A reenactment of the tragic 2018 Parkland school massacre is set to take place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Ballistics experts will fire up to 139 shots in an attempt to recreate the harrowing events of that fateful day.
The Parkland school massacre shooting, which occurred in 2018, was a heartbreaking event that left a lasting impact on the South Florida community and sparked a nationwide movement for stricter gun control. (Photo: UPI)
Ballistics Experts to Reenact Parkland School Massacre with Live Gunfire
According to the U.S. News, the reenactment of the Parkland school massacre is part of a lawsuit filed against a sheriff’s deputy accused of failing in his duty to protect the victims during the shooting.
As the trial unfolds, the experts hope to provide crucial evidence about the deputy’s actions and the level of danger faced by the students and staff at the school.
The Parkland school massacre shooting, which occurred in 2018, was a heartbreaking event that left a lasting impact on the South Florida community and sparked a nationwide movement for stricter gun control.
During the Parkland school massacre, 17 lives were lost, 17 others were wounded, and hundreds were traumatized. The suspect, former student Nikolas Cruz, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty in 2021.
Sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson, who was assigned to the school at the time of the shooting, has been at the center of controversy for his actions during the Parkland school massacre. Peterson stated that he didn’t hear all the shots and was unable to identify their origin due to echoes.
He drew his weapon but did not enter the building where the shooter was, standing by an adjacent building for about 40 minutes while making radio calls.
Families of the victims have brought a civil lawsuit against Peterson, claiming that he knew the shooter’s location but retreated out of cowardice, failing in his duty to protect their loved ones. While Peterson was acquitted of felony child neglect and other criminal charges related to the shooting, the burden of proof is lower in the civil lawsuit.
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The Reenactment of the Parkland School Massacre and Its Purpose
Ballistics experts will conduct a reenactment at the school to identify what really happened. They will fire live ammunition from the same locations as the shooter, using an identical AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle.
The sound of the gunfire will be recorded from outside a three-story classroom building to capture what Peterson might have heard during the six-minute attack.
The reenactment of the Parkland school massacre is designed to disprove some statements made during the criminal trial, where Peterson insisted that he would have acted differently if he knew the shooter’s exact location.
The recordings and analysis from the reenactment will play a crucial role in determining whether Peterson’s actions were indeed in violation of his duty to protect the school’s occupants.
The court will have to decide whether the reenactment “fairly and accurately” depicts what Peterson heard. While it may not be perfect, it should be close enough to provide the jury with valuable information in their determination of the case.
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