IT’S A DAY YOU PRAY WILL NEVER HAPPEN AND IT’S HAPPENED. >> THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE UNLIKE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS 10, 20 YEARS AGO, THERE ARE A LOT OF PICTURES AND VIDEOS COMING FROM INSIDE THE SCHOOL. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’VE SEEN SO FAR TODAY THAT HAS STUCK WITH YOU PARTICULARLY? >> WE HAD SOME OF THE STUDENTS INSIDE WERE USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO DOCUMENT THE MOMENT. THERE IS ONE IMAGE, UNFORTUNATELY IT’S IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, SOMEONE WAS INJURED. NO FACE OR IDENTIFYING FEATURES BUT PERHAPS ENOUGH FOR A LOVED ONE TO SEE AND THINK THAT MAYBE ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES WHO’S BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. IT’S A TERRIBLE SITUATION. IT’S AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF CARNAGE ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN CARRY OUT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WELL ORCHESTRATED AND PLANNED. AS I SAID, IT IS STILL AN ACTIVE SCENE. AUTHORITIES ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE SCHOOL TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS THERE.
I THINK WE WILL LEARN MORE IN THE NEXT 12 HOURS THAT WILL SHED MORE LIGHT ON HOW THIS CAN HAPPEN. >> WHAT KIND OF UPDATES ARE YOU GETTING? DOES THE FBI CALL? DOES THE GOVERNOR CALL? >> THE GOVERNOR IS TRAVELING THERE. HE WAS OUT OF STATE. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEY ARE JUST WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THEIR BUILDING RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF PEOPLE SPECULATING ABOUT THIS. IT’S IMPORTANT TO WAIT FOR THE FACTS. THERE MAY BE MORE ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY FIND ONCE I GET INSIDE THE BUILDING.
THERE IS A PROTOCOL THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW TO ENSURE THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY EXPLOSIVES. I’M NOT SAYING THERE IS. I’M SAYING IT’S PROTOCOL THEY FOLLOW. IT STILL AN ACTIVE THING. AND EVIDENCE THEY HAVE TO GATHER. THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO’S GOING TO BE PROSECUTED. >> THIS IS A SCHOOL SHOOTING OR THE INDIVIDUAL SUSPECTED OF CARRYING IT OUT ESCAPED, SURVIVED, TAKEN TO HOSPITAL BUT HE IS IN CUSTODY. WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO THIS PERSON? >> OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME BUT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY WILL WANT TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE WAS INVOLVED AND WHETHER THERE’S ANY EXISTING DANGERS. SOMETIMES THEY BECOME COMPLEX.
THERE MIGHT’VE BEEN AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED BEFOREHAND. THEY MAY LEARN OTHERS HAVE BEEN HURT IN THE PROCESS. THERE’S THINGS LEFT BEHIND THE COULD BE HARMFUL. THERE’S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS. I KNOW PEOPLE ON THE NEWS, I’M NOT SAYING YOU BUT IN GENERAL, THEY NEED TO REPORT IN REAL TIME BUT THERE’S A PROTOCOL. THE FIRST IS TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER INJURY AND THE NEXT IS TO GATHER EVIDENCE BECAUSE THIS GUYS GOING TO TRIAL AND IT NEEDS TO BE EVIDENCE PRESENTED IN ORDER TO GAIN A CONVICTION. >> BASED ON WHAT YOU’VE SEEN FROM THE RESPONSE, THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WATCHING.
THEY WON’T HAVE SCHOOL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SHOULD THEY FEEL SAFE GOING BACK? >> WELL, AS I SAID, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FACTS OF THE CASE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. AS THE PUBLIC BECOMES AWARE OF THEM, IT WILL SHINE LIGHT ON IT AND THERE’LL BE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ASKED. IN THE INTERIM, I WOULD SAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN HARMED, THEY ARE GRATEFUL AND HAPPY THAT’S THE CASE. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OR WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED OR THE STUDENTS WHO HAVEN’T BEEN PHYSICALLY HARMED BUT WENT THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE, WE WANT TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN BROWARD IS PHENOMENAL. THEY ARE WELL ORGANIZED. THEY’RE MOBILIZING COUNSELING EFFORTS THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO NEED. THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF THING YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU SEND YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL. IT’S NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE EASILY CONFRONT. IT’S A DIFFICULT THING. THE INJURIES ARE DEEPER THAN JUST THE PHYSICAL ONES. OUR IMMEDIATE THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE OF LOST LOVED ONES AND MAYBE HAVE NOT YET BEEN NOTIFIED. >> SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS ABOUT POLICY AND GUN CONTROL. IS THIS THE APPROPRIATE TIME? >> IT’S NOT ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED. WHO THIS PERSON IS, WHAT MOTIVATED THEM, HOW DID THEY GET A HOLD OF THE WEAPON. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT BEFORE YOU JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS THAT THERE’S A LAW WE COULD HAVE PASSED THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. THERE MAY BE BUT SHOULDN’T WE AT LEAST KNOW THE FACTS? WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE THAT DEBATE BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THE DEBATE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU RUN OUT AND PRESCRIBE SOME LAW YOU CLAIM COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. I’VE SEEN A LOT OF THAT ON TELEVISION.
MAYBE THERE IS A LOT THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INSTANCE BUT WE DON’T KNOW THAT, AND NEITHER DO THEY. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO GO BACK TO FLORIDA SOONER? >> WE HAVE A VOTE ON AN IMPORTANT TOPIC ON IMMIGRATION. WE WILL HAVE TO EVALUATE HOW IT IS, WHEN WE CAN GET THERE AND TERMS OF THE SETTING IN PLACE. I’M SURE WE WILL BE THERE AT SOME POINT SOON..
