00:45:30.33
where we discussed
college fair a lot.
00:45:30.36\00:45:31.79
So that was most of
our conversation, you know.
00:45:31.83\00:45:33.80
The best of
friends, anyway. Yeah.
00:45:33.83\00:45:35.90
No matter what the distance was.
00:45:35.93\00:45:37.30
Of course, of course. Boy!
00:45:37.33\00:45:39.43
So how has that
impacted your life now
00:45:39.47\00:45:44.04
'cause you're going
00:45:44.07\00:45:45.41
to be getting ready for college,
00:45:45.44\00:45:46.98
you're going to
be taking your SATs,
00:45:47.01\00:45:49.18
practicing for
that pretty soon here,
00:45:49.21\00:45:51.95
and you think of...
00:45:51.98\00:45:53.31
'Cause there are a
lot of young people
00:45:53.35\00:45:54.68
that are probably
listening to this interview
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.19
because this
story has just rippled
00:45:57.22\00:45:58.95
throughout the nation,
00:45:58.99\00:46:00.32
and I would say
throughout the world
00:46:00.36\00:46:01.82
because 3ABN is a
worldwide network,
00:46:01.86\00:46:03.73
it's being seen in countries
00:46:03.76\00:46:05.46
where this kind of
thing doesn't happen.
00:46:05.49\00:46:08.06
What do you say to
young people that say,
00:46:08.10\00:46:09.80
"Well, you know,
I've got a lot of time.
00:46:09.83\00:46:11.30
I mean, I'm just a
teenager." What's the message?
00:46:11.33\00:46:15.80
If this whole
experience has proved anything,
00:46:15.84\00:46:18.17
it's that we don't
have a lot of time.
00:46:18.21\00:46:20.61
Like, not
necessarily a lot of time
00:46:20.64\00:46:22.54
but not as much time as
you think 'cause it's like,
00:46:22.58\00:46:26.01
not even me
00:46:26.05\00:46:27.38
but like I know a lot of
people who are just like,
00:46:27.42\00:46:28.75
"Oh, you know, I'll wait.
00:46:28.78\00:46:30.32
I'm at this stage in my life
00:46:30.35\00:46:31.69
where I have to focus on school.
00:46:31.72\00:46:34.09
I mean, God is there
but, you know, let me just,
00:46:34.12\00:46:36.69
I have to do this, I have to..."
00:46:36.73\00:46:38.46
You know, and they make
a lot of like sacrifices
00:46:38.49\00:46:40.70
for like their
faith and not only that,
00:46:40.73\00:46:44.50
but like there are
just a lot of people
00:46:44.53\00:46:46.50
that I've come in contact,
00:46:46.53\00:46:47.87
most, they're not
really, like, they're just like,
00:46:47.90\00:46:52.57
the foundation,
like God is not...
00:46:52.61\00:46:54.28
God is there, God is present,
00:46:54.31\00:46:55.78
but they don't have a
close relationship with God.
00:46:55.81\00:46:58.51
And I admit, like at one point
00:46:58.55\00:47:00.25
I was looking like that as well.
00:47:00.28\00:47:03.25
But it's just
like God was there,
00:47:03.28\00:47:05.72
but He just wasn't at
forefront in their lives.
00:47:05.75\00:47:08.42
I mean, out of
this whole experience,
00:47:08.46\00:47:12.83
He should be the
center and the focus
00:47:12.86\00:47:15.13
because you should
have that, not surety
00:47:15.16\00:47:18.17
but you should not be scared
00:47:18.20\00:47:19.63
of what's going
to happen to you.
00:47:19.67\00:47:21.00
That's right.
00:47:21.04\00:47:22.37
Like when you die, like when,
00:47:22.40\00:47:24.67
you know, the
resurrection and whatnot,
00:47:24.71\00:47:26.88
like you should not be scared
00:47:26.91\00:47:28.31
of what's going
to happen to you.
00:47:28.34\00:47:29.71
You should, you should know...
00:47:29.74\00:47:31.18
Have an assurance.
00:47:31.21\00:47:32.55
You should have an assurance,
00:47:32.58\00:47:33.92
not necessarily
like a full assurance,
00:47:33.95\00:47:35.28
but you should have like,
00:47:35.32\00:47:37.29
be like not scared of
death or not scared of...
00:47:37.32\00:47:40.02
You should know God,
00:47:40.06\00:47:41.39
that's like just
go closer to Him,
00:47:41.42\00:47:43.63
although it's
like challenging now,
00:47:43.66\00:47:45.33
and like
everything is against it,
00:47:45.36\00:47:46.90
especially now,
00:47:46.93\00:47:48.26
you know, religious is like,
people being religious is bad.
00:47:48.30\00:47:52.60
Just cling to God
00:47:52.63\00:47:54.24
because He
literally is the only thing
00:47:54.27\00:47:56.77
that can like help you.
00:47:56.81\00:47:58.67
So your relationship with
Jesus now and that prayer,
00:47:58.71\00:48:01.18
that prayer life that
was as you said earlier,
00:48:01.21\00:48:04.58
maybe a routine,
"Okay, let's do this,
00:48:04.61\00:48:06.15
I'm on my way to school,
00:48:06.18\00:48:07.52
mom's going to have
prayer with me," when I go.
00:48:07.55\00:48:09.15
Now all of a sudden,
you look back at that
00:48:09.18\00:48:10.59
with a completely
different viewpoint.
00:48:10.62\00:48:13.12
It's like it means
something to me now.
00:48:13.15\00:48:15.22
And not that it
didn't mean anything
00:48:15.26\00:48:16.59
but now it has
a stronger staple.
00:48:16.62\00:48:18.13
It's like,
00:48:18.16\00:48:19.49
"Yeah, God is
available to the 17-year old,
00:48:19.53\00:48:21.86
to the 14-year old, to
the teenager in a world
00:48:21.90\00:48:24.37
where there's so
much instability."
00:48:24.40\00:48:27.24
Okay, let's get to
the media part of life
00:48:27.27\00:48:28.94
where my phone is like,
00:48:28.97\00:48:30.44
my right hand's
not really my Bible.
00:48:30.47\00:48:32.81
You know, my Instagram,
my Facebook, my Twitter,
00:48:32.84\00:48:36.08
my Snapchat, all
these types of things
00:48:36.11\00:48:38.31
are just so much
a part of my life,
00:48:38.35\00:48:39.68
the technical aspect.
00:48:39.71\00:48:41.05
But then, when
you hear gunshots,
00:48:41.08\00:48:42.45
those things all of a sudden,
they don't matter anymore.
00:48:42.48\00:48:46.09
It's a moment that
life, you know, you...
00:48:46.12\00:48:49.62
One of the questions I
want to ask you is that,
00:48:49.66\00:48:51.13
you know, you came
face-to-face with something
00:48:51.16\00:48:55.03
that most people would
never have to experience.
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.60
Your life could be decided
by the next pull of a trigger.
00:48:58.63\00:49:02.80
How has that impacted you?
00:49:02.84\00:49:06.17
Tell me, has it
made you stronger,
00:49:06.21\00:49:07.78
has it made you weaker,
00:49:07.81\00:49:09.14
what kind of
impact has it had on you?
00:49:09.18\00:49:11.11
To be honest
I'm not, like, sure,
00:49:11.15\00:49:12.98
I mean, at the moment
I'm like kind of everywhere.
00:49:13.01\00:49:14.45
Still sorting it out?
00:49:14.48\00:49:15.82
Yeah, but, I mean,
00:49:15.85\00:49:18.72
I guess in a way
00:49:18.75\00:49:21.69
it'll have a two
different effects
00:49:21.72\00:49:23.43
'cause stronger
emotionally, stronger,
00:49:23.46\00:49:26.70
you know, more really
with my relationship with God.
00:49:26.73\00:49:30.37
But weaker in
the sense that like,
00:49:30.40\00:49:32.80
you know, it's just,
00:49:32.83\00:49:34.80
it's a daunting situation
that someone has to face and,
00:49:34.84\00:49:38.41
you know, any kind of
like reminder of that,
00:49:38.44\00:49:41.34
is not necessarily a good one
00:49:41.38\00:49:43.85
and like the
emotions that arise.
00:49:43.88\00:49:47.68
I mean, in a way
00:49:47.72\00:49:49.05
it's gonna make me
stronger as a person.
00:49:49.08\00:49:51.49
But it's just, you
know, things are always going
00:49:51.52\00:49:53.56
to come back to you
00:49:53.59\00:49:54.92
and that's not necessarily weak,
00:49:54.96\00:49:57.23
but it's just like...
00:49:57.26\00:49:58.59
A reminder of the
experience. It's a reminder.
00:49:58.63\00:50:00.80
In other words, it's like,
00:50:00.83\00:50:03.43
you know, it's like that tag
00:50:03.47\00:50:05.57
that just keeps
hitting your window
00:50:05.60\00:50:08.00
when the wind
blows or like that,
00:50:08.04\00:50:09.37
the chimes that keep
blowing every time the storm.
00:50:09.40\00:50:11.31
You hear the chimes, but
you'd think it's the storms
00:50:11.34\00:50:14.21
that make me remember
the chimes are outside.
00:50:14.24\00:50:17.25
And sometimes life comes
and the chimes are beautiful,
00:50:17.28\00:50:20.15
they make wonderful sound,
00:50:20.18\00:50:21.52
but you don't hear
them unless the storm comes.
00:50:21.55\00:50:24.02
And God's voice is
sometimes like that.
00:50:24.05\00:50:26.19
He's the chimes in the
midst of a terrible storm.
00:50:26.22\00:50:28.96
He'll remind you that, I'm...
00:50:28.99\00:50:30.33
"You may not pay attention to Me
00:50:30.36\00:50:31.69
'cause there's no wind blowing
00:50:31.73\00:50:33.06
but now you hear
Me and I'm here."
00:50:33.09\00:50:34.43
Yeah.
00:50:34.46\00:50:35.80
Excuse me, the first
thing, when Samantha came home,
00:50:35.83\00:50:38.53
the first thing
I heard her say is,
00:50:38.57\00:50:41.87
"Now I'm convinced,
I want to be a doctor."
00:50:41.90\00:50:44.54
We're looking
for a medical school
00:50:44.57\00:50:45.91
because she wants to
be a doctor but she says,
00:50:45.94\00:50:48.04
"I am so convinced after seeing
these kids, they need help."
00:50:48.08\00:50:52.41
She went around
checking their pulse.
00:50:52.45\00:50:56.85
Yeah, tell me about that.
00:50:56.89\00:50:58.49
That's
interesting, tell me about that.
00:50:58.52\00:50:59.85
So she says, she
really they need her,
00:50:59.89\00:51:02.06
and she's convinced now
she wants to be a physician.
00:51:02.09\00:51:05.59
Right, Sweetie? Yes.
00:51:05.63\00:51:06.96
And during the ordeal,
I was in the classroom,
00:51:07.00\00:51:10.17
and as I was saying the person
00:51:10.20\00:51:11.53
who laid down next to me, like,
00:51:11.57\00:51:16.81
it was kind of a little obvious
00:51:16.84\00:51:19.21
'cause, you know,
his eyes were open,
00:51:19.24\00:51:20.58
he was just like
not staring at anything.
00:51:20.61\00:51:22.61
But like I checked
his pulse and I checked...
00:51:22.64\00:51:26.11
I didn't know if
I was doing it right
00:51:26.15\00:51:27.48
'cause I don't know
anything about that.
00:51:27.52\00:51:29.78
And I checked his pulse here,
and I didn't feel anything,
00:51:29.82\00:51:31.95
and I checked his pulse here,
and I didn't feel anything.
00:51:31.99\00:51:34.79
And then, I'm just like...
00:51:34.82\00:51:37.09
The girl who was
right next to Helena,
00:51:37.13\00:51:40.10
she also checked Helena's pulse.
00:51:40.13\00:51:42.80
And she also
didn't feel anything,
00:51:42.83\00:51:44.47
but I didn't trust it
'cause I'm like we're kids,
00:51:44.50\00:51:46.50
what do we know about pulsing,
00:51:46.53\00:51:47.87
and I never
actually found a pulse
00:51:47.90\00:51:49.54
on a real person before.
00:51:49.57\00:51:50.91
So I'm just like I
probably don't know anything.
00:51:50.94\00:51:53.51
But like I told her,
00:51:53.54\00:51:55.88
I don't think so
and she's like, "Okay."
00:51:55.91\00:52:00.28
I checked his
pulse and, I mean, like,
00:52:00.32\00:52:03.18
just the whole ambulance ride
like when I seen them helping,
00:52:03.22\00:52:06.62
there was two of
us in the ambulance.
00:52:06.65\00:52:09.06
When I had seen them
helping her, keeping her calm,
00:52:09.09\00:52:11.76
knowing what to
do, knowing what to...
00:52:11.79\00:52:13.66
And like all of the
lingo that they were using,
00:52:13.70\00:52:15.66
I'm just like,
not only necessarily
00:52:15.70\00:52:18.00
just to be a smart
and understand the lingo.
00:52:18.03\00:52:20.57
But like I have
to become a doctor
00:52:20.60\00:52:22.87
and not just because I have to,
00:52:22.90\00:52:25.84
I mean, helping people
00:52:25.87\00:52:27.38
was always my
main goal as a doctor.
00:52:27.41\00:52:29.11
It's your goal.
00:52:29.14\00:52:30.48
I mean, I always wanted to open
or like work at a free clinic,
00:52:30.51\00:52:33.18
you know,
whenever I got situated,
00:52:33.21\00:52:34.55
you know, so I can help people.
00:52:34.58\00:52:35.92
You might even
work in the trauma unit
00:52:35.95\00:52:37.29
because you're so composed
in the midst of this trauma.
00:52:37.32\00:52:39.89
Yeah, I may so, I'm may,
00:52:39.92\00:52:41.79
I don't know where
life is going to take me,
00:52:41.82\00:52:44.06
where God's going to take me.
00:52:44.09\00:52:45.43
But, I mean,
00:52:45.46\00:52:46.80
there's a whole
bunch of possibilities
00:52:46.83\00:52:48.16
but all I know for sure
00:52:48.20\00:52:49.53
is that I do want
to be a doctor now.
00:52:49.56\00:52:51.63
Now on a different
side of this whole incident
00:52:51.67\00:52:54.87
because this was
something perpetrated
00:52:54.90\00:52:56.74
by a former student.
00:52:56.77\00:52:59.97
You know, people
look back and the media...
00:53:00.01\00:53:02.34
You know, there
are three stories
00:53:02.38\00:53:03.71
what the media
has found out so far,
00:53:03.75\00:53:05.91
what the person himself knows
00:53:05.95\00:53:08.05
and then the third side of that.
00:53:08.08\00:53:10.99
What would you say to the person
00:53:11.02\00:53:12.35
that maybe knows of someone,
00:53:12.39\00:53:14.22
who maybe is attending a school
00:53:14.26\00:53:16.12
that has the erratic behavior
or maybe displaying tendencies
00:53:16.16\00:53:20.10
to be violent and
they're not really...
00:53:20.13\00:53:23.60
What would you say to them?
00:53:23.63\00:53:24.97
What kind of
reactions should they...
00:53:25.00\00:53:26.33
What are their responsibilities?
00:53:26.37\00:53:28.20
Oh, I don't want to be
blunt in saying get them help
00:53:28.24\00:53:31.14
but, you know,
where you kind of have to.
00:53:31.17\00:53:34.31
Just be aware of who they
are like keep a watch on them
00:53:34.34\00:53:38.01
but don't, like, wait
until something happens
00:53:38.05\00:53:39.68
because I mean,
00:53:39.71\00:53:41.05
you don't know when
it's going to happen.
00:53:41.08\00:53:42.42
But there's always this point
where there's a possibility,
00:53:42.45\00:53:44.55
just like make sure
that they talk to someone,
00:53:44.59\00:53:47.59
make sure that
there's someone in their life,
00:53:47.62\00:53:49.06
be a friend to them
00:53:49.09\00:53:50.66
because many times
people who are, like people
00:53:50.69\00:53:54.56
who, you know,
have these tendencies
00:53:54.60\00:53:56.33
or who do these awful tragedies,
00:53:56.36\00:53:58.67
they're the ones
who are by themselves.
00:53:58.70\00:54:00.17
They get
bullied, they're the ones
00:54:00.20\00:54:01.54
who, you know, they
have no friends like
00:54:01.57\00:54:05.67
that's what makes them go off,
00:54:05.71\00:54:08.24
not all the time
00:54:08.28\00:54:09.61
but that's the
common factor in all of them
00:54:09.64\00:54:12.38
that they have no friends.
00:54:12.41\00:54:13.75
And it's just...
00:54:13.78\00:54:15.35
And they have traumatic
things happening in their lives
00:54:15.38\00:54:17.85
and like with parents.
00:54:17.89\00:54:19.22
And so just be a friend to them,
00:54:19.25\00:54:21.09
don't
discriminate against anybody.
00:54:21.12\00:54:23.73
Be there for a person
because you don't know exactly
00:54:23.76\00:54:27.93
what's going on, and
although they may be crazy,
00:54:27.96\00:54:30.87
and although you don't
want to associate yourself
00:54:30.90\00:54:32.70
with someone like that.
00:54:32.73\00:54:34.64
Just be nice, you don't
have to be their friend,
00:54:34.67\00:54:36.57
just be nice to
them, be cordial.
00:54:36.60\00:54:39.17
You know, make sure
00:54:39.21\00:54:40.54
that if they start
displaying things to you,
00:54:40.58\00:54:42.84
make sure that you tell someone.
00:54:42.88\00:54:44.91
Don't be like,
00:54:44.95\00:54:46.28
"Oh, I can take
care of this by myself."
00:54:46.31\00:54:47.65
That's good, tell someone.
00:54:47.68\00:54:49.02
Tell someone
00:54:49.05\00:54:50.39
because you don't
know, maybe they have...
00:54:50.42\00:54:51.75
other person has more resources
to help the situation and to,
00:54:51.79\00:54:55.26
you know, seal the problem.
00:54:55.29\00:54:56.83
Like a teacher.
00:54:56.86\00:54:58.19
Like a teacher, or principal,
or guidance counselor,
00:54:58.23\00:55:01.06
or a parent.
00:55:01.10\00:55:02.43
Because sometimes
young people think
00:55:02.46\00:55:03.80
I don't want to tattle,
00:55:03.83\00:55:05.17
I don't want to
be the talebearer,
00:55:05.20\00:55:06.53
I don't want to be the
one that's everybody's saying,
00:55:06.57\00:55:08.54
you know,
"Samantha's going to tell,
00:55:08.57\00:55:09.90
Samantha is going to tell."
00:55:09.94\00:55:11.27
But in moments like these,
sometimes that's a stopgap,
00:55:11.31\00:55:14.48
that's the way
that people find out.
00:55:14.51\00:55:17.71
As you go from this point,
00:55:17.75\00:55:19.55
one final thing you
would say to those listening
00:55:19.58\00:55:22.72
to this interview?
00:55:22.75\00:55:25.22
Well, as I was
saying before, trust God.
00:55:25.25\00:55:29.06
He will always be there for you.
00:55:29.09\00:55:31.69
Just cherish those around you.
00:55:31.73\00:55:36.56
Where you stand with God,
00:55:36.60\00:55:37.93
like know where your heart lies,
00:55:37.97\00:55:41.24
know where your attentions are,
00:55:41.27\00:55:43.77
don't have anything
really kind of distracting you
00:55:43.81\00:55:47.38
from having a
relationship with God
00:55:47.41\00:55:50.55
because in the end,
00:55:50.58\00:55:51.91
those are the important things,
friends, family, and God.
00:55:51.95\00:55:54.32
God is the most
important. That's right.
00:55:54.35\00:55:56.48
But, you know, you
still have to have like,
00:55:56.52\00:55:58.99
just put pride aside and
just talk to people like,
00:55:59.02\00:56:04.03
you know, have a
relationship and just know God,
00:56:04.06\00:56:07.83
that's pretty much it,
00:56:07.86\00:56:09.20
just have a
relationship with God.
00:56:09.23\00:56:11.37
Samantha, good to see you
growing up so wonderfully.
00:56:11.40\00:56:14.57
We're going to
pray for your healing,
00:56:14.60\00:56:16.24
for your recovery.
00:56:16.27\00:56:17.61
And for those of you
00:56:17.64\00:56:18.97
who have been
watching this program,
00:56:19.01\00:56:21.14
we just want you
to know here at 3ABN,
00:56:21.18\00:56:22.94
we believe in the
story of redemption,
00:56:22.98\00:56:25.41
the story of God can heal,
00:56:25.45\00:56:28.48
God can
recover, God can restore.
00:56:28.52\00:56:30.32
We're praying
still for the families
00:56:30.35\00:56:32.75
that lost their
sons and daughters
00:56:32.79\00:56:38.49
at Douglas High School
here in Parkland, Florida.
00:56:38.53\00:56:41.83
But we know that as
we keep trusting God
00:56:41.86\00:56:44.00
and living each day
00:56:44.03\00:56:46.03
with the reality
that He is coming soon,
00:56:46.07\00:56:49.94
the healing will take
place in eternity for Samantha.
00:56:49.97\00:56:52.94
And for all of those
who are now having to go on
00:56:52.97\00:56:55.71
with that empty
space in their lives.
00:56:55.74\00:56:59.15
You know, we always
pray and ask God to guide us.
00:56:59.18\00:57:01.52
And our prayers for
you is that you will know
00:57:01.55\00:57:03.99
as Samantha has
come to discover,
00:57:04.02\00:57:06.05
that Christ is
the most important one
00:57:06.09\00:57:08.09
that we need to
have in our lives.
00:57:08.12\00:57:10.16
So for those of us here at
3ABN and for the Grady family,
00:57:10.19\00:57:14.26
thank you for
taking the time to tune in.
00:57:14.30\00:57:16.10
This is John Lomacang.
00:57:16.13\00:57:17.47
Until we see you
again, may the Lord bless you.
00:57:17.50\00:57:20.24