An armed security officer who was stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resigned on Thursday after it was revealed he did not enter the school during last week's deadly shooting that left 17 people dead.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel held a press conference this afternoon announcing Deputy Scot Peterson had resigned after being suspended without pay.
“Scot Peterson was absolutely on campus through this entire event. He was armed. He was in uniform,” Israel said. “After seeing video, witness statements and Scot Peterson’s very own statement, I decided this morning to suspend Scot Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation."
According to Israel, Peterson chose to resign because he had the necessary time and had met the requirements for retirement.
The investigation will continue according to the sheriff.
“We’re not going to disclose the video at this time, and we may never disclose the video, depending on the prosecution and the criminal case,” Israel said. “But what I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of building 12, take up a position, and he never went in.”
When asked by reporters what Peterson should have done, Israel said he should have, "went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer."
The video made him sick to his stomach and left him feeling devastated, the sheriff added.
Nicolas Cruz, 19, was later apprehended down the street from the school after allegedly killing 17 people and injuring several others. He has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.