Parkland Teachers Return After Learning Armed Deputy Did Nothing to Stop the Shooting

The Florida high school where a deadly shooting took place is reopening for teachers Friday as the Parkland community grapples with news that an armed officer on the grounds did nothing to stop the shooter. 

Thirty-year veteran deputy Scot Peterson was an armed school resource deputy at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says Peterson stood outside the school building for four minutes and failed to take action. 

The shooter, Nikolas Cruz, killed all 17 students and staff in six minutes. 

Security camera footage caught the entire incident.

"What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of Building 12 take up a position and he never went in," Israel said at a news conference.

He said Peterson should have "went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer."

Peterson was suspended without pay and placed under investigation. He then chose to resign, Israel said. 
               
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is pushing to arm and train teachers.
 
"Instead of advertising, 'This school has no guns, we are gun free,' you let people know the opposite. You come into our schools, you are going to be dead," he said. 

The president also suggested raising the minimum age of buying a rifle from 18 to 21. 

The National Rifle Associate opposes that idea. 

"The opportunists wasted not one second to exploit tragedy for political gain," Wayne LaPierre of the NRA said. "The elites don't care not one bit about America's school system. If they truly cared, what they would do is they would protect them."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott will announce his action plan Friday to help keep students safe, including keeping guns out of the hands of those struggling with mental illness.

Teachers were told they could return to school Friday to collect belongings from classrooms that have been off-limits since the incident. 

"Our new normal has yet to be defined, but we want to get back to it," said geography teacher Ernest Rospierski, whose classroom is on the third floor of the three-story building attacked Feb. 14. Officials have said that building will be torn down.

The school is planning an orientation Sunday for teachers and students and will restart classes Wednesday.