Florida Students Return To Scene Of High School Massacre

Students at the Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and faculty were gunned down last week returned Sunday to gather their belongings that were cast away in a panic during the shooting.

The students were accompanied by parents as they walked past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the tragedy took place February 14. The site of the shooting is now cordoned off by a chain-link fence covered with banners from other schools showing support for the victims of the shooting.

Francesca Lozano, a freshman at the high school, said, "Just seeing the building was scary." Lozano said being accompanied by her mother and seeing her friends made the difficult journey easier. "That made it a lot better," she said.

A memorial was set up outside of the school where seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels to represent the fallen victims. Organizer Terry Decarlo said the costumes are meant to let survivors of mass shootings and disasters "know angels are looking over them and protecting them."

Sammy Cooper, another freshman at Marjory Stoneman, picked up a book bag he dropped as he saw the gunman begin shooting. "Two of my best friends aren’t here anymore," Cooper said. "But I’m definitely going to school Wednesday. I will handle it."

House Speaker Richard Corcoran called for the Sheriff of Broward County to resign following a massive failure to identify Cruz as a threat and to act once he began shooting. "In the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz," Corcoran said.

Corcoran's letter was signed by nearly 100 other state lawmakers. State Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican lawmaker from Boca Raton, also called for Israel to resign citing a failure of his duties and incompetence.

<a href="http://www.thegoldwater.com/news/19327-Rep-Bill-Hager-R-Boca-Raton-Asks-Florida-Governor-To-Fire-Broward-Sheriff">Rep. Bill Hager ,R. Boca Raton Asks Florida Governor To Fire Broward Sheriff</a>

Israel responded to the letter saying it "was full of misinformation, shameful, politically motivated."

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Source: https://apnews.com/d4ec8be3df824bb6a472676eeb9196ba/Students-return-to-Florida-school-where-17-were-killed