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Parkland shooting case: What happened on February 14, 2018 and timeline of events after massacre
The 2018 Parkland school shooting will be reenacted with live gunfire today. Let's take a look back at the massacre that shook lives and institutions.
We trust the school and its authorities to protect our kids when we send them away every single day to gain knowledge and be able to make a life for themselves one day.
Parkland Shooting: What happened on Feb 14, 2018
So was not the case on the afternoon of February 14, 2018, when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School which led to the sudden death of 17 people, injuring 17 others.
A former student of the school, Cruz escaped the scene on foot by blending in with the other students. The accused of the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in United States history was arrested an hour later in nearby Coral Springs.
The shooting shook the victims' parents and their faith in educational institutions and their administration. It inspired a generation of young political activists who now raise their voices against gun laws across the states and led to a national gun control movement.
About Peter Cruz
Cruz's disturbing portrayal began to emerge almost immediately after police identified him as the suspect in the massacre. Officials in the investigation gained information that he had a history of mental health and behavioural problems, along with being diagnosed with ADHD, autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He also recorded videos of himself on his cellphone before carrying out the heinous crime, indicating that he wanted to be remembered.
Authorities to be blamed?
The police were called to Mr Cruz's house several times, but they never found enough reason to arrest him. The FBI handled the inquiry into his involvement in school shootings incorrectly.
Peter had also shared with a friend that he had a gun and was thinking of using it back in 2016. A friend of his mother's with whom he was living for a while had also called 911 three times on him, as he wanted to keep guns with him.
A state investigation commission also found that the eight sheriff's deputies ignored protocol for active shooters when they should have tried to disarm Cruz.
Guns law
The Parkland school shooting occurred at departure time. Cruz entered the high school through an unlocked pedestrian gate.
He carried a rifle bag with a semiautomatic rifle and about 300 rounds of ammunition. In just under six minutes, he shot 34 victims.
This raises questions about the availability of ammunition to the young population of the country and how without legally regulated licensing and usage guidance instances like these might as well become not so surprising in the coming future.
Sheriff's deputy faced charges
Scot Peterson, the school's only armed deputy at the time of the shooting, took refuge outside rather than charging inside.
The Parkland, Florida, school shooting will be reenacted today with live bullets as part of a civil case filed against a former sheriff's deputy who remained outside during the carnage. At least 140 rounds will be fired inside Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The trial for his case has begun and it's to be seen if he will be held responsible or not.
