June 29, 2023

Statement from Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor and the Broward State Attorney’s Office:

“For the first time in our nation’s history, prosecutors in this case have tried to hold an armed school resource officer responsible for not doing his job. We did so because we think it’s important not only to our community, but to the country as a whole. 

Sadly, we know all too well that there is an acute need for safety in our schools. Our children are vulnerable to armed individuals who target them in a place where they should be safe.

We have known this since Columbine in 1999. Since Sandy Hook in 2012. Since Parkland in 2018. Since Uvalde last year. Since the Nashville Christian School shooting this year.

As parents, we have an expectation that armed school resource officers – who are under contract to be caregivers to our children – will do their jobs when we entrust our children to them and the schools they guard. They have a special role and responsibilities that exceed the role and responsibilities of a police officer. 

To those who have tried to make this political, I say: It is not political to expect someone to do their job. Especially when it’s the vital job of being a school resource officer – an armed law enforcement officer with special duties and responsibilities to the children and staff members they are contracted to protect. 

Let us remember that unarmed civilians ran into that building that day and lost their lives trying to save and protect the children and educators who were massacred and injured. Let us remember that police officers from all over our community raced to that building and risked their lives trying to save and protect the children and adults who were killed or injured. 

Scot Peterson’s inaction and the misinformation he provided to law enforcement officers had a dire impact on the children and adults who died or were injured on the third floor of the 1200 Building. He stood by, leaving an unrestricted killer to spend 4 minutes and 15 seconds wandering the halls at leisure – firing close to 70 rounds and killing or injuring ten of the 34 children and educators who bore the brunt of the massacre. The evidence showed he stood in one safe spot for more than 40 minutes while the victims on the third floor were killed and injured and while other law enforcement officers took action.

When I was elected and sworn in as Broward State Attorney, I promised that I would uphold the law and I agreed that this community should hear all of the facts and all of the evidence, and that this community should make this decision. 

We thank the jurors for their service. We thank the law enforcement officers who went into the school. We thank the law enforcement officers who arrested the killer. We thank the law enforcement officers who investigated this case.

We thank our prosecutors, Assistant State Attorneys Chris Killoran, Kristen Gomes and Steven Klinger, and legal assistant Aaron Savitski, and we thank the whole team from our office who worked on this case with the passion and dedication for truth and for justice that is the hallmark of our team. We thank the courthouse staff. We thank the witnesses. We thank the victims’ families and the survivors. 

I thank everyone who worked to ensure that the whole truth – the full story – was told about this case with full transparency.”