School resource officer was not near attack site

PARKLAND When gunman Nikolas Cruz showed up ready to kill, the lone school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High was not in the building that housed freshman.

Instead, School Resource Officer Scott Peterson was elsewhere on the 45-acre campus during the attack that left 17 dead and 16 wounded, Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said Friday.

“Staff and everyone responded quickly,” Runcie said, based on a briefing by the Broward Sheriff ’s Office. “The SRO was communicated with but was on another part of campus.”

Peterson, a deputy with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Parkland district, has been the SRO at Stoneman Douglas High since 2009. He could not be reached for comment Friday. School officials could provide few details on what Peterson was doing when the shooting began and how he responded, citing the open investigation.

“There is one SRO assigned to the school, with additional support provided by local law enforcement and the District’s Special Investigative Unit, as well as support from school security personnel and school administration,” school district spokeswoman Cathleen Brennan said in an email. “There is an open and ongoing investigation into this tragedy.”

While most schools in Broward County have one school resource officer, five high schools have two. They include Dillard High in Fort Lauderdale, Miramar High and Everglades High in Miramar, and Flanagan High and West Broward High in Pembroke Pines.

In 2014, the Broward County Crime Commission named Peterson the SRO of the year for the Parkland district of the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.

“During this time, Deputy Peterson has proven to be reliable in handling issues with tact and judgment,” the award said. “Throughout 2014, Deputy Peterson conducted numerous investigations and follow-ups entailing property crimes, assaults and narcotics violations. Deputy Peterson is also active in mentoring and counseling students.”