PARKLAND, Fla. — Nearly eight years have passed since the halls of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were shattered by gunfire, but for the families of the 17 victims killed on February 14, 2018, the wounds remain wide open. On Thursday, gathered near the site of the tragedy, parents and loved ones issued a blistering ultimatum to the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) and Broward County officials: stop the legal posturing and admit to the failures that occurred that day.
Video courtesy WSVN 7 News
As reported by WSVN 7 News, the families expressed a profound sense of exhaustion and betrayal, stating they have reached a “breaking point” in their quest for accountability. While other entities involved—including the federal government and the Broward County School District—have settled legal claims and acknowledged their roles in the tragedy, the BSO and the county commission continue to fight the victims’ families in court.
A Legacy of Pain and Persistence
The press conference was a somber reminder of the lives lost and the void left behind. Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin “Guac” Oliver was among those murdered, spoke of the heavy burden he carries.
“I carry the legacy of my son with dignity. That pain makes me do other things,” Oliver said. For the families, the legal battle is not merely about compensation; it is about a public admission of the systemic failures that allowed a lone gunman to carry out one of the deadliest school shootings in American history.
Jennifer Guttenberg, who lost her daughter Jaime, echoed the sentiment of a community tired of being ignored. “My family will continue to grieve our loss with an empty chair,” she said. “BSO has done everything they can to sweep this under the rug. It is disgusting and unacceptable.”
Demanding a Day in Court
At the heart of the families’ frustration is what they describe as a deliberate attempt by BSO and Sheriff Gregory Tony to avoid a civil jury trial. According to the families, the sheriff’s office and the county have utilized a series of motions and appeals to stall the legal process, preventing the facts of the BSO’s response from being laid bare before a jury.
Fred Guttenberg, Jaime’s father and a prominent advocate for gun safety, was vocal about the need for a transparent hearing.
“What we are asking for is a hearing in court where we get to go through their failures, their liability on those failures, in front of a jury,” Fred Guttenberg told WSVN. “We want them to have to accept liability and responsibility for what they did. Every other failed entity has done that years ago already.”
Guttenberg highlighted the specific actions—or lack thereof—that continue to haunt the survivors. He noted that while students like Jaime were fighting for their lives, law enforcement officers remained outside the building.
“BSO was waiting outside and failing us,” he said. “Jaime knew exactly what was happening as she ran down the third-floor hallway with a shooter at her back.”
The Response from Law Enforcement
In response to the families’ public outcry, the Broward Sheriff’s Office released a statement to 7News defending its legal strategy. The agency maintained that its actions are not intended to delay justice but are based on established legal principles.
“It is understandable that the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy are frustrated at the pace of the litigation,” the statement read. “The grounds for the filed motions and appeals are well founded in Florida law, and are not for the purposes of delay.”
The BSO further argued that their legal filings are intended to “streamline the issues” and that waiting to assert certain defenses at trial would actually result in a longer delay. However, this explanation has done little to appease the families, who view the ongoing litigation as a refusal to face the truth.
A Community Frozen in Time
For the Parkland community, the eighth anniversary of the shooting serves as a grim milestone. While the physical structure of Building 12—the site of the massacre—has been slated for demolition, the emotional architecture of the tragedy remains.
The families argue that the BSO’s refusal to settle or admit liability prevents the community from moving toward any semblance of closure. By continuing to litigate, the parents say the county is forcing them to relive the most traumatic moments of their lives through depositions and court hearings.
The contrast between the BSO’s stance and that of other agencies is a primary point of contention. The FBI settled with the families for $127.5 million in 2022 over its failure to act on tips regarding the gunman. Similarly, the Broward School District reached a $26 million settlement. The families question why the agency responsible for the immediate tactical response on the ground remains the sole holdout.
The Path Forward
As the legal proceedings continue, the Parkland parents have vowed to remain visible and vocal. Their “breaking point” is not a sign of surrender, but a call to action for the public and the court system to hold the Broward Sheriff’s Office accountable.
The families are seeking more than just a settlement; they are seeking a precedent. They argue that if law enforcement agencies can hide behind sovereign immunity or procedural delays after a failure of this magnitude, the promise of “never again” remains hollow.
For now, the legal stalemate continues. But as the eighth anniversary approaches on Valentine’s Day, the message from the families to Sheriff Gregory Tony and the Broward County Commission is clear: the time for excuses has passed.
“They have been delaying this and delaying this and delaying this and, candidly, as a bunch of families, we have finally reached our breaking point,” Fred Guttenberg said. “We’ve had enough.”
As the sun set over Parkland on Thursday, the empty chairs mentioned by Jennifer Guttenberg remained—a silent testament to the 17 lives lost and a powerful reminder that for these families, justice delayed is truly justice denied.
Source: WSVN
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