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A reenactment of the Parkland school shooting on Friday as part of a lawsuit filed by the victims' families and the injured has sparked anger in the community.
Ballistics experts for the families will conduct the test at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where the massacre on February 14, 2018, left 17 dead and 17 others injured.
They will fire up to 139 shots inside a three-story classroom building as part of a civil lawsuit against the school's then-assigned deputy, Scot Peterson, and his employer, the Broward Sheriff's Office, The Associated Press reported.
The reenactment will see live ammunition fired from the exact spots gunman Nikolas Cruz used, with an identical AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. A safety device will catch the bullets, according to AP. The shots will be recorded from outside, as part of an effort to show what Peterson heard during the six-minute attack.
The families argue that he knew Cruz's location on the day of the shooting, but made the cowardly decision to retreat in violation of his duty. Peterson has said he couldn't pinpoint the shooter's location because of echoes from the gunshots.
He was acquitted in June of felony child neglect and other charges. However, the burden of proof is lower in a civil lawsuit.
Michael Piper, Peterson's attorney, told Newsweek on Thursday: "A jury acquitted Scot Peterson of criminal charges stemming from Nicolas Cruz's murderous rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. There is concern in some circles that the jury did so upon determining that Scot Peterson did not know precisely where Cruz was or where Cruz was firing from. The testimony of multiple witnesses who perceived shots coming from all over the school campus supports the jury's determination.
"Certain of the civil plaintiffs now will stage a video and audio-recorded, choreographed reenactment to counter the testimony of the people who were there that day. Ultimately, however, Judge [Carol-Lisa] Phillips retains full authority to determine whether the staged re-creation merits any evidentiary or demonstrative weight before a civil jury."
Security footage shows Peterson arrived outside the classroom building about two minutes after the shooting began. He got within feet of the building's door and drew his gun, but then retreated and stood next to a neighboring building for 40 minutes.
He insisted in a 2018 interview that he would have charged into the building if he knew where the shooter was. "I never would have sat there and let my kids get slaughtered," he said on NBC's Today.
Broward County Public Schools has said that Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and neighboring Westglades Middle School will be closed to all students, staff and visitors on Friday.
"District and school leadership understand how difficult this event may be for the entire community," the school district said in late July. "Advanced notice of this court-ordered event is being provided to families at all schools within the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High zone, so they are aware and can make plans that best fit their needs on the day of the reenactment."
The roads around the high school, including Pine Island Road and Holmberg Road, will be closed when the reenactment takes place.
Some shared their fury in response to a Facebook post by TAPintoParkland reporting the road closures, arguing the reenactment would further traumatize the community.
"Cannot understand why this reenactment is necessary. This borders on insanity," one user wrote.
Another wrote: "This is horrific. Our town has been through enough."
Another person added: "This just seems a little much and insensitive. We warn people about fireworks because of veterans with ptsd. I see no difference here."
However, others said the needs of the victims' families was more important.
"As a survivor of the shooting myself, I personally am glad to see ANYTHING that needs to be done to get Scot Peterson held accountable for not doing anything that day," one person wrote.
Another added: "If this is something the victims' families need, it should be done. They are what matters most. It may be uncomfortable for the community, but the families' needs take priority IMO."
Cruz, 24, a former Stoneman Douglas student, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in November last year, after the jury in his penalty trial did not unanimously agree that he should receive a death sentence. He pleaded guilty to the massacre in 2021.
Newsweek has contacted attorneys for the families and Broward County Public Schools for comment via email.
Update 8/3/23 at 11:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comment from attorney Michael Piper.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more