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PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday is expected to tour the blood-stained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened, accompanied by some victims' family members who are pushing for stricter gun laws and improved school safety. When Harris goes inside, she will see bullet-pocked walls and floors still covered in dried blood and broken glass. Schachter said while there is disagreement over gun laws, school safety brings the sides together. During Harris' visit, the White House says, she will announce a program to provide technical assistance and training to Florida and the other 20 states that have similar “red flag laws." Even officials who don't support stronger gun laws learn from the tours, leading to better discussions, Moskowitz said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Marjory Stoneman, Miguel Cardona, wilted, Nikolas Cruz, ”, Jared Moskowitz, Stoneman Douglas, Joe Biden, Linda Beigel Schulman, Scott Beigel, Beigel Schulman, ” Max Schachter, Alex, Schachter, ” Schachter, Cruz, Scot Peterson, Moskowitz Organizations: —, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Democratic U.S . Rep Locations: Fla, Parkland, Utah, Florida, Broward County

☆ Kamala Harris Visits Parkland and Urges States to Adopt Red-Flag Gun Laws
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday toured the still-bloody and bullet-pocked classroom building in Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members in 2018, using the grim backdrop to announce a new federal resource center and to call for stricter enforcement of gun laws. The freshman building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had been preserved as evidence for criminal trials and is set to be demolished this summer. For now, it remains a memorial to one of the most shocking mass shootings in the history of the United States. In remarks after taking her tour and meeting for more than an hour with family members of victims of the attack, Ms. Harris said the experience had been a compelling one. “Let us, through the courage and the call to action of these families, find it in ourselves to consider what they’ve been through as some level of motivation and inspiration for all of us,” she said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Marjory Stoneman, Harris, ” Organizations: Saturday, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Parkland, Fla, United States

☆ US' Harris to Visit Parkland Shooting Site, Push New Gun Laws
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"Red flag" laws allow courts to issue "extreme risk protection orders" removing firearms from individuals considered at risk of harming themselves or others. As part of her visit, Harris will call for 29 other states that have no such laws to pass them and encourage 15 more states that have the laws to start using the available federal funds. Florida approved a red flag law after the 2018 shooting but has not used the federal funding, according to the official. Some advocates regard the red flag laws as violating their constitutional right to bear arms, while gun safety advocates point to some studies showing they can prevent some deaths. Republican candidate Donald Trump has previously supported red flag laws but opposed broader measures favored by Biden.

Persons: Trevor Hunnicutt, Kamala Harris, Harris, Marjory Stoneman, Joe Biden, University of Washington School of Medicine . Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, White, Parkland, United, Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington School of Medicine ., Democrat, Republican Locations: Trevor Hunnicutt FORT LAUDERDALE , Florida, Parkland , Florida, Six U.S, Florida, United States

☆ Justices Seem Likely to Side With N.R.A. in First Amendment Dispute
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A majority of the Supreme Court appeared on Monday to embrace arguments by the National Rifle Association that a New York State official violated the First Amendment by trying to dissuade companies from doing business with it after a deadly school shooting. The dispute, which began after a gunman opened fire in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., was one of two cases on Monday that centered on when government advocacy crosses a line to violate the Constitution’s protection of free speech. After the shooting, which killed 17 students and staff members, Maria Vullo, then a superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services, said banks and other insurance companies regulated by her agency should assess whether they wanted to continue providing services to the N.R.A. The gun rights group sued, accusing Ms. Vullo of unlawfully leveraging her authority as a government official.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Maria Vullo, Ms, Vullo Organizations: National Rifle Association, New York State, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, New York State Department of Financial Services Locations: Parkland, Fla

☆ AI-generated voices of dead shooting victims are sending gun-control pleas to lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

We have tried almost every single way to approach gun violence in a way that people will pay attention. There have been 50 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Brett Cross says he's unfazed by critics who are against the use of AI-generated voices of children killed by gun violence. But earlier this month, it announced that robocall scams using AI-generated voices are a violation of telecommunications law. He says some parents who’ve lost children to gun violence were reluctant to take part in the project.

Persons: CNN — Joaquin Oliver’s, Marjory Stoneman, “ It’s, ”, ” Manuel, Patricia Oliver, Joaquin, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Cody Jackson, “, Manuel Oliver, Uzi, Garcia, Mitch Renfro Uzi Garcia, “ I’m, Brett Cross, he’s, he's unfazed, Nuri Vallbona, Ethan Song, Akilah Dasilva, Mike Baughan, Jaycee Webster, Uzi Garcia, Jordan Vonderhaar, Biden, ’ landlines, Oliver, they’re, Alex Quilici, ’ —, Robert Wahl, ” Manuel Oliver, who’ve, It’s Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Kansas City, Robb Elementary School, Reuters, Maryland, Federal Communications Commission, New, Telephone Consumer, Concordia University Wisconsin, Hollywood Locations: Parkland, Parkland , Florida, Florida, Kansas, United States, Uvalde , Texas, Connecticut, Tennessee, Maryland, New Hampshire

“We come from a place where gun violence is a problem, but you will never see a 19-year-old with an AR-15 getting into a school and shooting people,” Manuel Oliver said. “There’s a reason for the gun violence in a Third World country. Joaquin's AI voice identifies him and then says, “Many students and teachers were murdered on Valentine’s Day ... by a person using an AR-15, but you don’t care. Other families who lost loved ones to gun violence will be allowed to add their victim's re-created voice to the project, which runs indefinitely. They call themselves “the rebel side of the gun violence prevention movement."

Persons: — Joaquin “ Guac ” Oliver, Oliver, Manuel, Patricia Oliver, Joaquin's, ” Manuel Oliver, “, Stoneman Douglas, ” Patricia Oliver, It’s, Joaquin, Critics, ”, “ Joaquin, Uziyah Garcia, Ethan Song, Brett Cross, “ I’m, Uzi, hadn't, Mike, Kristin Song, ” Kristin Song, —, ’, Manuel Oliver's, Joe Biden Organizations: National Rifle Association, Immigrants, NRA, Valentine’s, YouTube, Waffle House, Robb Elementary School Locations: Fla, Parkland , Florida, Venezuela, United States, Parkland, Tennessee, , Texas, Uvalde , Texas, Connecticut, Virginia

☆ Lost at Parkland: ‘Peter Was Always My Translator’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Amy Qin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Linda Zhang wandered into her son’s room and sat for a while. She visits there from time to time, after her husband has gone to work at the restaurant and their other kids have gone to school. And then there were the many tributes, gifts and drawings that poured in after her son, Peter Wang, was shot multiple times and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On this morning, Ms. Zhang pointed out a framed letter. There was also a portrait of Peter, which Ms. Zhang said might have been drawn by a famous artist, but she wasn’t quite sure.

Persons: Linda Zhang, Peter Wang, Marjory Stoneman, Zhang, Marco Rubio, Peter Organizations: Nintendo, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Florida

☆ Joe Biden is looking for ways to get his message to break through. He’s hoping his Cabinet can play a key role.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Betsy Klein | Camila Dechalus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Nevertheless, the Biden White House and legal team has taken pains to ensure compliance – an effort to highlight its commitment to ethics and draw a sharp contrast with Trump, who skirted the rule with abandon. And the Biden White House has issued “extensive guidance to and conducts trainings for agencies” on the Hatch Act and how to avoid potential missteps, the official said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for instance, delivered a speech to the Republican National Convention while on official travel in Jerusalem. “Voters of color can see themselves in leaders like Secretary Cardona, Secretary Fudge, and (EPA) Administrator (Michael) Regan. President Biden was intentional about assembling a Cabinet that reflects the diversity of America, and we continue to see how that diversity translates into real political strength,” he told CNN.

Persons: Washington CNN — Janet Yellen isn’t, Joe Biden’s, Biden, SSRS –, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Yellen, Robert Hur’s, Pete Buttigieg, Gina Raimondo, Jennifer Granholm, Miguel Cardona, they’ve, “, Biden’s, they’re, Jeff Zients, “ Biden, ” Caitlin Legacki, Granholm, Buttigieg, Raimondo, “ We’re, ” Buttigieg, That’s, Mike Pompeo, Biden White, – you’ve, ” Legacki, Julie Su, Isabel Casillas Guzman, Marcia Fudge –, –, Marjory Stoneman, Gevin Reynolds, Kamala Harris, Secretary Cardona, Fudge, Michael, Regan, Young, Tom Vilsack Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Economic, of Chicago, Midwest, Treasury, White, Transportation, Democratic, GOP, Cabinet, Biden White, Republican National Convention, Coalition, SSRS, Biden, Trump, Labor, Democrats, Small, Urban, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Palmetto State’s, Education, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, “ Locations: Yellen, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee , Louisiana , California, Delaware, New York, Jerusalem, American, Pacific Islander, Nevada, South Carolina, Iowa

☆ A Father Stages the Unthinkable: Losing a Son in a School Shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Christopher Kuo | More About Christopher Kuo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Manuel Oliver had arrived at the point of his one-man show where it was time to re-enact the murder of his son, Joaquin, who was one of 17 people killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018. He donned a paper mask of the face of Joaquin, who was a 17-year-old senior when he was killed. He grabbed a hammer and turned to a life-size portrait of Joaquin and methodically banged it four times — once for each bullet that had struck him — creating a jagged hole. The searing re-enactment of the shooting was part of “Guac: The One Man Show,” a show about Joaquin that Oliver has been performing around the nation, and that he brought this month to the Theater Row Studio Theater in Manhattan. About 50 people watched as Oliver opened the play with a question: “When you lose a son, what do you do?”

Persons: Manuel Oliver, Joaquin, Marjory Stoneman, Oliver Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Parkland, Fla, “, Manhattan

☆ Inside the Army Factory That Makes AR-15 Ammunition: 4 Takeaways
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Ben Dooley | More About Ben Dooley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For most of that period, its commercial operations outstripped its military business. As those rifles have appeared in crimes, so has the plant’s ammunition. The vast majority of Lake City rounds sold by retailers have gone to law-abiding citizens, including hunters, farmers and target shooters. But some Lake City rounds have been seized from drug dealers, violent felons, antigovernment groups, rioters at the U.S. Capitol and smugglers for Mexican cartels. Lake City rounds have been tied to at least a dozen mass shootings involving AR-15-style guns.

Persons: —, Barack Obama, Marjory Stoneman Organizations: Army, Lake, U.S . Capitol, Los Angeles International Airport, Calif, Las, Baptist, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, FedEx, Robb Elementary School, Colorado Springs Locations: Lake City, Massachusetts, Lake, Aurora, Colo, San Bernardino, Sutherland Springs , Texas, Parkland, Fla, Pittsburgh, Midland, Odessa , Texas, Indianapolis, Denver, Buffalo, Uvalde , Texas, Colorado

☆ She led the National School Walkout after the Parkland mass shooting. Then she left America
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

These include at least 69 school shootings this year, as of October 28. CNNMurdock was a high school sophomore in Ridgefield, Connecticut, on Valentine’s Day in 2018 when a young man opened fire at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three teachers. She came up with a plan for students to walk out of school in protest on April 20, 2018, the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Lane Murdock, then 16, discussed logistics with classmates a week before the April, 20, 2018, National School Walkout. There have been two mass shootings in the country since the laws were tightened.

Persons: CNN — Lane Murdock, Marjory Stoneman, ” Murdock, “, I’ve, “ We’ve, it’s, Lane Murdock, CNN Murdock, Stoneman, Murdock’s, Sandy Hook, Ray Sanchez, Murdock, ”, Dunblane, people’s Organizations: CNN, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Gun Safety, Firearms, Edinburgh, Ridgefield High School, Stoneman Douglas High School, Columbine, Oxford, Cambridge, National School, –, Republican, Democratic, Giffords Law, Robb Elementary School, Edinburgh Napier University, America Locations: Connecticut, America, Ridgefield , Connecticut, Parkland , Florida, Ridgefield, New England, Hawaii, England, Guam, Parkland, Washington, DC, Uvalde , Texas, Scotland, ”, Scottish, Scotland –, Dunblane, “, England’s Hungerford, Cumbria, Plymouth, United States

NEW YORK (AP) — Cher is obviously a superstar but even a superstar can be the opening act when it comes to Santa. Organizers of this year's Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade have nabbed the Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winner for their 97th annual event. Cher will make her appearance just before the parade's end, signaled by the arrival of Santa’s sleigh, parade organizers said. This year’s parade will feature 16 giant character balloons, 26 floats, 32 novelty and heritage inflatables, 12 marching bands, 700 clowns and eight performance groups. Other marching bands this year will represent Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas.

Persons: Cher, It's, Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, ENHYPEN, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Drew Holcomb, Jessie James Decker, Ashley Park, ” Pentatonix, Paul Russell, Amanda Shaw, Alex Smith, Manuel Turizo, Jordan Chiles, Ezra Frech, Jessica Long, Grace Stanke, Kung, Panda’s, ” “ Leo, ”, ” “, ” “ Pillsbury Doughboy ”, Uncle Dan, “, Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, ” “ Ronald McDonald, Stuart, SpongeBob, Mariah Carey, Marjory Stoneman, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Carlos Adyan, Andrea Meza, ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: En, Miss, ” “ Pillsbury, “, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, NBC, Telemundo Locations: Brandy, Chicago, Manuel Turizo ., U.S, In Ohio, Parkland, Florida, Alabama, Indiana , Wisconsin , Michigan, Washington , New York , Illinois , New Jersey, Texas, Peacock, Savannah, “, Spanish

☆ Stephen Colbert Calls Out Mike Johnson’s First Fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Trish Bendix | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Because they’ve had plenty of time since Uvalde and Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Sandy Hook and the Pulse nightclub. If that seems like too hard of a job, you know who’s really got a hard job now? The people in Lewiston, Maine.” — STEPHEN COLBERT “And there are very few people like Mainers. I know Mainers. These are people whose idea of a beach is a collection of jagged rocks near freezing water.

Persons: Colbert, they’ve, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Sandy Hook, ” — STEPHEN COLBERT, Mike Johnson, “, ”, “ We’re, ” — STEPHEN COLBERT “, They’ve, —, — STEPHEN COLBERT “ Organizations: Congress Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Maine

Andy Beshear and GOP Attorney General Daniel Cameron staked out their stands on gun policy during a recent debate in Louisville. Statewide politicians tread cautiously on gun issues in the Bluegrass State, where support for gun rights is seen as “almost the third rail of Kentucky politics," said longtime political commentator Al Cross. Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesDuring the recent televised debate, Beshear and Cameron declared their support for the Second Amendment. Law enforcement officials had received numerous complaints about the gunman’s threatening statements. A Kentucky law sends guns confiscated by police to auction, with the proceeds used to buy law enforcement equipment.

Persons: Andy Beshear, Daniel Cameron, Muhammad Ali, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Tommy Elliott, Beshear, Al Cross, Cameron, ” Beshear, I’ve, ” Cameron, ”, —, Marjory Stoneman, ” Cameron nudged, Craig Greenberg, Greenberg, Cameron sidestepped, Dylan Lovan Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Gov, GOP, Bank, Bluegrass State, Old National Bank, Kentucky's Republican, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Police, Louisville, Associated Locations: LOUISVILLE, Ky, Louisville, Kentucky's, Kentucky, Maine, Florida, Parkland

The 1200 Building is scheduled to be demolished next summer, the local school district announced last month. Authorities told WPLG-TV that Saturday was the last day for people to tour the building, which has been preserved as evidence by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex Schachter was killed in the massacre, led Saturday's tour. Classes have long-since resumed at the Stoneman Douglas campus while the building with bullet-riddled and blood-splattered walls remained locked off. Chris Hixon, the school's athletic director and wrestling coach, was killed when he ran toward Cruz and tried to stop the shooting.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Max Schachter, Alex Schachter, “, ”, Stoneman Douglas, Nikolas Cruz, Tony Montalto, Gina Montalto, Chris Hixon, Debbi Hixon Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Authorities, Broward Sheriff’s, Association, Stoneman Locations: Fla, Florida, Parkland, Cruz

The result was Joy, which uses artificial intelligence to suggest bite-sized mindfulness activities for people based on how they are feeling. It really helps me quickly de-stress before I have to do things like job interviews,” he said. The AI is supposed to recognize how you are feeling from your voice, then suggest short activities. The app is available for a $8 monthly subscription, with a discount if you subscribe for a whole year. It’s a work in progress, and as it goes with AI, the more people use it, the more accurate it becomes.

Persons: Kai Koerber, Marjory Stoneman, —, — he’d, ”, “, Koerber, ” Koerber, Mohammed Zareef, Mustafa, Koerber's who's, you've, It’s, “ Kai, Dacher Keltner, it’s, Colin Walsh, Walsh, ” Walsh, don’t, Mark Zuckerberg, ’ ” Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Cal, University of California, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt University, Facebook Locations: Parkland , Florida, Berkeley

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For nearly a week, families whose lives were upended by a Nashville elementary school shooting took turns sharing dark details to Tennessee lawmakers. Meanwhile, families have waded into the legislative process, uncovering and reliving personally painful details before lawmakers — privately, publicly or both — with mixed results. The inaction this year in Tennessee was markedly different than how Florida reacted five years ago to a massive school shooting. Parents offered similar pleas in Tennessee last month during a brief special legislative session called by Republican Gov. For many parents, it signaled they would likely retell and relive these dark moments for many more months, as they pledged to seek change next legislative session and in the 2024 statehouse elections.

Persons: —, ”, Melissa Alexander, reliving, “, Melissa Brymer, Marjory Stoneman, “ I’ve, Max Schachter, Alex, I’m, Kimberly Mata, Rubio, Lexi, ” Mata, Bill Lee, Jeremy Faison, Sarah Shoop Neumann, audibly, Chris Todd, Becky Hansen, sobbed, Abby McLean, ” McLean, ” Alexander, Paul Weber Organizations: Covenant School, Republican, General Assembly, Democratic, UCLA, Duke University National Center for, Florida's Republican, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Robb Elementary School, Texas Capitol, Texas House, Republican Gov, Capitol, Covenant, House Republicans, Senate, Associated Press Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, United States, Florida, Parkland, Texas, Uvalde, Austin , Texas

[1/2] The "1200 building" at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the crime scene where the 2018 shootings took place, is seen in Parkland, Florida, U.S. August 4, 2022. Scot Peterson, the school resource officer on duty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, 2018, was armed but never went inside the building as the shooting unfolded, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. Friday's re-enactment is part of a civil case against Peterson in which victims' families and survivors are seeking unspecified damages. In June, Peterson was acquitted by a Florida jury of criminal charges of child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury connected the shooting. It has remained largely unaltered since the 2018 shooting, with bloodstains and bullet holes still visible.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Amy Beth Bennett, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Friday's, Michael Piper, Piper, David Brill, Carol, Lisa Phillips, Phillips, Nikolas Cruz, Julia Harte, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward County Sheriff's Office, Broward, Broward County Public, Thomson Locations: Parkland , Florida, U.S, Florida, Broward County, Broward

[1/2] The "1200 building" at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the crime scene where the 2018 shootings took place, is seen in Parkland, Florida, U.S. August 4, 2022. The re-staging of the school shooting, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, was part of a civil lawsuit against Scot Peterson, a police officer who was stationed outside the Parkland, Florida, high school when the gunfire began on Feb. 14, 2018. In June, Peterson was acquitted by a Florida jury of criminal charges of child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury connected the shooting. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot or killed, not including the shooter. Ahead of the re-enactment, nine members of Congress and family members of victims toured the school building.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Amy Beth Bennett, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Tony Montalto, Gina, Michael Piper, Carol, Lisa Phillips, Nikolas Cruz, Julia Harte, Cynthia Osterman, Leslie Adler Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward, Sun Sentinel, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: Parkland , Florida, U.S, Florida, Broward County, Parkland

☆ A School Bus Crosses the Nation, Connecting Mass Shooting Families
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Mike Baker | More About Mike Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Manuel and Patricia Oliver had already been on the road for more than a week when they pulled their school bus bearing an American flag into a city park in Uvalde, Texas. They were unsure of just how many people would greet them on that sweltering day. Parents, grandparents, siblings and other kin of some of the 22 people killed last year at Robb Elementary streamed into the park, embracing the Olivers and each other. So, too, did a woman who lost her daughter at a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, where 10 people were killed in 2018. “I’m looking to help and also to receive help,” Mr. Oliver said.

Persons: Manuel, Patricia Oliver, Joaquin, Marjory Stoneman, “, ” Mr, Oliver Organizations: Robb, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Uvalde , Texas, Santa Fe , Texas, Parkland, Fla, Texas

[1/2] Judge Elizabeth Scherer reads the verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., October 13, 2022. Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoJuly 25 (Reuters) - Florida's top court has publicly reprimanded the judge who presided over the trial of Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018, for appearing partial to the prosecution. Monday's decision by the Florida Supreme Court came after the 15-member Judicial Qualifications Commission concluded in June that Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer violated judicial conduct rules during last year's trial. Her decision to hug members of the prosecution and the victims’ families in the courtroom after sentencing Cruz in November prompted the Florida Supreme Court to remove her from another death penalty case involving a different defendant, Randy Tundidor, in April. Scherer admitted her treatment of defense lawyers was times not patient or dignified, though she said she offered to embrace defense counsel too, according to court records.

Persons: Elizabeth Scherer, Marjory Stoneman, Nikolas Cruz, Amy Beth Bennett, Cruz, Scherer, Randy Tundidor, Nate Raymond, William Maclean Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida Supreme, Broward, Circuit, Parkland, Thomson Locations: Broward, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, U.S, South, Parkland, Florida, Boston

☆ Jury Acquits Deputy Who Failed to Confront Parkland Gunman
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former Florida sheriff’s deputy who failed to confront the gunman at a Parkland high school five years ago, and instead backed away from the building while the students and teachers inside endured a deadly barrage, was found not guilty of child neglect and other crimes on Thursday. When Mr. Peterson’s behavior was revealed after the shooting, critics — including some fellow police officers — painted him as being too scared to face a heavily armed gunman. His actions outraged the Parkland community, and Mr. Peterson was cast as the central character in a morality tale about cowardice and law enforcement’s duty to protect children. The gunman was sentenced last year to life in prison. Mr. Peterson was the lone armed resource officer assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre.

Persons: Scot Peterson, —, Peterson, Marjory Stoneman Organizations: Broward County sheriff’s, ”, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Florida, Parkland, Broward County, Broward

☆ Jury acquits former Florida deputy of failing to protect students in Parkland school shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 29 (Reuters) - A Florida jury on Thursday acquitted a former sheriff's deputy accused of failing to protect students during the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the verdict, Peterson told reporters at the courthouse that he would like to talk to the parents of students who lost their lives in the shooting. Peterson was armed but never went inside while the shooting was underway, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. A jury in October spared Nikolas Cruz, the gunman in the Parkland shooting, from the death penalty, instead calling for life in prison without possibility of parole. In May, the United States marked the one-year anniversary of the deadliest U.S. school shooting in nearly a decade, in which a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others.

Persons: Parkland's Marjory Stoneman, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Tony Montalto, Gina, Montalto, Nikolas Cruz, Julia Harte, Deepa Babington Organizations: Parkland's, Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward State Attorney’s Office, Broward County Sheriff's Office, Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, Thomson Locations: Florida, Broward County, Parkland, United States, Uvalde , Texas

CNN —A jury has acquitted on all counts the former school resource officer who stayed outside during the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida – absolving him of wrongdoing in the rare trial of a law enforcement officer for his response to a mass shooting. His attorney argued the then-Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy didn’t enter the building under attack because he couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from. And even if Peterson had known where the shooter was, speculation he could have made a difference is false, Eiglarsh argued. Eiglarsh emphasized Peterson was at the scene for the last 4 minutes and 15 seconds of the shooting, which lasted about 6 1/2 minutes. Peterson also arrived at the scene without a bulletproof vest or rifle and called for measures to lock down the school, the attorney told jurors.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Scot Peterson, “ I’ve, ” Peterson, Peterson, didn’t, Scott Beigel, Meadow Pollack, Jaime Guttenberg, Cara Loughran, Joaquin Oliver, Peter Wang, Stacey Lippel, Anthony Borges, Kyle Laman, Marian Kabachenko, Peterson “, Kristen Gomes, Mark Eiglarsh, Amy Beth Bennett, AP Peterson, ” Eiglarsh, Eiglarsh, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward, Broward County Sheriff’s, Broward Sheriff’s, BSO, Parkland Locations: Parkland , Florida, Broward County, Coral Springs, Florida

☆ Former Florida Deputy on Trial for Not Confronting Parkland Gunman
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jane Musgrave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Opening statements are expected to begin Wednesday in the trial of the school resource officer on duty at the time of the attack, Scot Peterson, who faces 10 charges, including seven counts of child neglect, for not confronting the gunman. A conviction of a member of law enforcement for inaction during a mass shooting could have sweeping repercussions for policing in Florida and beyond, legal experts say. Mr. Peterson faces a decades-long prison sentence on the accusation that he failed in his role as a caregiver for the students. Mr. Peterson was the first officer on the scene, and by his own account he did not rush into Building 1200 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where the gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others. He instead took cover in the stairway of an adjacent building, and has said he was unsure where the shots were coming from and feared that a sniper was firing from outside.

Persons: Scot Peterson, Peterson, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Organizations: Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Parkland, Fla, Florida

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