NEXT WEEK WILL MARK ONE YEAR
SINCE THE SHOOTING AT MARJORIE STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL IN
PARK LAND, WHERE 17 LIVES WERE TRAGICALLY LOST. SINCE
THEN THE COMMISSION SET UP TO INVESTIGATE THE SHOOTING HAS
RELEASED ITS FINDINGS AND SENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
TALLAHASSEE. THE REPORT WAS CRITICAL OF THE
BROWARD SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SUPERINTENDENT ROBERT RUNCIE AS
WELL AS SHERIFF SCOTT ISRAEL AND THE ACTIONS OF HIS DEPUTIES. ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION IS
MAX SCHACHTER, HIS SON ALEX WAS ONE OF THE 17 KILLED ON
FEBRUARY 14 INSIDE THAT FRESHMAN BUILDING ON CAMPUS. HE CONTINUES TO BE A STAUNCH
CRITIC OF BOTH SUPERINTENDENT RUNCIE AND FORMER SHERIFF ISRAEL
AS WELL AS THE LONG PROCESS OF HARDENING SCHOOL IN THE
DISTRICTS TO MAKE THEM SAFE PLACES FOR STUDENTS. LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SIT DOWN WITH MAX TO LEARN HOW HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE
COPING, ESPECIALLY AS THE ANNIVERSARY DRAWS CLOSER AND
ABOUT HIS NEW MISSION MAKING SCHOOLS SAFER IN ORDER TO
PREVENT ANOTHER TRAGEDY. MY LITTLE BOY WAS WONDERFUL. HE WAS BIG, BUT HE WAS STILL SO
LITTLE AND SO TENDER, LIKE HE WAS THE TYPE OF KID THAT, YOU
KNOW, HE STILL LET ME GIVE HIM HUGS AND KISSES AND A LOT OF
KIDS ARE NOT LIKE THAT, AND -- BUT HE LOVED MUSIC, HE WAS IN
THE BAND, AND HE WAS, YOU KNOW, FINDING OUT WHAT HE WAS GOOD AT,
YOU KNOW TO HOLD IN OUR HEARTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL NEVER
FIX. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR
FEELINGS RELATED TO THESE CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED
WITH MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS PARENTS WITH SUPERINTENDENT RUN
SITUATE AND MAYBE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, THERE
ALREADY HAVE BEEN A FEW OF THEM NOT OPEN TO THE MEDIA AND
PUBLIC. TALK ABOUT THAT. IT IS VERY, VERY UPSETTING
BECAUSE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THEIR KIDS GOING TO THE SCHOOLS. AND HE IS EXCLUDING EVERYBODY,
ONLY MSG PARENTS CAN GO AND, YOU KNOW, BY NOT HAVING THE MEDIA
THERE, HE IS ABLE TO CONTROL THE MESSAGE AND HE DOESN'T WANT THE
CRITICISM GETTING OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT IS
GOING ON, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND IT IS VERY,
VERY UNFAIR TO ALL THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Pam: PEOPLE HAVE CALLED FOR
SUPERINTENDENT RUNCIE'S OUSTER. DO YOU WANT TO SEE HIM LEAVE
FROM. YES. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN
PARKLAND, THIS SHOULD BE THE SAFEST PLACE TO EXTEND YOUR
KIDS, AND IT IS ALMOST A YEAR LATER AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE
THINGS IN PLACE THAT DON'T COST ANY MONEY. THEY ARE JUST POLICY CHANGES
THAT HE COULD HAVE FIXED LONG, LONG AGO THAT HE KNEW ABOUT
FEBRUARY 15TH, AND THEY ARE STILL NOT FIGURED. IT IS JUST BAD LEADERSHIP AND,
YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO WAY THAT THEY CAN SAY THAT SAFETY AND
SECURITY IS A PRIORITY IF YOU DON'T FIX THE THINGS THAT THE
MSD COMMISSION IS TO FIX AND THE THING WE IDENTIFIED IN
COMMISSION MEETINGS EARLY ON. Pam: LAY OUT WHAT SOME OF
THOSE THINGS ARE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FIXED BECAUSE THERE IS THAT
-- HE WOULD SAY THERE IS A SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY. NOT TRUE. Pam: -- SECURITY CAMERAS. SO TELL US WHAT HASN'T BEEN
FIXED YOU SAY NEEDS TO BE DONE AND COULD BE DONE RIGHT AWAY. HE SOLD THIS BOND TO US,
$800 MILLION, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ARE GOING TO DO, SINGLE
POINT OF ENTRY WE STILL DON'T HAVE SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY SO
TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
DONE THAT DON'T COST ANY MONEY IS A CODE RED POLICY. WE SAW ON FEBRUARY 14TH TEACHERS
DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. STUDENTS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. NOBODY CALLED A CODE RED UNTIL
EVERYBODY WAS SHOT AND KILLED AND THEY STILL DON'T EVEN HAVE A
CODE RED POLICY. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER
THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED EARLY ON AFTER
FEBRUARY 14TH WAS TO IMPLEMENT A FAITH CORNER POLICY, THIS WAS
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND HE KNEW THAT IN ROOM 1213 THE
FOUR KIDS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THE SAFE CORNER, ALL OF
THEM WERE SHOT. THREE WERE INJURED, AND ONE OF
THEM PASSED AWAY AND THAT WAS CARMEN. SO HE KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM. HE KNEW THAT THE CLASSROOMS ARE
NOT SAFE AND IT IS STILL NOT POLICY. IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. Pam:. Pam: SO WHEN YOU ARE SAYING
IT IS STILL NOT FIXED, IS IT A LACK OF FINDING WHERE THE SAFE
CORNERS ARE AND KIDS AND TEACHERS STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE
TO GO? IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING? THEY HAVEN'T GONE INTO EACH
CLASSROOM AND IDENTIFIED WHERE THE SAFE CORNERS ARE. THEY HAVEN'T HELPED THE TEACHERS
IDENTIFY WHERE THEY ARE. YOU
KNOW, IN THE SAFEST SCHOOLS IN AMERICA, THAT'S WHAT HE DO. IT IS ABOUT TRAINING. IT IS ABOUT PRACTICING AND IT IS
ABOUT MUSCLE MEMORY. THE DISTRICT HAS VERY FEW SAFETY
AND SECURITY POLICIES. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE AFTER
17 PEOPLE DIED? Pam: TALK ABOUT THE MSD
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THAT, YOU CAME
UP WITH THE REPORT. IT ALREADY HAS BEEN SENT TO
TALLAHASSEE. TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THAT REPORT AND WHAT YOU THINK CAN BE
IMPLEMENTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST
-- THE BIGGEST THREATS WE HAVE TO MAKING OUR SCHOOL SAFE IS THE
MINDSET THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN HERE, BECAUSE MARJORY
STONEMAN DOUGLAS FALSELY REPORTED BETWEEN 2014 AND 2017
THAT THERE WAS ZERO THREATS, ZERO BULLYING, ZERO HARASSMENT,
THEY LIED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. NEWSPAPERS LOOK AT THAT
INFORMATION AND REPORT THAT PARKLAND IS THE 15TH SAFEST
PLACE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AS A RESULT OF THIS BAD
INFORMATION. WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO FORCE
SCHOOLS TO BE HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC AND REPORT WHAT IS
HAPPENING, VIOLENT INCIDENTS ON CAMPUS, ONCE THE PUBLIC KNOWS
WHAT IS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS, THEY WILL BE PUTTING PRESSURE ON
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND -- TO MAKE THEIR SCHOOL SAFE. IF YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS GREAT
AND EVERYTHING -- THERE IS NO VIOLENCE IN YOUR SCHOOL, YOU NOT
GOING TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I WENT TO THE SAFEST SCHOOL IN
AMERICA IN INDIANA AND THEY HAVE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY SAFE SCHOOL
AND IT IS NOT A PRISON AT ALL A. Pam: HOW DO THEY MAKE IT
SAFE, THOUGH? WHY IS IT THE NUMBER ONE SAFEST
SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES? WELL, ONE THING IS THAT THEY
HAVE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ARE ABLE TO LOOK
AT THE CAMERAS INSIDE THE SCHOOL. SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT I DO
NOT RUNCIE KNEW ON FEBRUARY 15TH 1 OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY COULD NOT LOOK INTO THE
SCHOOL AND SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT TOOK
LAW ENFORCEMENT 11 MINUTES TO GET IN THE FIRST FLOOR AND 40
MINUTES TO GET TO THE THIRD FLOOR TO ADMINISTER MEDICAL
ATTENTION TO THE SIX KIDS THAT DIED ON THE THIRD FLOOR IS
BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOT ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE SCHOOL,
THEY DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE CAMERAS. THERE IS NO REASON IT
SHOULD HAVE TAKEN 11 MONTHS FOR ROBERT RUNCIE TO SIGN THE
AGREEMENT WITH BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THAT IS ONE THING THAT THEY DO
HAVE IN INDIANA, AND EVERY TEACHER HAS A KEY FOB AROUND
THEIR NECK SO ONE OF THE OTHER PROBLEMS AT MARJORY STONEMAN
DOUGLAS IS IT TOOK OVER A MINUTE AND A HALF FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THIS CAMPUS. IF YOU HAVE THAT KEY FOB LIKE
THEY DO IN INDIANA, IN TWO SECONDS YOU KNOW THERE IS A CODE
RED, ACTIVE ASSAULT, EMERGENCY ON CAMPUS AND THEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS ABLE TO LOOK INSIDE THE SCHOOL, LOOK IN THE
CAMERAS AND IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER AND GO TO WHERE THE SHOOTING IS. YOU HAD A MASSIVE FAILURE ON THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE SIDE AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT WOULD
HAVE BEEN FIXED IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ROBERT
RUNCIE ALLOWED LAW ENFORCEMENT THE ACCESS TO THE COMMENTS. COMMENTS. Pam: AS WE KNOW ISRAEL HAS
BEEN REMOVED FROM HIS POSITION BY GOVERNOR DESANTIS AND
REPLACED BY GREGORY TONY, YOU WERE OUT FRONT AND CENTER WHEN
HE MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT. TALK ABOUT YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS
MOVE AND YOUR CRITICISM OF SCOTT ISRAEL AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESPONSE THAT DAY. THERE IS THE KIND OF SHERIFF
WE NEED, SOMEBODY THAT IS AN EXPERT IN ACTIVE ASSAULT, IS
ABLE TO TRAIN HIS MEN AND WOMEN HOW TO RESPOND TO AN ACTIVE
SHOOTING INCIDENT. WE SAW THE DIFFERENCE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE, CALL SPRINGS WENT RIGHT IN, WE HAD
NINE BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICER FAIL TO RESPOND TO THIS SCHOOL
AND THIS INCIDENT AND I PUT THE BLAME AT SCOTT ISRAEL. WILL SE THE ONE WHO CHANGED THE
POLICIES AND TOLD HIS DEPUTIES THEY DID NOT HAVE TO MEDLEY GO
IN. HE CHANGED THE POLICY TO MAY GO
IN FROM SHALL GO IN. AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE
REASONS WHY WE HAD A HORRIBLE RESPONSE AND WE HAD ALL OF THESE
CASUALTIES. THERE ALSO HAD TO HAVE BEEN A
SENSE OF WHY IS IT SO CON PIEWFG FOR THE 911 CALLERS? THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH --
YES. -- THE COMMUNICATION AND THE
DISPATCH. IN PARKLAND, IF A CELLPHONE
CALL DIALS 911, THAT GOES TO CORAL SPRINGS AND THEN IF IT IS
A LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERGENCY THEY TAKE YOUR INFORMATION AND THEN
THEY CALL BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND YOU HAVE TO REPEAT
YOUR INFORMATION ALL OVER AGAIN. THEY HAVE TO TRANSFER THE CALL
AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM. IT TOOK OVER A MINUTE FOR THAT
TO HAPPEN. IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. Pam: LET'S GO BACK TO THE
MENTAL HEALTH PORTION OF ALL OF THIS AS WELL. THAT WAS A ALSO PART OF THE MSD
REPORT. WHAT NOT HAPPENING IN OUR
SCHOOLS FOR KIDS WHO HAVE ISSUES OR WHO NEED HELP IN. IN BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOLS
THERE IS A CULTURE OF LENIENCY, TO TRY TO PREVENT THE HIGH
SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE AND THERE IS A LACK OF CONSEQUENCES. WE ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF GIVING
KIDS A SECOND CHANCE, BUT WHEN THERE IS NO CONSEQUENCES AND YOU
DON'T INTRODUCE KIDS INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT
NEED IT YOU HAVE GOT KIDS THAT PROGRESSIVELY GET MORE VIOLENT
OVER THE YEARS AND IN THE MURDERER'S CASE THERE WERE OVER
70 INSTANCES OF VIOLENCE, DISCIPLINARY BEHAVIOR. THEY DID NOT HELP HIM AT ALL. WE HAVE GOT THE PROMISE PROGRAM
THAT REFERS KIDS TO THIS OUTSIDE SCHOOL, KIDS ARE GOING TO THE
PROMISE PROGRAM AND WATCHING MOVIES. THEY HAVE GOT RECESS THREE TIMES
A DAY. THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR
HOMEWORK AND THIS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED. Pam: SO WITH THAT MSD
REPORT, MAKING ALL OF THOSE SUGGESTIONS, WHAT IS IT
SUGGESTING TO THE LEGISLATURE? WE NEED MORE MONEY FOR
COUNSELORS? IT SEEMS LIKE RIGHT AFTER THE
TRAGEDY OCCURRED AND GOVERNOR SCOTT SIGNED THAT NEW
LEGISLATION INTO PLACE AND THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY TO HELP
SCHOOLS, ARE WE SEEING ANY CHANGE HERE WITH THE WAY THE
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE BEING SOLVED? YEAH. I MEAN, THAT IS A BIG PIECE TO
IT, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THE --
JUST PASSED THROUGH A BILL, BILL 70-30, AND THESE GOING HAVE ALL
OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MSD COMMISSION. SO I AM ANXIOUSLY AWAITING TO
REVIEW THAT AND I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF GOOD RELIED? THERE. THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE IS A
MAJOR, MAJOR FACTOR, WE HAVE GOT TO HELP THESE CHILDREN AND A LOT
OF THEM ARE SCREAMING OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE
HELP THEY NEED. Pam: THE COMMISSION
RECOMMENDED THAT TEACHERS BE ARMED. WE KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE SCHOOLS, MOST OF THEM AND THE
PTA'S SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE. PART OF THE GUARDIAN PROGRAM
DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THAT, BUT THE MSD COMMISSION WANTS TEACHERS TO
BE ARMED. YOU WERE THE ONE DISSENTING VOTE
IN THAT. WHY DON'T YOU THINK TEACHERS
SHOULD CARRY GUNS? I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT
THERE NEEDS TO BE A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN ON CAMPUS, IF YOU
HAVE A MURDERER WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY WITH AN AR-15 INTENT ON
KILLING YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER, THE FIRST THING I WANT IS
SOMEONE WITH A GOOD GUY WITH A FUN TO TAKE THAT MURDERER OUT
AND NEUTRALIZE THE THREAT. THE PROBLEM IS WITH A LOT OF OUR
COUNTIES AND SPECIFIC BROWARD COUNTY, THEY HAVE NOT INSTITUTED
THE GUARDIAN PROGRAM TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. THEY DON'T ALLOW PRINCIPALS,
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, COACHES TO HAVE GUNS, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. THESE HORRIBLE INCIDENTS ARE
OVER IN FOUR TO FIVE MINUTES. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT GOING GET
THERE IN TIME. AND THIS MURDERER ON CAMPUS HAD
AN EMPTY GUN FIVE TIMES, FIVE TIMES SOMEBODY COULD HAVE
ATTACKED HIM, IF CHRIS HAD A FUN OR EASTERN FLEISS HAD A GUN THEY
OF COULD HAVE SHOT AND KILLED THIS HORRIBLE INDIVIDUAL. Pam: WE KNOW THE STATE OF
THE ADDRESS IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK, BY THIS TIME THIS AIRS. ALONG WITH YOUR SON ARE GOING
TO THE STATE OF THE UNION, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL? I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
MENTIONED IS A SCHOOL SAFETY CZAR. YES. THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, I
VIEW ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT HAS BEEN 21 YEARS SINCE
COLUMBINE AND CONTINUE TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN'S AND TEACHERS
SLAUGHTERED IN OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NEW
COORDINATION ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GREAT REPORT
OUT OF THE FEDERAL COMMISSION ON SCHOOL SAFETY THAT WAS THE
REPORT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUED AFTER OUR LOVED ONES WERE
MURDERED, THERE IS 98 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE
ISSUED. I VIEW THAT AS A TO DO LIST AND
WE NEED A CENTRAL FIGURE. WE NEED A TALENTED INDIVIDUALS,
A SCHOOL SAFETY CZAR TO TAKE THE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME
OUT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FEDERAL COMMISSION ON SCHOOL SAFETY TO
IMPLEMENT THOSE. I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20
YEARS WE COULD ACTUALLY GET SOME PROGRESS AND START TO PROTECT
OUR SCHOOLS. Pam: DO YOU FEEL ALEX
AROUND YOU ALL THE TIME? I DO, I DO, IT IS GOING TO BE
VERY DIFFICULT ON FEBRUARY 14TH. YOU KNOW, I FEEL BAD FOR OUR
FAMILY, BUT JUST THE ENORMITY OF ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
BEING GONE AND ALL OF THESE 17 FAMILIES RUINED AND IN DESPAIR. IT IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. Pam: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO
SPEND THAT DAY, FEBRUARY 14TH? WE ARE GOING TO SPEND WITH OUR
FAMILY. YOU, IT IS GOING TO BE A
HORRIBLE DAY. I AM GOING TO GO -- I DON'T WANT
TO BE HERE, YOU KNOW. AND JUST
BE WITH OUR FAMILY AND REMEMBER ABOUT ALEX AND REMEMBER THE CUTE
LITTLE BOY.
