The US Army is to recognise the bravery of three students who were killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School shooting by posthumously awarding them the Medal of Heroism.
Alaina Petty, Martin Duque, and Peter Wang were all members of the school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and were all killed during last week's tragic events.
The Florida National Guard was directed to award the medals to the students by the state's governor Rick Scott. On Tuesday afternoon he tweeted:
The US Army awards the Medal of Heroism to any cadet who 'performs an act of heroism'.
The description states: "The achievement must be an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding that it clearly sets the individual apart from fellow students or from other persons in similar circumstances.
"The performance must have involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy fortitude and courage."
Alaina Petty's family have already been presented with her medal at her funeral service that took place on Monday, Peter Wang's family received his medal on Tuesday at his service - in which he was buried in his JROTC uniform.
Martin Duque's family will accept his medal on Saturday. In accordance with his dream of attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, the academy issued a statement of admission after his heroic death.
The USMA said: "Peter Wang, an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, had a lifetime goal to attend USMA and was posthumously offered admission for his heroic actions on Feb. 14, 2018,"
Wang was killed after being shot repeatedly while holding the door open for his fellow students so that they could escape the shooting.
The American Legion (a US Army veteran's organisation) Sunrise Post 365 tweeted on 18 February: "It is with broken hearts that Sunrise Post 365 & Stoneman Douglas JROTC shares the loss of our soaring eagles!
"We honor them, and will miss their courage, tenacity, and their smiles! Cadet Peter Wang, Cadet Martin Duque, and Cadet Alaina Petty. May they always soar high!"
In total, 17 people were killed in the shooting, with 19-year-old suspect Nikolas Cruz - who was himself a JROTC cadet at the school - standing accused of 17 counts of murder.
Featured Image Credit: Sunrise Post 365Topics: School shooting, News, Florida, US News