Deputy cleared of responsibility in Parkland school shooting tragedy

Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer Scot Peterson has been acquitted of felony child neglect and other charges for failing to act during the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Peterson, who could have faced nearly 100 years in prison, wept as the verdict was read. The jury deliberated for 19 hours over four days. Peterson had been charged with failing to confront the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, during the attack that left 17 dead. Prosecutors argued that Peterson did not follow protocols for confronting an active shooter, while his defense emphasized the failure of the sheriff's radio system and the difficulty in pinpointing the shooter's location. Peterson retired shortly after the shooting and was subsequently fired.