BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN/CNN) – Parkland shooting victims’ parents reacted to the school’s former resource officer being charged in connection to the 2018 shooting. The arrest of Scot Peterson announced at the MSD public safety meeting.
“We have just arrested Deputy Scot Peterson. Seven felony counts, four misdemeanor counts, and one count of perjury,” officials said during the gathering.
Lori Alhadeff lost her daughter Alyssa. She said of Peterson,”He needs to go to jail and he needs to serve a lifetime in prison for not going in that day and taking down the threat and that lead to the death of our loved ones. And he needs to be held accountable for his lack of action that day.”
Gena Hoyer fought back tears. She lost her son Luke. “We miss our children every day,” she said. “And there’s nothing that’s going to bring them back and we know that. But it just hurts so much and I know that whatever accountability comes our way doesn’t bring back.”
Gina Montalto’s father feels it’s been a long time coming for Peterson. He said, “We’re pleased to see some accountability that took the life of my daughter and 16 other wonderful people.”
Ryan Petty lost his daughter, Alaina, and said the chapter isn’t completely closed because Peterson’s legal battle has just begun. “It’s very clear he knew what was happening,” Petty explained. “It’s very clear to me he knew where the shots were coming from inside the building. And it’s very clear he took a defensive position behind a cement pillar and stayed there for 48 minutes, even while other law enforcement responded and went in the building.”
Fred Guttenberg lost his daughter, Jaime. He tweeted, saying, “I have no comment except to say: rot in hell Scott Petersen. You could have saved some of the 17. You could have saved my daughter. You did not and then you lied about it and you deserve the misery coming your way.”
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