REFUGE TO SO MANY STUDENTS AS GUNSHOTS RANG OUT THAT FATEFUL DAY AT MARJORY STONEMAN
DOUGLAS HIGH.
AND WE HAVE ONE MORE OF THE
RELATIVES COMING UP TO SPEAK.
ONE OF THE LOVED ONES COMING
UP TO SPEAK.
THESE ARE THE VICTIM IMPACT
STATEMENTS THAT ARE PART OF
THE PENALTY PHASE WITH THE
CAPITAL MURDER TRIAL.
WE’RE GONNA HEAR FROM FAMILY
MEMBERS AND LOVED ONES OF ALL
17 VICTIMS.
LET’S LISTEN IN.
>> STATE YOUR FULL NAME AND
SPELL YOUR LAST NAME FOR THE
RECORD.
>> MICHAEL SCHULMAN.
S-C-H-U-L-M-A-N.
>> HAVE YOU PREPARED A
STATEMENT TO READ TO THE COURT
TODAY?
>> YES, I HAVE.
>> WILL YOU PLEASE READ IT?
>> YES.
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY
RELATIONSHIP WITH SCOTT.
SCOTT HAD A DRY, WITTY,
SARCASTIC SENSE OF HUMOR.
WHEN I DECIDED TO ASK LINDA TO
MARRY ME, I KNEW THAT I WANTED
TO GET SCOTT AND MELISSA’S
APPROVAL.
I WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT
SPEAKING TO EITHER ONE OF
THEM, BUT I WAS A BIT NERVOUS
THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY
WOULD SAY AND HOW THEY WOULD
REACT.
SCOTT LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN
THE EYE AND SAID "ALL I ASK IS
THAT YOU MAKE MY MOTHER HAPPY
HAPPY."
THAT WAS THE EASY PART.
AFTER LINDA AND I GOT MARRIED,
I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO
ADOPT SCOTT AND MELISSA.
I WANTED TO BE THEIR DAD AND
NOT THEIR STEP DAD.
BOTH OF THEM WERE ADULTS AND
BOTH AGREED WITHOUT
HESITATION.
IT’S A LITTLE UNUSUAL FOR
SOMEONE TO ADOPT A CHILD IN
THEIR MID 20’S.
PART OF THE PROCESS IS TO GO
BEFORE A JUDGE IN CHAMBERS FOR
A PRIVATE DISCUSSION.
THE JUDGE ASKED BOTH MELISSA
AND SCOTT WHY THEY AGREED TO
ALLOW ME TO ADOPT THEM.
MELISSA SAID ALL THE RIGHT
THINGS.
THEN THE JUDGE TURNED TO
SCOTT.
HE LOOKED AT ME, HE LOOKED AT
LINDA AND HE LOOKED AT THE
JUDGE AND SAID WITH THE MOST
DEAD PANNED EXPRESSION "I
DON’T KNOW.
I HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO THIS
MORNING SO I FIGURED, WHY
NOT."
THAT WAS SCOTT’S HUMOR.
THAT WAS MY SON SCOTT.
YOU NEVER QUITE KNEW WHAT HE
WAS GOING TO SAY AT ANY GIVEN
MOMENT.
HE MANAGED TO ALWAYS KEEP ME
ON MY TOES.
SCOTT WANTED SO BADLY TO LEARN
HOW TO THROW A CURVE BALL.
IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS AND
COLLEGE, I WAS A CATCHER.
>> WE SPOKE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND HE SAID "I’LL CALL YOU AND CHECK IN ON YOU TOMORROW
-- SCOTT AND I WOULD HAVE HELD EACH OTHER WITH TEARS OF JOY
INSTEAD OF NOW SHEDDING TEARS
OF HEART ACHE.
ON FEBRUARY 14TH, 2018, MY
ENTIRE LIFE WAS PUT INTO A
BLENDER.
MY LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
AND INSIDE OUT.