Parkland high school shooting survivor, 19, who struggled with 'survivor's guilt' and losing her best friend, takes her own life

A recent graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School committed suicide last weekend — because she was racked by survivor’s guilt after last year’s massacre there, her mother said.

Sydney Aiello was laid to rest Friday in Davie, Florida, after taking her own life Sunday.

The 19-year-old was overcome with grief following the Parkland massacre, which left 17 people — including her close friend Meadow Pollack — dead.

Aiello’s mother, Cara, told CBS Miami that the teen struggled with survivor’s guilt and was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Aiello also found it hard to attend college classes because she was afraid of being in a classroom.

Cara said her daughter was on her high school campus when gunman Nikolas Cruz opened fire Feb. 14, 2018, but not in the freshman building where it happened.

“It’s terrible what happened. Meadow and Sydney were friends for a long, long time,” Pollack’s father, Andrew Pollack, told the Miami Herald. “Killing yourself is not the answer.”

Since his daughter’s death, Andrew has become one of the most vocal advocates of school security.

He retweeted someone’s photo of Aiello and his daughter posing together in fancy gowns with the heartbreaking caption, “A little more than a year after this photo was taken, both are gone.”

In a GoFundMe page to help cover her funeral expenses, Aiello was described as a “beloved daughter, sister and friend to many.”

“She lit up every room she entered,” read the page, which features a photo of the teen smiling while showing off her yoga moves. “She filled her days cheerleading, doing yoga, and brightening up the days of others. Sydney aspired to work in the medical field helping others in need.”

Aiello is survived by her parents, Cara and Joe, and brother, Nick.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, teachers learned that Stoneman Douglas principal Ty Thompson was under investigation as part of the Broward County school district’s ongoing probe into the mass shooting, the Herald reported.

He has been reassigned pending the investigation but will remain on campus as a new building is constructed to replace the one where the shooting occurred.

“Since the tragedy, Thompson has provided stability to the school and community, and has been considered by many to be instrumental in helping with healing and recovery,” said district spokeswoman Kathy Koch.