PARKLAND, Fla. – Two fathers of victims in the 2018 Parkland school shooting spoke with Local 10 News on Thursday to explain what Friday morning’s bipartisan delegation tour and reenactment related to a case means to them.
After bearing witness to the brutality last month, Parkland parents received a tour inside the school’s 1200 Building, where the gunman killed 17 staff and students and wounded another 17 people.
Max Schachter’s son, Alex Schachter, was one of the victims that was shot and killed in his Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School classroom.
On Thursday, Schachter had a call to action for lawmakers.
“I hope that good common sense school safety legislation will come out of this,” he said. “Every legislature and every member of Congress should understand what happens when you don’t prioritize school safety,”
Ballistics experts will fire up to 139 shots at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Friday during a reenactment of the 2018 Parkland massacre organized as part of a lawsuit that accuses a sheriff’s deputy of failing in his duty to protect the victims.
As the reenactment takes place, technicians outside a three-story classroom building will record the sound of the gunfire, seeking to capture what the deputy assigned to the school, Scot Peterson, heard during the six-minute attack.
On Friday morning, a bipartisan congressional delegation will tour the site. The attendees are listed below.
•Jared Moskowitz, Congressman (FL-23)
•Mario Diaz-Balart, Congressman (FL-26)
•Jamaal Bowman, Congressman (NY-16)
•Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Congresswoman (FL-20)
•Madeleine Dean, Congresswoman (PA-04)
•Carlos A. Gimenez, Congressman (FL-26)
•John Rutherford, Congressman (FL-05)
•Federica Wilson, Congresswoman (FL-24)
“It is members of Congress that can enact powerful legislation to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Schachter.
Following the tour is when the legal team for Parkland family members, as part of an ongoing civil case, will start a video and audio-recorded reenactment of the 2018 school shooting.
Plaintiff’s lawyers have said it will parallel the shooter’s movements inside in relation to former Deputy Scot Pederson outside.
“There will be 140 live rounds of AR-15 ammunition fired off into a bullet trap. The fire alarm will go off (and) will remind me of what Alex was going through, what all the victims were going through. It is scary but we hope it will help a jury understand that there is no possible way that the school resource deputy (Pederson) heard just two or three shots,” said Schachter. “It will be very realistic.”
Tony Montalto, who is the father of Parkland murder victim Gina Montalto, told Local 10 on Thursday, “It will be extremely difficult to have the reenactment take place, but we know it is necessary.”
“Sadly, we haven’t seen the juries of Broward County support our families, support holding people accountable,” Montalto added.
Peterson’s attorney, Michael Piper, released the following statement to Local 10 News reminding the community, a jury acquitted Peterson in the criminal case.
“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 Phillips retains full authority to determine whether the staged re-creation merits any evidentiary or demonstrative weight before a civil jury.”
Michael Piper, Peterson's attorney
Authorities also advised drivers that they should expect road closures around the school beginning Friday morning.
In addition, the Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center will be open from Friday to Sunday, for those needing support. Free wellness classes are also available. For more information, click here.