Editor’s Note: Since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which killed 14 students and 3 adults, students across the nation are not only calling for action but also honoring those who died. At Wahlert, each week we are honoring the victims by learning a little, about them during morning prayer. To give you a better idea of who these students were, we are also writing a short article to honor the people.

Martin Duque Anguiano was a freshman at Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. He was a victim of the school shooting on Feb. 14th.

Martin grew up in Mexico with his brothers, where he was taken care of by his grandmothers. His parents had moved to Florida when he was young to earn money for their family. Eventually, Martin and his siblings were brought to the U.S. once his parents had enough money for them. The grandmothers stayed in Mexico.

Martin had four siblings. Miguel Duque, one of his brothers, graduated from Douglas High School in 2017. Miguel described Martin as a “very funny kid, outgoing, sometimes really quiet kid and loved by all his family.”

Alex Duque, another sibling, said, “He was sweet and caring and loved by everyone in his family. Most of all, he was my baby brother.”

Liliana Pardo-Posse, someone who has known the family for a while said, “I first met them when Martin entered elementary school and have kept in touch with them since. The Duques are an intact, honest and hard working family, who always live contently within their means because they have solid family values”

A cousin of Martin’s, Marilu Hernandez Duque, notes,  “The family has been assassinated by crime in Mexico.” Six family members had been murdered in violent crime back in Mexico. “Martin is the seventh death, also from violence. I cannot understand why this keeps happening. I hope that this does not continue and that they do something to make the violence vanish.”

His brother Miguel Duque has set up a Gofundme page to help pay for his brother’s funeral expenses. The funeral was held on Feb. 15th, and, his family came from all over. His two grandmothers from Mexico came as did his Uncle Libni Ortega, who lives in Houston, Texas.

“We saw that he was missing; we were already worried about him, but we never thought that he was killed,” Libni said. “We never thought that our family was going to be part of the news.” Libni also mentioned that his sister was in a ‘bad condition’ from the loss.

Classmates also came to the funeral. “We’re choosing to honor him, to remember the good parts of his life,” said fellow schoolmate Vincent Hernandez. “Having survived the shooting, I definitely feel newfound purpose. Martin’s death and this tragedy has let me see things differently. In a short time, I’ve learned to love things while I still have them, not afterward.”

Gabriel Souza, another classmate that attended the funeral, said, “He was a kid with big dreams. In his hands was a remembrance pamphlet that read “Gone but never forgotten.” Souza also mentioned, “I have a feeling this school shooting was the final straw.” He said he’s “certain” school security will “finally” be heightened and gun laws “will be tightened.”

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