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Trump: Florida school officer 'didn't have the courage' Trump: Florida school officer 'didn't have the courage'
(35 minutes later)
An armed officer who stood outside a Florida school where a gunman killed 17 people last week "certainly did a poor job", US President Donald Trump says.An armed officer who stood outside a Florida school where a gunman killed 17 people last week "certainly did a poor job", US President Donald Trump says.
Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an investigation found he failed to confront the suspect.Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an investigation found he failed to confront the suspect.
Mr Trump said Mr Peterson might be a "coward" who "didn't react properly under pressure".Mr Trump said Mr Peterson might be a "coward" who "didn't react properly under pressure".
Florida's governor on Friday called for law enforcement officers to be placed in every public school in the state.Florida's governor on Friday called for law enforcement officers to be placed in every public school in the state.
Governor Rick Scott also called for "active shooter training" for all students and staff at Florida public schools, adding that he planned to raise the state's minimum age for buying guns to 21 years old. What did Trump say?
He also said he wanted to make it "virtually impossible for anyone who has mental health issues to use guns." Speaking on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) Mr Trump touted his love for gun rights.
"If a court involuntarily commits someone because they are a risk to themselves or others, they would be required to surrender all firearms and not regain the right to purchase or possess a firearm until a court hearing," he said during a speech about a new proposal on guns in Tallahassee. He again proposed arming teachers as a solution to school safety, a method long championed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby.
This week the president proposed arming teachers as a solution to school safety, a method that has long been championed by the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby. Speaking to reporters outside the White House earlier, Mr Trump criticised the police officer who did not confront the perpetrator of the 14 February massacre in Parkland, Florida.
Mr Trump touted his love for the second amendment, which protects gun rights, while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) on Friday morning. "He trained his whole life but when it came time to do something he didn't have the courage," the Republican president said.
"He trained his whole life but when it came time to do something he didn't have the courage," Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House before his speech on Friday. "He certainly did a poor job." "He certainly did a poor job."
"But that's a case where somebody was outside, they're trained, they didn't react properly under pressure or they were coward," he added.
What did the officer do?What did the officer do?
His comments came a day after Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel revealed that Mr Peterson, the 54-year-old school resource officer, stood outside for four minutes while the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz gunned down students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel revealed on Thursday that Mr Peterson, the 54-year-old school resource officer, stood outside for four minutes while the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz shot students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
He said video footage showed Mr Peterson arriving at the building where the shooting broke out about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, and that he remained outside for about four minutes. The attack lasted six minutes, Sheriff Israel said.He said video footage showed Mr Peterson arriving at the building where the shooting broke out about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, and that he remained outside for about four minutes. The attack lasted six minutes, Sheriff Israel said.
"I am devastated. Sick to my stomach. He never went in [the school]," Sheriff Israel said. "I am devastated. Sick to my stomach. He never went in," Sheriff Israel said.
Asked what Mr Peterson should have done, Sheriff Israel said: "Went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer."Asked what Mr Peterson should have done, Sheriff Israel said: "Went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer."
Mr Peterson is yet to publicly comment on what happened. Officers are reportedly guarding his home. Mr Peterson is yet to publicly comment on what happened. Officers are reportedly guarding his home. It is unclear if he will face charges.
Sheriff Israel said Mr Peterson had not given a reason for why he did not go into the building where the shooter was. It is unclear if he will face charges. The suspect used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, police say, and escaped the scene before being captured later.
Sheriff Israel said he would not be releasing the video showing Mr Peterson and might never do so, "depending on the prosecution and criminal case" against the 19-year-old suspect accused of carrying out the shooting, former student Nikolas Cruz.
The gunman used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, police say, and escaped the scene before being seen and arrested later.
Why was Deputy Peterson there?Why was Deputy Peterson there?
School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officers who are responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools, although their exact roles differ from school to school and authority to authority.School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officers who are responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools, although their exact roles differ from school to school and authority to authority.
Employed by the local police or sheriff's office, they document incidents and can make arrests, as well as working on areas such as mentoring and education.Employed by the local police or sheriff's office, they document incidents and can make arrests, as well as working on areas such as mentoring and education.
There are between 14,000 and 20,000 such officers in the US, according to the National Association of School Resource Officers.There are between 14,000 and 20,000 such officers in the US, according to the National Association of School Resource Officers.
Mr Peterson had been in his position at the school since 2009, local media report.Mr Peterson had been in his position at the school since 2009, local media report.
The Sun-Sentinel newspaper said he had worked for the sheriff's office since 1985 and office records showed his salary for 2016 was $75,673 (£54,137).The Sun-Sentinel newspaper said he had worked for the sheriff's office since 1985 and office records showed his salary for 2016 was $75,673 (£54,137).
Were there any other failures?Were there any other failures?
Concerns have been raised about both the school's video surveillance system and whether warnings about Nikolas Cruz were ignored.Concerns have been raised about both the school's video surveillance system and whether warnings about Nikolas Cruz were ignored.
It has been reported that the person watching the surveillance system was relaying information 20 minutes old to police, so officers believed the gunman was in a certain area when he was not.It has been reported that the person watching the surveillance system was relaying information 20 minutes old to police, so officers believed the gunman was in a certain area when he was not.
It has also been reported that calls were made to local authorities in 2016 and 2017 expressing concern about Nikolas Cruz, including one saying he was planning to attack the school. It has also been reported that calls were made to the authorities in 2016 and 2017 expressing concern about Nikolas Cruz, including one saying he was planning to attack the school.
When will the school reopen?When will the school reopen?
Teachers will be allowed back in on Friday. Both students and teachers are invited to a reorientation on Sunday, ahead of classes resuming on Wednesday.Teachers will be allowed back in on Friday. Both students and teachers are invited to a reorientation on Sunday, ahead of classes resuming on Wednesday.
The three-storey building that was attacked is to be torn down.The three-storey building that was attacked is to be torn down.
Are teachers now going to be armed? What is Florida's governor proposing?
In recent days both President Trump and the NRA have spoken about this. Governor Rick Scott called for "active shooter training" for all students and staff at public schools in the state.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington on Thursday, Mr LaPierre reiterated that his group backed it. He said he planned to raise Florida's minimum age for buying guns to 21 years old.
He said the NRA would help any US school with their safety and security, free of charge, adding that "opportunists" pushing for more gun control "hate the NRA. They hate the second amendment. They hate individual freedom". Governor Scott also pledged to make it "virtually impossible for anyone who has mental health issues to use guns."
The second amendment in the US constitution protects the "right to keep and bear arms". "If a court involuntarily commits someone because they are a risk to themselves or others, they would be required to surrender all firearms and not regain the right to purchase or possess a firearm until a court hearing," he said during a speech about a new proposal on guns in Tallahassee.
Mr Trump floated the idea of arming teachers at a White House event on Wednesday where he heard from survivors of the Florida school shooting,
Discussing school safety with state and local officials on Thursday, he explained why he believed that it would work, saying: "Shooters won't walk into a school if 20% of people have guns."
Mr Trump added: "What I'd recommend doing is the people that do carry, we give them a bonus. We give them a little bit of a bonus."Mr Trump added: "What I'd recommend doing is the people that do carry, we give them a bonus. We give them a little bit of a bonus."
But Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers union, disagreed that arming teachers was a suitable solution.But Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers union, disagreed that arming teachers was a suitable solution.
"Anyone who wants guns in schools has no understanding of what goes on inside them - or worse, doesn't care," she said."Anyone who wants guns in schools has no understanding of what goes on inside them - or worse, doesn't care," she said.
What other measures are being talked about?
Survivors of last week's deadly shooting have called for stricter gun laws, prompting the nationwide activist movement #NeverAgain.
Those survivors are organising a rally against mass shootings in Washington planned for 24 March and are expecting up to 500,000 people, according to the Washington Post.
Sister rallies for "March for Our Lives" are also being planned in cities across the country.
Mr Trump has said he supports raising the age at which a person can buy a gun from 18 to 21 and insists the NRA would back such a proposal.
"I don't think I'll be going up against them," Mr Trump said of the gun lobby. "They're good people."
Mr Trump also took to Twitter on Thursday to push for national background checks for the mentally ill, a policy which the NRA chief later echoed at the conference.
"Anyone adjudicated as mentally incompetent or dangerous to society should be prevented from getting a gun," said Mr Trump.
The US president has also directed his administration to take steps to ban gun "bump stocks".
The accessories - which enable a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute - were used by a gunman who killed 58 concert-goers in Las Vegas last October.