Hero Teacher Who Shielded Students In Fla. Shooting Grew Up On LI

A teacher who died while shielding his students from gunfire at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wednesday has Long Island roots.

Scott Beigel, 35, grew up in Dix Hills and was remembered by his former neighbors as a respectful young man and a good student, Newsday reports.

Beigel was a geography teacher and the school's cross country coach. He was struck by a bullet as he shut a classroom door behind him. He had unlocked his classroom briefly to let more students take shelter, the Miami Herald reported.

Seventeen people were killed in the shooting, which authorities say was carried out by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school located about 20 miles southwest of Boca Raton.

Kelsey Friend, a student in Beigel's class, recalled her teacher's heroic actions to Good Morning America:

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"When he opened the door, he had to re-lock it so we could stay safe, but he didn't get the chance to," Friend said through tears. "And I'm so thankful that he was there to help everybody who did live in that classroom because he was in the doorway and the door was still open, and the shooter probably didn't know we were in there because Mr. Beigel was laying on the floor."

Friend also told CNN that "Mr. Beigel was my hero and he still will forever be my hero."

Beigel also worked as a summer camp counselor at Camp Starlight in Pennsylvania.

"The Starlight family is wrapping their arms around each other today singing from our hearts to starlight's beloved friend and hero, Scott Beigel," the camp posted in a statement on its Facebook page.

Another victim in the shooting massacre also has a Long Island connection. Aaron Feis, 37, an assistant football coach, grew up in West Islip, according to Newsday.

Feis is being hailed as a hero after he stepped in front of students to shield them from gunfire. Feis died from his injuries early Thursday morning, the school's football team announced via Twitter.

Two coaches, a teacher and 14 students were killed in the massacre, the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012.

Nikolas Cruz was reportedly adopted at birth by a Long Island couple after they moved south. Cruz is the son of Roger and Lynda Cruz, the Sun Sentinel reported. Lynda Cruz died in November and Roger Cruz "died many years ago," according to the report.

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