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First Two Funerals Held For Victims Of School Massacre

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Anguish and sorrow are giving way to anger Friday as the families of some of the 17 people killed in the Florida school massacre begin to do the unimaginable -- bury their children.

The first two victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting were laid to rest on Friday two days after the massacre.

Fourteen year old Alyssa Alhadeff and 18-year old Meadow Pollack were buried not far from each other at the Star of David Cemetery in North Lauderdale.

Alyssa Alhadeff
Alyssa Alhadeff (Source: facebook.com/leon.fooksman)

"She used to show me her grades, all A's" said Luis Rodriguez who attended the service for his good friend Alyssa.

Rodriguez joined hundreds of mourners who wept openly during the morning tribute.

Alhadeff was in the freshman building Wednesday when the accused gunman systematically shot and killed 14 students, a teacher, coach and the athletic director.

"Alyssa was a person who was always happy," remembered Rodriguez. "She tried to cheer everyone up around her, to just stay positive."

While he was in a different building when the chaos began, Rodriguez says he is still processing all that happened.

Alhadeff was lauded as an overachiever, accomplished soccer player, skilled member of the debate team and a loving daughter. She leaves behind her parents and two brothers.

In an appearance on CNN Thursday, Alyssa's mother called forcefully and emotionally on President Donald Trump to increase security at schools.

"The gunman — a crazy person — just walks right into my child's school, knocks down the window of her door, and just starts shooting, shooting her! And killing her!" Alhadeff said.

"President Trump, you say, 'What can you do? You can stop the guns from getting into these children's hands! Put metal detectors at every entrance to the schools! What can you do? You can do a lot! This is not fair to our families and our children [to] go to school and have to get killed!"

The grief-stricken mother put her pain on full display, tearfully screaming into the camera for change and pleading for President Trump to do something to stop mass shootings.

"I just spent the last two hours putting the funeral arrangements for my daughter's funeral, who's 14! President Trump, please do something. Do something! Action! We need it now! These kids need safety now!"

Her mother also paid tribute to her daughter on social media writing, "Alyssa was a talented soccer player, so smart, and amazing personality, incredible creative writer, and all she had to offer the world was love. She believed in people for being so honest."

It was an emotional message that resonated in Parkland where Meadow Pollack was remembered at the congregation Kol Tikvah early Friday afternoon.

Meadow Pollack
Meadow Pollac (Source: facebook.com/robyn.maisner)

Pollack leaves behind her parents and two brothers.

She was a senior who would have graduated in three months and she planned to attend Lynn University​ in Boca Raton in the fall.

A procession with her casket traveled from the Parkland synagogue to North Lauderdale Friday afternoon where Pollack was buried at the Star of David cemetery.

"Our prayers are with all the families going through this," said parent Geeta Bollapally whose son is a freshman at Stoneman Douglas and not hurt in the tragedy.

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