ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – More people who knew Rebecca White, the licensed mental health counselor who was stabbed to death inside her Orange County office, are speaking out about her compassion and dedication to helping others.
“You could tell she cared, and it’s just sad she is gone,” said Amy Barnes, who says White helped her family heal for years.
Barnes says White worked with all types of people and she appreciated how she made Barnes says that kind of work takes someone truly special.
“My husband was one of the people in the class she helped for people who were formerly incarcerated,” Barnes said.
Barnes went on to say, “You’re working with the underserved, underprivileged, people who were formerly incarcerated — so it takes a special person.”
[BELOW: 1 dead, 1 critically injured in Lee Road stabbing]
That is why Barnes and many others were devastated to learn that White was killed Monday night, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say White was finishing up a counseling session when a former client forced his way into her office inside a building along Lee Road and attacked her.
During the violent encounter, another client who attempted to call 911 was also stabbed. That victim is expected to survive.
“You have these people walking out, and there’s no metal detectors, there’s no security guards,” Barnes said, raising concerns about safety inside the building.
The suspect was identified as Michael Smith, a registered sex offender with a documented history of violence. Deputies say Smith was later found dead from an apparent suicide.
[BELOW: Counselor killed, patient injured in Orlando stabbing]
In a statement released to News 6, White’s family questioned the security measures in place at the building.
“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,” the statement read in part. “This tragedy raises concerns about systemic failures that may have contributed to a situation that should never have occurred and, in our view, could have been prevented.”
“There definitely needs to be security measures for people who are dealing with people with mental health issues,” Barnes added.
According to Sunbiz records, the property is owned by a company called 933 Building LLC. News 6 identified the listed owner and manager in state documents and sent an email requesting a response to the family’s concerns. As of now, no response has been received.
Once a response is provided, News 6 says it will update the story.