Football Coach Killed After Shielding Students During Florida School Shooting

Aaron Feis was a hero, and because of that, he lost his life Wednesday.

Feis, a security guard and assistant football coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was killed during Wednesday’s horrific school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17.

According to reports, Feis was shot while trying to help students survive the attack and shielded at least one student from gunfire, according to the Sun Sentinel. MS Douglas head football coach Willis May told the paper he heard directly from a student who said Feis jumped between her and the shooter before pushing her through a door.

Will Pringle, a player on the Douglas football team, shared his thoughts on Twitter after learning of the tragedy. He called Feis “the most selfless and caring man I’ve ever met,” who “stood up for what he believed and would believe in kids when no one else would, put others before himself and was a true hero.”

Another Douglas player, Charlie Rothkopf, tweeted a tribute to Feis on Wednesday night.

The suspected shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was charged Thursday morning with 17 counts of premeditated murder.