PITTSBURGH — Six years have come and gone, but the Squirrel Hill community always remembers the loss.
“I hope it’s a reminder for people that the 11 people who were killed were such integral members of our community and their memories are not going to be forgotten,” said Maggie Feinstein who’s the Director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership.
But the loss hits harder this week as a memorial plaque outside Allderdice High School has gone missing. That plaque listing each of the 11 victims was erected by the 2018-2019 boys’ basketball team. A move by the youth to show these families they were not alone, including the Mallingers, who lost their matriarch Rose in the tragedy.
“None of those kids are in high school anymore. They’ve moved onto jobs and out into the real world. Hopefully, they can carry that with them and continue to fight against hate,” said Alan Mallinger, Rose’s son.
It comes as the six-year commemoration of the shooting is in less than two weeks.
“You just kind of shake your head and just kind of wonder why what are people thinking,” Mallinger said.
While Pittsburgh Public Schools doesn’t have any leads on the theft, they have reviewed surveillance video.
“It’s tragic it was taken, but on the other hand it’s given people a reminder to look at the words they wrote,” Feinstein said.
A new plaque reading the same, “As long as we live, they too will live for they are now a part of us, as we remember them” is already being made to continue the tradition of remembrance for these families who have a long history inside this school building.
“I went to Allderdice, my sister, my brother went to Allderdice, all our kids went to Allderdice. My son played on the basketball team at Allderdice. It’s great to see that Allderdice is still a great neighborhood school and a great city league school and the kids are learning something,” Mallinger said.
The new plaque is already ordered, and the school district said the goal is to have it installed before the memory ceremonies on Sunday, October 27th.
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