Tag: Parkland Shooting

Law Enforcement Officers Fired for Inaction in Parkland Shooting Get Jobs Back, Vacation Pay

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Two of the police officers who lost their jobs over inaction during the deadliest school shooting in American history have gotten their jobs back, with back and vacation pay.

Arbitrators reinstated them and could do the same for a third officer as well. Federal Judge Keathan Frink affirmed the arbitrators’ decisions in a May 13 ruling, the Associated Press reports.

Broward County deputies Brian Miller and Joshua Stambaugh were among the police who responded to a February 14, 2018 mass school shooting report at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Lost Millions Over Anti-Gun Policies

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by Molly Prince   Dick’s Sporting Goods took a loss of an estimated $150 million in sales last year after the company heavily restricted firearm purchases and began advocating anti-gun propaganda. The company made various policy changes after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 dead. It announced it would no longer sell modern sporting rifles or high-capacity magazines, and increased the purchase age for all firearms to 21. Dick’s also hired anti-gun lobbyists to promote gun restriction legislation, despite saying it still supports the Second Amendment. “The system does not work,” said Edward Stack, Dick’s CEO. “It’s important that when you know there’s something that’s not working, and it’s to the detriment of the public, you have to stand up.” The anti-gun shift made massive waves when it was first announced in February 2018 and Stack was accused of violating fiduciary duties by knowingly and purposely giving up money. Some gun manufacturers cut ties with Dick’s and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) expelled the company from its membership. The loss of customers was also almost immediately felt. “Sales are so anemic and relations with gun manufacturers such as Mossberg so poor right now that you’ve even indicated…

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DeSantis Wants Grand Jury to Look Into Broward County School Failures One Year After Shooting

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by Neetu Chandak   Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday he wants a grand jury to look into possible mistakes made by Broward County Public Schools in addressing the Parkland, Florida, shooting. The grand jury would have more subpoena power and a greater scope compared to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which released a January 2019 report detailing the missteps during the shooting in 2018. The Florida Supreme Court will need to accept DeSantis’s petition in order for the grand jury investigation, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. It is clear more needs to be done to keep our students safe. The statewide grand jury will consider whether refusal to follow mandates of school-related safety laws resulted in avoidable risk for students. More info on my request to the FL Supreme Court: https://t.co/qWq6jKh0ju pic.twitter.com/KHNVf7m56a — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 13, 2019 The grand jury would have to look at actions of all school districts in the state, however, DeSantis was clear the move was aimed for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the Sun Sentinel reported. “There’s more evidence in Broward than other districts,” DeSantis said, according to the newspaper. The grand jury would examine whether: School officials…

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DNC Fundraises Off Of Parkland Shooting on One Year Anniversary

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by Peter Hasson   The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Thursday used the one year anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that left 17 people dead to push for campaign donations. The DNC sent out an email from Manuel Oliver, whose son died in the Parkland shooting, asking recipients to “stand with Democrats who will work to solve our nation’s gun violence epidemic” by giving the DNC their name, email address and zip code. “No other country has to live through mass shooting after mass shooting like the United States. It’s not just a coincidence. It’s what happens when [National Rifle Association]-backed politicians refuse to act while the gun lobby fills their pockets. It’s why we have to be doing everything in our power to elect Democrats who will finally act to make a change,” read the email from Oliver. Those who “stand with Democrats” by giving the DNC their personal information are immediately redirected to a page asking for money “to stand up against the GOP and the gun lobby.” Thursday wasn’t the first time that the DNC fundraised off of the Parkland shooting. The day after the shooting, the DNC sent out an emotional email, signed by…

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Chicago Police Chief Making Officers Read Nearly 500-Page Report on Florida’s Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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By Neetu Chandak   A Chicago suburb police chief is making his officers read the nearly 500-page Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting report to prevent the same mistakes made in Florida. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission released the initial report, which made recommendations like arming teachers and investing more into mental health programs, on Jan. 2. Missteps included officers not confronting suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz immediately, the school lacking a clear lockdown plan and inefficient communication systems. “This report on the shooting in Parkland is a game-changer for law enforcement,” Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said, WBBM Newsradio reported Monday. https://t.co/zRlnekaDMe — Riverside Police (@PDRiverside) January 7, 2019 Weitzel added that while there were officers who were heroic, there were also “large failures.” He felt the report addressed the mistakes, according to WBBM. “We must learn from our mistakes and others mistakes,” Weitzel said to The Daily Caller News Foundation over email. “It’s the only way we can improve our response and tactics.” The Parkland shooting left 17 people dead on Feb. 14, 2018. Officers have a month to read the report and will be followed up with a discussion, the Chicago Tribune reported. Weitzel will have…

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