ORLANDO, Fla. – The family of a mental-health counselor who was stabbed to death in Orange County is questioning whether there was proper security in the building where the stabbing took place.
Rebecca White died Monday night after she was stabbed at her office on Lee Road. Another man, who had just finished a therapy session with White, was also stabbed while trying to save the counselor.
[WATCH: Former client kills counselor, injures man in stabbing in Orange County]
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Michael Smith, 39, was one of White’s former clients.
Investigators say Smith forced his way into White’s office, demanding to speak to her. When she told him to leave, investigators say Smith pulled a knife and stabbed both White and the other victim, who was trying to call 911.
Smith was later found dead from an apparent suicide.
Family members said in a statement Thursday that White was deeply committed to helping others through therapy and took safety seriously.
The family also said it was concerned about “systemic failures that may have contributed to a situation that should never have occurred.”
“We are struggling to understand how this could have happened. There are serious and troubling questions surrounding building access, security measures, surveillance, and how an individual was able to enter the premises during those hours,” their statement reads. “Right now, our family is grieving an irreplaceable loss. We are heartbroken, angry, and searching for answers- but above all, we are mourning Rebecca.”
[WATCH: Father of patient injured in Orlando stabbing speaks out]