Gunfire broke out once more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, during a reenactment conducted by ballistics experts to recreate the tragic 2018 massacre that claimed the lives of 14 students and three staff members.
The reenactment occurred after a congressional delegation, led by Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz and Republican Congressman Mario Diaz Balart, toured the school building, as reported by CBS Miami.
The reenactment is part of a lawsuit brought forth by the families of the victims and the wounded, accusing Scot Peterson, the Broward County deputy assigned to the school at the time, and his employer, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, of failing in their duty to protect the students.
Ballistics experts hired by the families conducted the test, firing up to 139 shots inside the three-story classroom building, aiming to bolster their case against Peterson and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, according to CBS News Miami.
The parents of the children who lost their lives in the shooting stressed the significance of the reenactment in comprehending the events that unfolded during the tragic incident in 2018, as reported by CBS News Miami.
Few individuals had been inside the three-story building since the shooting on Valentine’s Day 2018. The structure remained locked behind a chain-link fence, serving as evidence in the penalty trial for the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, which took place the previous year.
Inside, the scene was haunting, with broken glass on the floor, wilted roses, deflated balloons, and discarded gifts. Students’ desks still held opened textbooks and laptop computers, some knocked over during the chaos.
In one classroom, there was an unfinished chess game, left behind by one of the slain students. The Associated Press was among the five media outlets granted access to the building after the trial of Nikolas Cruz.
The shooting deeply traumatized the South Florida community and sparked a nationwide movement for gun control. Nikolas Cruz, the 24-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student responsible for the tragedy, pleaded guilty in 2021 and received a life sentence in prison.
Following the lawmakers’ departure from the school, crews arrived with tables and ladders, while two helicopters hovered overhead. Cameras were set up outside, and workers measured various distances from a mannequin head on top of a tripod and a door.
The simulation involved the same types of weapons used by the gunman, with initial plans to use blanks. However, the judge decided to use live ammunition with a bullet safety device, as reported by CBS Miami. Bruce Koenig, a ballistics expert for the families, testified that live rounds produce a distinct sound from blanks.
Scot Peterson, named in the lawsuit and formerly employed by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, stated that he did not hear all the shots and couldn’t determine their origin due to echoes. He approached the building’s door, drew his gun, but then backed away and stood near an adjoining building for 40 minutes, making radio calls. Peterson claimed he would have entered the building had he known the shooter’s location.
Technicians outside the building recorded the sound of the gunfire, attempting to capture what Peterson might have heard during the attack.
The families of the victims, who filed the lawsuit, contend that Peterson knew Cruz’s location but retreated out of cowardice and failed to fulfill his duty to protect their loved ones.
In a separate trial, Peterson, 60, was found not guilty in June of felony child neglect and other criminal charges, marking the first U.S. trial of a law enforcement officer for conduct during an on-campus shooting.
The burden of proof in the civil lawsuit is lower than in criminal cases. Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips allowed the reenactment but clarified that her decision did not address whether the recording would be admissible at trial. That matter would be argued later, she stated. Peterson’s attorneys are likely to oppose its inclusion.
As of now, no trial date has been scheduled. The families of the victims and the wounded are seeking unspecified damages in their pursuit of justice.
