FOUR WEEKS AGO TODAY,
EVERYTHING CHANGED IN PARKLAND.
A GUNMAN OPENED FIRE INSIDE OF
HIS FORMER SCHOOL, AND TOOK
LIVES AND LEFT MANY WITH DEEP
EMOTIONAL SCARS.
WE HAVE SEEN MANY IN
QUESTIONS RAISED -- MANY
QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT HOW LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONDED AND THE
LONG-TERM TAKE AWAY MIGHT BE
HOW THIS TRAGEDY LEFT A
POSITIVE CHANGE ON THE
COMMUNITY.
WE TAKE A LOOK BACK.
REPORTER: IT ALL BEGAN ON
VALENTINE'S DAY AT 2:21 P.M.
THAT IS WHEN THE BROWARD COUNTY
--
BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
SAYS NIKOLAS CRUZ WALKED INTO
THE FRESHMAN BUILDING AT
MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH
SCHOOL, TOOK OUT AN ASSAULT
WEAPON AND STARTED FIRING.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
PETERSON WAS ARMED AND ON
CAMPUS AND REPORTED WHAT HE
HEARD.
HE WOULD LATER BE CRITICIZED
FOR NOT ENTERING THE SCHOOL.
CRUZ'S VIOLENCE LASTED ABOUT
SIX MINUTES.
HE IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING 17
AND INJURING 17 OTHERS.
HE LEFT THE SCHOOL WITH A MASS
OF STUDENTS HOPING TO BLEND IN.
AFTER GETTING A DRINK AT A
STORE, POLICE ARRESTED HIM
BLOCKS AWAY.
AS CRUZ APPEARED IN COURT
THE NEXT DAY, THE SHOCK OVER
THE UNTHINKABLE VIOLENCE
OVERFLOWED.
MEMORIALS BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY
TOGETHER TO REMEMBER THE
STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND COACHES
THAT DIED IN THE GUNFIRE.
LIVES OF PROMISE AND HOPE CUT
SHORT BY BULLETS.
ALL THE PEOPLE HERE ARE
HERE BECAUSE WE LOVE EACH OTHER.
EVERY CHILD IS OUR CHILD.
WE ALSO LEARNED THE
STORIES OF HEROIC TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS THAT SAVED LIVES.
I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO
REPAY WHAT HE DID FOR US.
STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL
REACTED WITH OUTRAGE AT GUN
LAWS THAT ALLOWED NIKOLAS CRUZ
TO PURCHASE AN ASSAULT RIFLE
BEFORE HE COULD PURCHASE A
BEER.
WHEN YOU ARE A POLITICIAN
THAT IS WILLING TO GET MORE
MONEY FOR YOUR REELECTION AND
SAVE LIVES, YOU HAVE TO ASK THE
QUESTION WHAT THE CURRENT STATE
OF AMERICAN POLITICS IS.
THE ACTION LED TO THE
NEVER AGAIN MOVEMENT.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS TOOK THEIR
MESSAGE TO TALLAHASSEE.
SOME EVEN MET WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
THE COMMUNITY GATHERED FOR A
TOWN HALL TO QUESTION ELECTED
OFFICIALS ABOUT GUN LAWS AND
HOW TO PREVENT SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS.
ONE MEMORABLE EXCHANGE CAME
FROM FRED GUTTENBERG WHOSE
DAUGHTER DIED IN THE ATTACK.
AND QUESTIONS ABOUT CRUZ
GOT LOUDER.
PEOPLE WONDERED ABOUT HIS
HISTORY WITH THE BROWARD SCHOOL
SYSTEM.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE FBI
HAD RECEIVED TIPS ABOUT CRUZ'S
BEHAVIOR IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS
AND THE TIPS WENT NOWHERE.
BROWARD SHERIFF SCOTT ISRAEL
SAID DEPUTY PETERSON DID NOT
ENTER THE BUILDING AND HE SAID
HE SHOULD HAVE.
WHAT I SAW WAS A DEPUTY
ARRIVE AT THE WEST SIDE OF
BUILDING 12 AND TAKE UP A
POSITION AND NEVER WENT IN.
RADIO TRANSMISSIONS
REVEALED THAT JUST AS THE
SHOOTING ENDED, PETERSON GAVE A
SPECIFIC COMMAND AS CRUZ LEFT
THE BUILDING AND THE VICTIMS
LAY DEAD OR DYING INSIDE.
THOSE DECISIONS AND THE
DECISIONS OF THE FIRST
RESPONDERS IN THOSE CHAOTIC
MINUTES ARE THE FOCUS OF
SEVERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
INVESTIGATIONS.
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VIOLENCE,
STUDENTS RETURNED TO SCHOOL
WITH A MASSIVE MEMORIAL RISING
AND PLANS TO TEAR DOWN THE
BUILDING WHERE THE VIOLENCE
UNFOLDED, AS EVERYONE TRIED TO
PUT THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER.
THE FIGHT FOR GUN CONTROL
CONTINUED.
FOR THE GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT
FIND THE PUBLIC SAFETY ACT
BANNING FROM STOCKS, RAISING
THE AGENT ADDING A WAITING
PERIOD ON GUN PURCHASES.
EVERY STUDENT HAS THE
RIGHT TO LEARN IN A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT.
AND EVERY PARENT HAS THE RIGHT
TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL
KNOWING THEY WILL RETURN SAFELY
AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I WISH I COULD TELL YOU
THAT I AM HAPPY.
BUT HOW CAN WE BE HAPPY.
WE BURIED A SISTER AND A
DAUGHTER.
TO ME, THIS IS A START.
AS THE ONE MONTH MARK
NEARED, THE FOCUS AGAIN SHIFTED
TO CRUZ AS THE GRAND JURY
INDICTED HIM AND PROSECUTORS
ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD SEEK THE
DEATH PENALTY AGAINST HIM.
MONTHS LATER, PEOPLE
CONTINUE TO VISIT THE MEMORIAL.
IT IS A PLACE TO REFLECT, SHARE
THE GRIEF OF NEIGHBORS AND
FRIENDS AND TO PRAY FOR THOSE