Neighboring police force alleges Broward County deputies didn't enter building, source says

Officers with the Coral Springs Police Department allege that when they arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting alert, they found three Broward County Sheriff’s deputies outside the school with weapons drawn who had not yet entered the building, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton.

The three Broward County Sheriff’s deputies accused of standing outside the school were in addition to Scot Peterson, the school’s resource officer, who subsequently has been suspended without pay and placed under investigation. Peterson then resigned from the department.

The shooting on February 14 left 17 people dead and 15 others wounded.

The source said that the Coral Springs officers immediately rushed into the building, but they didn’t hear shots being fired and didn’t know whether the shooting suspect was still inside. Two additional Broward County Sheriff’s deputies who arrived at the scene assisted the Coral Police officers with securing the building and helping the wounded, the source said.

The Coral Springs Police Department is the neighboring police department, and located about three minutes away from the school.

Coral Springs Mayor Skip Campbell told CBS News that the Coral Springs Police Chief Anthony Pustizzi and city manager Mike Goodrum met with Broward County Police Chief Scott Israel on Friday to discuss the allegations. Campbell said Israel would conduct an investigation into the allegations.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, has been charged with 17 counts of murder and police say he confessed to the carrying out the shooting. Law enforcement sources say he owned a collection of weapons. Defense attorneys, state records and people who knew him have described troubling incidents going back years.