Parkland massacre to be reenacted at school with loaded guns, for lawsuit against Florida deputy

About 139 gunshots are expected to be fired Friday by ballistics experts at Majority Stoneman Douglas High School in a reenactment of the 2018 Parkland school shooting – as part of a lawsuit against the school’s former officer and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Technicians will stand outside the building and record the sound of the gunfire in an attempt to capture what the school's former officer, Scot Peterson, may have or haven't heard during the attack, according to the Associated Press. The audio recording will presumably be played for the jury because Peterson said he was unable to hear all the gunshots and couldn’t pinpoint where they were coming from due to echoes.

Seventeen people were killed the mass shooting and 17 others were injured. The killer, Nikolas Cruz, pleaded guilty in 2021 and was sentenced to life in prison. 

Families of the victims, who are bringing the lawsuit, claim Peterson knew of the shooter's location but didn't act due to cowardice. 

The ammunition will be fired from experts with an AR-15-style rifle from the same spots as Cruz, and the bullets will be caught by a safety device.

Elected officials, including nine members of Congress, will tour the site of the massacre before the reenactment happens, according to CNN. 

Some Florida residents are upset about the reenactment while others say it is necessary.

"This is horrific. Our town has been through enough," resident Whitney Miller posted on Facebook, according to Fox News. The Associated Press also reported that the town of Parkland sent warnings to residents so they won’t panic if they hear the gunshots and to help them prepare mentally. Eagles’ Haven, a community wellness center opened after the shooting, is planning several programs Friday including yoga, tai chi, a drum circle and meditation along with food so people can talk.

Hunter Pollack, who lost his sister Meadow, in the shooting says that this reenactment is necessary. 

"[Peterson] wasn’t held accountable criminally, and if this is the only way to hold him accountable, then it should be done," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.