PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students were surprised with a party just minutes before the bell rang, Wednesday.
The surprise brought food trucks and some much-needed fun to kick off the summer, hosted by DJ Laz.
“It’s the last day of school, and we just want to send them to summer break with great vibes,” said Laz.
Meanwhile, Wednesday also saw former School Resource Officer Scot Peterson deliver an apology. He has been called a coward for not entering the building while the shooting took place.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t know where he was or if it was one person,” said Peterson in an interview with NBC. “I didn’t know who it was or where they were, initially. It’s tough.”
However, in newly released interviews that took place hours after the tragedy, school monitor Andrew Medina told deputies there was no mistaking where the gunfire was coming from.
“Once we get to the front by the building, we heard the shots again,” said Medina in the interview. “Pop, pop, pop. That’s when the deputy was like, ‘Get out of here,’ and he jumped off, and he ran to his own way, and he told me just to go back to the front of the school.”
Medina said school officials were well aware of the dangers posed by the shooter.
“I’m telling you, I knew who the kid was because we had a meeting about him last year and said if there’s gonna be anybody who’s gonna come to this school and shoot the school up, it’s gonna be that kid,” said Medina.
Medina and another school monitor have been reassigned to other schools, according to school officials.
Students will now have two principals when they return in the fall, as Principal Teresa Hall will be transferring from West Broward High School to help with the recovery process, according to district officials.
As students begin a summer unlike any before, the hope is for the healing process to finally begin.
“You can’t live in tragedy all the time,” said student Kai Koerver. “You have to build off of your struggles, and you have to become stronger afterwards. I think this is one of the ways that we do that.”
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