Parkland Shooting

Gov. Scott, Senate President Negron and House Speaker Corcoran Announce Appointments to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission

Published

8 years ago

March 20, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran announced appointments to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Governor Scott also named Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri as Chairman. The Commission was established by SB 7026, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, signed into law by Governor Scott.

Governor Scott said, “I’m proud to appoint five dedicated Floridians to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, including fathers of two of the victims who were critical in helping a bill get passed quickly.

“Since the shooting in Parkland, our number one focus has been to make our schools safer while doing everything possible to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again. I’m confident that these appointees will continue the work that has already started in our state to keep our students safe.”

Senate President Joe Negron said, “The Senate appointees include a former classroom teacher and nationally-recognized child advocate, a school board member, a law enforcement officer, a retired school resource officer, and a renowned mental health treatment clinician. This diverse cross-section of professional experience and subject matter expertise, will serve the state well as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission embarks on the critically important task before it.”

“We can never replace the 17 lives lost, and we can never erase the traumatic experience that lives on in the memories of those who survived this horrific attack. However, this Commission will help ensure we do everything we can to reduce the possibility of a tragedy like this ever happening again.”

House Speaker Richard Corcoran said, “I’m honored to appoint five members to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. The work and recommendations of this commission will, I believe, serve as a model for the nation in addressing school safety and protecting individual liberty. The appointees to the commission bring decades of experience in law enforcement, prosecution, and training civilians to handle firearms and protect a school.

“Most importantly, an appointee, Max Schachter, brings the tragic experience of being a father who lost his son in that day’s awful events and who is driven to ensure it never happens to another family ever again. I thank those willing to participate, I commend the courage of the family members who will take on this task, and pray that all the efforts of this commission will meet with success.”

Governor Scott’s appointees are as follows:

Sheriff Larry Ashley, of Okaloosa, is the Okaloosa County Sheriff. Sheriff Ashley has nearly thirty years of law enforcement experience and has earned numerous awards and commendations during his career. He participated in the Governor’s emergency meetings to help develop the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

Superintendent Desmond Blackburn, Ph.D., of Brevard County is the Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools. He previously served as a teacher, principal, district trainer, director of school improvement, an area superintendent, and as the chief school performance and accountability office for the Broward County School District. Superintendent Blackburn participated in the Governor’s emergency meetings to help develop the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

Chief Kevin Lystad, of Miami Shores, is the Chief of the Miami Shores Police Department. He is the President of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. Chief Lystad will serve as Vice Chair of the Commission.

Ryan Petty, of Parkland, is the father of Alaina Petty, who was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He played an integral role in ensuring the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act moved through the Florida Legislature.

Andrew Pollack, of Parkland, is the father of Meadow Pollack, who was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Following the shooting, Pollack met with local, state, and federal officials, including Governor Scott, to help create a plan to keep our schools safe.

In addition, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen will serve as a member of the commission, and the following members shall serve as ex officio members:

Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart
Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Christina Daly
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior

President Negron’s appointees are as follows:

State Senator Lauren Book, M.S. Ed, is an internationally respected and renowned child advocate, former classroom teacher and best-selling author. In 2016, she was elected to represent State Senate District 32, which includes portions of Broward County.

Douglas Dodd is a member of the Citrus County School Board. He served in the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office for over 26 years, retiring as a captain. During his career in law enforcement, Mr. Dodd served as a school resource officer for ten years.

James Harpring is the undersheriff for Indian River County and serves as general counsel to the Sheriff’s Department. He also works as an adjunct professor at Indian River State College and as an instructor at the Treasure Coast Law Enforcement Academy.

Melissa Larkin-Skinner, MA, LMHC, is the Chief Executive Officer at Centerstone Florida. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, she has nearly 25 years of experience in mental health and addictions treatment programs including hospital, outpatient, crisis, community based, forensic and child welfare services.

Marsha Powers is a member of the Martin County School Board. She was elected to the School Board in 2012 and re-elected subsequently.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s appointees are as follows:

Max Schachter is the father of Alex Schachter, who was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Schachter advocated for school safety improvements and urged members of the Florida Legislature to enact effective legislation.

Sheriff Grady Judd is the Sheriff of Polk County. Prior to becoming Sheriff in 2004, Sheriff Judd graduated from the FBI National Academy, as well as several other prestigious law enforcement academies, and taught 23 years at both the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is the Sheriff of Pinellas County and has served with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office for 35 years. Sheriff Gualtieri also serves on the board of directors for the Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA), the Major County Sheriff’s Association (MCSA) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast.

Chief Asst. State Attorney Mr. Bruce Bartlett – Serving in the State Attorney’s Office for over 22 years, Mr. Bartlett has prosecuted or taken part in the prosecutions of some of Pinellas’ most notorious criminals. He has practiced since 1979 and is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law.

Chief Chris Nelson currently serves as the Chief of Police for the City of Auburndale, a position he has held since 2012. A graduate of Bartow High School, he started his law enforcement career as a patrol officer with the Bartow Police Department.

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Entertainment

Heroic Florida Drama Teacher to Get Special Tony Award

Published

8 years ago

May 31, 2018

Mellissa Thomas

NEW YORK (AP) — The special Tony Award that honors educators this year will go to a drama teacher who nurtured many of the student survivors of the Parkland school shooting. Photo: Today.com.

NEW YORK (AP) — The special Tony Award that honors educators this year will go to a drama teacher who picks her high school’s shows, builds the sets, hems the costumes — and nurtured many of the young people demanding change following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Melody Herzfeld, the one-woman drama department at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, will be presented with the award onstage June 10 at the Tony telecast.

“I’m overwhelmed,” Herzfeld told The Associated Press. “But I hope that this award will remind everyone of how vital and important arts education is to our kids. Drama, music, art, creative writing — that’s how you make good citizens.”

Herzfeld saved 65 lives by barricading students into a small classroom closet on Valentine’s Day when police say a former student went on a school rampage, killing 17 people.

She then later cheered as many of her pupils led the nationwide movement for gun reform, including organizing the March For Our Lives demonstration and the charity single “Shine.”

The annual honor bestowed by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University recognizes U.S. educators from kindergarten to 12th grade who have “demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.”

The award includes a $10,000 prize and a pair of tickets to the Tony ceremony and gala. A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon and other leaders from the theater industry selects the winner, based on candidates submitted by the public.

When Herzfeld was being considered for this year’s honor — the fourth — one Tony administration committee member commented: “Never has the drama department looked so cool.”

Original story published by the Associated Press. Read more here.

Parkland Shooting

March For Our Lives Rally In Washington, D.C. Said To Be Largest Ever In Capital’s History

Published

8 years ago

March 25, 2018

Willie David

WASHINGTON, (FNN NEWS) — Exceeding expectations, a huge throng of peaceful but passionate demonstrators filled the streets around the U.S. Capitol for today’s March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C. Addressed by teenage speakers from around the country who have been affected by gun violence, attendees rallied to demand legislative action.

While Washington, D.C. authorities have yet to give an official estimate, reports published by major news organizations put the crowd size at 850,000 people, which would make it the largest demonstration in the capital’s history. Among the day’s highlights:

Common and Andra Day perform onstage at March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for March For Our Lives)

Andra Day and Common kicked off the rally with a performance of “Rise Up” backed by students from Baltimore’s Cardinal Shehan School Choir. Other performances throughout the day included Demi Lovato singing “Skyscraper,” Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Plattperforming “Found/Tonight,” Vic Mensa performing “We Could Be Free,” Miley Cyrus performing “The Climb” as she held onto a “Never Again” sign, and Ariana Grande singing “Be Alright.”
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School junior Jaclyn Corin brought onstage Yolanda Renee King, the 9-year old granddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., who shouted to the assembled marchers, “I have a dream that enough is enough,” and then got the crowd to chant, “Spread the word. Have you heard? All across the nation, we are going to be a great generation.”
Parkland survivor Sam Fuentes read a poem she wrote called “Enough,” and then led the crowd in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for Parkland victim Nick Dworet, who would have turned 18 today.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Emma Gonzalez sat onstage in silence for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the time it took for the Parkland shooter to kill 17 people.
The crowd also heard powerful speeches from a group of students from Chicago—among them, Trevon Bosley (19), Alex King (18), D’Angelo McDade (18), and Mya Middleton (16)—about their experiences with gun violence in their communities.
Naomi Wadler, an 11-year-old from Virginia, proudly declared “Never Again!” on behalf of black women and girls who have been the victims of gun violence. 17-year-old Edna Chavez, of south Los Angeles, lost her brother in a shooting and said she learned how to duck from bullets before learning how to read.
Students from Newtown High School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, presented a sign of solidarity to Stoneman Douglas High School.
Stoneman Douglas High School students Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Pena performed “Shine,” a song they wrote after the shooting.
Jennifer Hudson closed out the rally with a powerful performance of “The Times They Are A-Changin,” backed by a D.C. choir. As the student speakers joined her onstage, she led the audience in a “We Want Change” chant.

March For Our Lives had secured a permit for 500,000 people for Pennsylvania Avenue between 4th and 12th St NW. Law enforcement partners confirmed that the audience exceeded expectations with crowds extending well beyond 12th street and out further than Pennsylvania Avenue. The stage, located at 3rd and Constitution Streets, NW, served as the hub for the day’s rally. The entire rally was streamed live on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. More than 800 sibling marches took place in cities around the world.

SOURCE | March For Our Lives

Crimes and Courts

Florida shooter’s brother Zachary Cruz held on $500,000 in school trespass

Published

8 years ago

March 20, 2018

Willie David

MIAMI — A judge set an unusually high $500,000 bond on Tuesday and imposed a host of other restrictions for the brother of the Florida school shooting suspect who was charged with trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

A prosecutor said that Zachary Cruz, 18, expressed admiration for his brother Nikolas Cruz’s fame since the Feb. 14 shooting and that they had discussed whether it might attract girls and pen pals.

“He has been heard observing how popular (Nikolas’) name is now,” said Assistant State Attorney Sarahnell Murphy at a hearing.

“Weeks after his brother murdered, injured and terrorized at the school, (Zachary) was there,” she said. “Many (parents) kept their children home today. They have again been terrorized.”

Prosecutors said it was the third time he had visited the campus even though he was warned to stay away.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Zachary Cruz on Monday afternoon, saying he rode his skateboard onto the campus. He is in the same Fort Lauderdale jail where Nikolas Cruz is housed.

Joseph Kimok, who is representing Zachary Cruz, said the bond and conditions were far out of proportion to the trespassing offense.

“He is being held for who he is related to, not for anything he did,” Kimok said.

According to an arrest report, Zachary Cruz told officers he came to the school to “reflect on the school shooting and soak it all in.” He did not resist arrest and the report made no mention of any weapons.

Trespassing is a misdemeanor that usually carries only a $25 bond. But Murphy asked for $750,000 and a host of conditions, most of which the judge approved.

Broward County Judge Kim Theresa Mollica ordered Zachary Cruz to wear an ankle monitor and stay away from schools – particularly Stoneman Douglas High – if he is released.

The judge also ordered a search for weapons and ammunition at the Palm Beach County home where he is living with a family friend, and he is not to visit his brother in jail.

Zachary and Nikolas shared the same biological mother but had different fathers. Both were adopted at very young ages by Roger and Lynda Cruz, who moved them into their Parkland home. Lynda Cruz died in November and their father died some years earlier.

Zachary Cruz, who turned 18 a week after the school shooting, has been living in Lantana, Florida, with a family friend, Rocxanne Deschamps, since their mother’s death.

At a news conference Tuesday in New York City, Deschamps described being neighbors with the Cruz family in Parkland and how her son played with the two boys, whom she often cared for and took on outings. In October 2016, she saw a number of guns in Nikolas Cruz’s room she described as military-style, and became concerned about him and the weapons. By this time, Deschamps also had a 5-year-old son.

“I explained to Nikolas that I was concerned about my young child and I could not have him be around loaded guns or any weapons where bullets could be placed in guns,” she said in her first public comments since the shooting.

Just before Lynda Cruz died suddenly last November of pneumonia, Deschamps promised to take care of the boys. She knew Nikolas Cruz had mental issues and obsessions with weapons, and implored him to get professional help and take medication but he refused. Her calls to police about his behavior resulted in no action.

He eventually moved in with another family when Deschamps said she told him to choose between his guns and her home.

“I did everything I could to warn law enforcement about what could happen,” she said. “Unfortunately, although I did everything I could, I was not able to stop this tragedy from taking place.”

Nikolas Cruz was living with a different family when the Stoneman Douglas shooting took place. His attorney has said he will plead guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder if prosecutors will waive the death penalty, which they have refused to do.

Police records show Zachary Cruz has also had a troubled life, including a juvenile arrest record for theft. His mother, Lynda Cruz, made frequent calls to the Broward Sheriff’s Office about him running away, refusing to go to school, being rude and disrespectful and attempting to break things in their Parkland home. Some of the calls go back to when Zachary was 11 years old.