AN IRISH dance school in Florida has paid tribute to one of their students who was killed in Wednesday’s devastating shooting in Florida.
Cara Loughran, 14, was one of 17 people who died after the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Former Douglas pupil Nikolas Cruz, 19, has appeared in court charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
The BBC reports that Cara’s father is originally from Toombridge in Co. Antrim, where her grandparents still live.
In a statement, the Drake School of Irish Dance in South Florida paid tribute to Cara, describing her as a ‘beautiful soul’.
“Our hearts are so heavy, as we have lost one of our dancers, Cara Loughran, in the tragic Stoneman Douglas school shooting,” the statement said.
“Cara was a beautiful soul and always had a smile on her face. We are heartbroken as we send our love and support to her family during this horrible time.
“Several of our other dancers have been directly impacted by this tragedy and have experienced things that no one should ever go through.
“Please keep the Loughran family and the rest of our dance family in your thoughts and prayers.”
American football player Alex Collins also offered his condolences to the families affected.
The Baltimore Ravens running back, an Irish dance fan who trained with the Drake School, tweeted: “We had three Irish dancers that attended Douglas.
"We received confirmation a few hours ago we lost one of the girls, Cara Loughran.
“Two other girls saw and experienced an unspeakable tragedy.
“My heart goes out to these girls, all their families and their teacher Chrissy."
— Alex Collins (@Budda03) February 15, 2018
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