Gottheimer Creates ALYSSA Act, Named For Murdered Ex-Bergen Girl

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey congressman has introduced a bill that would require silent alarms in schools nationwide and was named after a former Bergen County resident who was shot and killed during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from Wyckoff representing New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, is co-sponsoring the legislation with Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. It is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, an ex-Woodcliff Lake resident who was killed in the shooting.

The law would require silent panic alarms be installed in public schools nationwide. The alarms will alert law enforcement during emergencies, including active shooter situations like the one that killed Alhadeff, or to employ another emergency mechanism approved by the New Jersey Department of Education. The alarms would cost about $1,000 per school.

The federal act would also cut red tape to provide greater access to federal money to bring more school resource police officers to schools nationwide.

Gottheimer announced the legislation Tuesday in Woodcliff Lake with Lori and Ilan Alhadeff, Alyssa's parents.

"Together, with silent alarms in every school directly connected to local law enforcement agencies and with school resource officers at more schools around the country, we are taking concrete steps to help further protect our children," Gottheimer said. "That is Lori and Ilan Alhadeff’s number-one priority, and as a dad of a 7-year-old and 10-year-old, it is to me, too."

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a statewide "Alyssa's Law" into effect in February. It requires silent alarms to be installed in all of New Jersey's public schools.

"We really appreciate the efforts here in New Jersey to keep our children safe in school, and I am excited to continue to expand those protections to every student in the country," Lori Alhadeff said.

Alhadeff, 14, was praised by those who knew her, including her soccer coach of three years in Florida, Laurie Thomas.

"We are extremely grateful and privileged those of us who knew Alyssa. She contributed and gave much to the emotional life of so many us. Alyssa was kind, loving and caring. We need to be kinder and loving and caring. Alyssa enriched the lives of the people she was around, we must enrich the lives of the people we come around," Thomas said of the three-time team captain. "She was the heartbeat of the team, the one who pushed us to reach our best, she was a superstar but too humble to know it. She loved her teammates, she stood up for them; she was loyal to the team and protected them because they'd do the same for her."

Lori Alhadeff called out President Donald Trump just after the shooting demanding "action" on guns.

"A gunman, a crazy person, just walks right into the school, knocks down the window of my child's door and starts shooting her! And killing her!" she said as she held a microphone. "President Trump, please do something! Do something! Action! We need it now! These kids need safety now."

Alhadeff's parents founded a nonprofit, Make Our Schools Safe. The organization works to improve the safety of schools and implement new safety standards by collaborating with security advisers to train teachers and students on how to stay safe during emergencies.

Related:

• Ex-NJ Teen Alyssa Alhadeff 'Gave Her Best' In Everything She Did
• Florida Shooting Victim, 14, Lived In NJ, 'Loved, Well-Respected'
• Ex-Bergen Mom Pens Valentine's Letter To Murdered Daughter

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com