Huntington to hold vigil for LIer killed in school shooting

Scott Beigel, the teacher and Long Island native fatally shot while trying to save his students during last month’s school shooting in Florida, will be honored Wednesday with a candlelight vigil at Huntington Town Hall, officials said Sunday.

Beigel, 35, who grew up in Dix Hills and graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School East, was one of 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when a former student opened fire on Feb. 14.

Beigel, a social studies teacher at the school for about six months, had just locked the door to a classroom full of students — potentially saving them from the gunman — before he was shot, according to news reports.

His parents, Linda and Michael Schulman, and other family members who live on Long Island are to be among the expected 500 to 1,000 attendees at Wednesday’s 4:30 p.m. vigil, officials said.

“We want to honor his heroic actions here in Huntington,” Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci said Sunday. “It’s very important that as a community we come together and pay tribute and honor his sacrifice.”

Beigel, who attended Farmingdale State College before transferring to the University of Florida, also worked as a youth counselor at Camp Starlight in Pennsylvania and had volunteered in South Africa.

Half Hollow Hills Superintendent Patrick Harrigan and other school officials are expected to attend the vigil, which will likely be livestreamed on the town’s website, officials said.

Lupinacci said he’s also proposing a permanent memorial to Beigel on the street where he grew up, but said he’ll first consult with the town attorney and town board.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.