Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Parkland Student Used Peer's Body as Shield, Played Dead to Survive

"It was just loud pops – could just feel the wind of the bullets just pass by my face"

What to Know

  • The accused gunman faces 17 counts of premeditated murder over the Feb. 14 school shooting.
  • Most of the victims in the shooting were teenage students.
  • Many survivors have taken action in hopes to prevent similar school shootings from occurring.

Aalyayah Eastmond said she survived the gunman's rampage at the Parkland school by using the body of one of her fellow students as a shield and by playing dead.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor shared her story of what occurred on Feb. 14 on "Megyn Kelly Today."

"Within 5 seconds of me sitting down, he came to my class. He started shooting," Eastmond said Tuesday. "It was just loud pops – could just feel the wind of the bullets just pass by my face."

Seventeen people, mostly students, were fatally shot that day. During the shooting, Eastmond said she sent a message to her mother.

“I told her 'I love you so much. I am sorry for everything bad I ever did in my life ... just forgive me,'" Eastmond recounted.

To survive, Eastmond knew what she had to do.

“I just immediately thought that he was coming inside so I told myself that I need to look like I was dead, as well," she said.

Mark Eiglarsh, an attorney who represents the Eastmonds, said that Eastmond and her family have "absolutely no interest in suing anyone."

"She doesn’t want to be a victim for the rest of her life. She wants to use this to fuel change," Eiglarsh said, including possibly adapting the open campus concept, which Stoneman Douglas has.

“Stoneman Douglass isn’t built for things like this. It’s built for our comfort. Certain places, no matter where, in things like this – you are going to get killed," Eastmond said.

Numerous Stoneman Douglas survivors have taken action to in attempts to prevent further similar tragedies from occurring as part of the #NeverAgain movement.

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