The armed officer inside a Florida high school during last week's shooting has resigned after an investigation found he never entered the building.
- The armed officer inside a Florida high school during last week's shooting has resigned after an investigation found he never entered the building as the shooting unfolded.
- Scot Peterson instead remained outside the building for four minutes, according to the Broward County sheriff.
The armed officer who was stationed at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during last week's deadly shooting resigned Thursday after an investigation found he never entered the building where the massacre took place.
"I am devastated," Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news conference Thursday. "Sick to my stomach. He never went in."
The suspected shooter, Nikolas Cruz, allegedly killed 17 people at the school last Wednesday in a seven-minute hail of gunfire.
During that time, school resource officer Scot Peterson did "nothing," Israel said. Peterson remained outside the building for at least four minutes.
When the shooting first broke out, Peterson was in a different school building handling a separate matter, he added.
Peterson should have "went in. Addressed the killer. Killed the killer," Israel said.
Israel had previously declined to give details, saying only that Peterson never encountered the gunman during the shooting.
Israel said surveillance footage showed that Peterson was in position and armed but never entered the building. He added that the video may never be released.
Peterson worked at the high school since 2009 and made a $75,673.72 salary in 2016, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.