Coach Aaron Feis is being remembered today as a fearless, shining, tragic example of heroism as the country remains paralyzed with shock in the aftermath of another fatal mass shooting, this time at a Parkland, Fla. school.
Feis, himself a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was shot dead as he tried to block suspect and former student Nikolas Cruz from harming students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas middle school. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.
MS Douglas Football on Twitter
It is with Great sadness that our Football Family has learned about the death of Aaron Feis. He was our Assistant Football Coach and security guard. He selflessly shielded students from the shooter when he was shot.
It’s reported that Feis, of Coral Springs was well-liked by the school community. The outpouring of support on Twitter by families and students of MS Douglas supports that. He spent eight years as the junior varsity squads head coach, according to his bio on the schools website.
He graduated from Douglas in 1999 and played center for the Eagles from 1995 to 1998. Geis, the father of a young daughter, selflessly jumped in front of terrified students to protect them from getting shot with an automatic weapon wielded by a disturbed kid who set off the fire alarm to get the students and staff to clear out of the classrooms for easier access when releasing a hail of bullets.
Douglas football coach Willis May told the Orlando Sentinel he’d heard directly from a student that Feis jumped between her and the shooter, and then “pushed her out the door to safety.”
Who knows how many lives Feis saved. As tragic as the moment is, Feis unselfishness, his dedication to the safety of his students and his personal sacrifice remains a silver lining of hope in another senseless, violent and community-debilitating act that makes us all question the state of humanity.
