TALLAHASSEE, FL (352today.com) – Ever since 2018, Valentine’s Day is a somber day across Florida. It’s the day a gunman opened fire in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland killing 17.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff Wednesday in honor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Remembrance Day.

A memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in 2018 just days after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty in a mass shooting in Parkland. Courtesy: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

The day is dedicated to the memory of the innocent lives taken:

  • Alyssa Alhadeff
  • Scott Beigel
  • Martin Duque Anguiano
  • Nicholas Dworet
  • Aaron Feis
  • Jaime Guttenberg
  • Christopher Hixon
  • Luke Hoyer
  • Cara Loughran
  • Gina Montalto
  • Joaquin Oliver
  • Alaina Petty
  • Meadow Pollack
  • Helena Ramsay
  • Alex Schachter
  • Carmen Schentrup
  • Peter Wang

The governor’s proclamation also calls for a moment of silence at 10:17 a.m.

“Students, teachers and faculty showed great courage in the face of danger,” said DeSantis in a news release. “The sacrifices of these heroes, as well as the brave actions of first responders, will never be forgotten.”

The governor’s order impacts flags at all local and state buildings, installations and grounds across the state from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday, February 14.