Florida shooting: Two more officers investigated over claim they were outside school but failed to intervene

Claims come as another deputy steps down for failing to engage shooter

Florida Governor Rick Scott,(R), and Broward County Sheriff, Scott Israel (L), walk up to the media to speak about the mass shooting (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

A local sheriff’s office is investigating claims that three deputies on patrol at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School failed to intervene when a gunman entered the Florida school and killed 17 people.

Coral Springs police officers who responded to the shooting that day said two deputies from Broward County were standing outside the building when they arrived, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said the department was investigating the claims. He plans to interview the two officers who lodged the complaint.

"If there is no wrongdoing in the part of our deputies, we’ll move on," Mr Israel told ABC. "If there is wrongdoing on the part of our deputies, we’ll handle it accordingly as I have for five years as sheriff."

The Coral Springs Police Department declined to comment on the claims, saying: “Any actions or inactions that negatively affected the response will be investigated thoroughly, and the information will be released officially.”

The news came shortly after a third officer, Scot Peterson, resigned after it was revealed that he had failed to engage the shooter. Video footage showed the deputy, who was assigned to patrol the high school, stood outside the building for upwards of four minutes while shots were fired, Mr Israel said.

Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said at the time that he was “in shock and outraged” that Mr Peterson had not entered the school more quickly.

“It’s really disturbing that we had a law enforcement individual there specifically for this reason, and he did not engage,” he said. “He did not do his job. It’s one of the most unbelievable things I’ve ever heard.”

President Donald Trump also criticised the deputy, saying he was either a “coward” or had not properly responded to the shooting.

“He didn’t turn out to be too good, I will tell you that,” Mr Trump said at a conservative political conference. “He was not a credit to law enforcement.”

Two more deputies are being investigated over whether they mishandled warnings about the alleged gunman in the months before the shooting, according to the Sun Sentinel. The office was warned by neighbours as early as February of 2016 that the suspected gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, “planned to shoot up the school”.

The FBI also admitted that they had failed to act on a tip from someone close to Mr Cruz, who reported concerns about the teenager’s “gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behaviour, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” according to an agency statement.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered his deputy attorney general to review the mishandling of the tip.