Former students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida were angered after their resource officer Scott Peterson, 60, was found “not guilty” of child neglect as the result of the February 2018 shooting. The school cop was cleared on all charges on Thursday, June 29. David Hogg, who has since become a staunch gun safety advocate, criticized the verdict in a tweet on Thursday, June 29.
Hogg shared a Washington Post article reporting that Peterson had been acquitted. “Remember even when there ARE cops on campus doesn’t mean they will do a damn thing and when they don’t the system does NOTHING,” he wrote. “The cop in Parkland like those in Uvalde wasn’t a good guy with a gun he was a coward with a gun.”
Peterson had been charged with both child neglect and making false statements for saying he did not hear gunshots. Prosecutors had tried the officer for not confronting the school shooter when he entered the building and ultimately killed 14 students and three staff members. Peterson was fired after a probe from the school, and he also retired from his job. He had pleaded not guilty in the trial. He could’ve faced 95 years in prison.
Peterson’s attorneys had argued that he didn’t enter the building as he was unsure of where the shots were being fired, per CNN. Many witnesses were brought in who also claimed that they were unsure where the shots were coming from during the tragic shooting. His lawyer Mark Eiglarsh also pointed out that he did take measures to put the school on lockdown and claimed that Peterson didn’t have a bulletproof vest or rifle.
During closing arguments, assistant state attorney at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office Kristen Gomes said that Peterson didn’t search for the shooter or try to confront him, per ABC News. “When the defendant ran, he left behind an unrestricted killer who spent the next four minutes and 15 seconds wandering the halls at his leisure. Because when Scot Peterson ran, he left them in a building with a predator unchecked,” she said in court.
The Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to all counts, and he was given a life sentence for each of the 34 counts of murder and attempted murder. While he was sentenced to life in prison, jurors spared him the death penalty.
Some former students, such as David Hogg, at the school have become strong advocates and activists for gun safety. In the wake of the shooting, they organized the “March for Our Lives,” a student walkout showing support for stricter gun laws, in March 2018. Many have also been very outspoken about gun violence and have called for bans on assault weapons. Many parents, such as Fred Guttenberg, have also become outspoken advocates in favor of gun safety laws.