They died in the line of fire.

Another mass killing took 17 people in Parkland, Florida. The kids were all teenagers at the high school, and their families and friends will have to face the rest of their lives without them. It would be an unspeakable tragedy if we weren’t speaking about it again today, as we did after Charleston, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sandy Hook and Columbine.

In this case, three adults were among those killed, three adults who died perhaps saving more teenagers from perishing in blaze of semi-automatic weapon fire. A teacher, a coach, an athletic director. People who chose their professions to help, teach and coach children. To protect children.

That is why football coach and security guard Aaron Feis, geography teacher and cross country coach Scott Beigel and athletic director Chris Hixon did what they did for a living, not to die on this latest Valentine’s Day massacre.

Feis was seen running toward the crazed shooter, a 19 year-old with a scouting report as plain as day. Feis, according to students, shielded at least one teenage girl from the bullets that took his life. Beigel was herding kids into his class room and trying the lock the door behind him when he was also felled by gunfire. Hixon was doing the same, because teachers and coaches are trained and committed to do that.

Educators take the pledge, hoping the worst that comes is disciplining a student or athlete for his or her own good. They never dream they would have to put their own lives ahead of those kids they are mentoring. But, obviously, when that fateful day comes, they do it by instinct to protect them even if it means jeopardizing their own safety.

These were young adults, all in their thirties, who have families and children of their own that now have to live without this next group of American heroes. When will it stop, or at least get better instead of getting worse? When will coaches and teachers and children not die just trying to live their lives and contribute to the country and world they live in?

We see them at work every day, on all levels, getting their teams and kids to excel so they can grow up to be good citizens first, then maybe star athletes and most proud parents. The next coaches or teachers you see, thank them for what they do. I plan to.