The Parkland School Shooting: Complete Coverage
On Feb. 14, 2018, a former student with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people and sending hundreds fleeing into the streets. It would become the third-deadliest school shooting in the nation’s history.
The shooting has already reignited polarizing debates about gun rights and school safety. Below is a collection of stories about the shooting—the details of which are still emerging.
Read Education Week’s Special Report: A Broken Trust: Inside the Rift Between Parkland and Its School District
States
Parkland Commission: Police Should Get Real-Time Access to School Security Cameras
Live, real-time access to school camera systems could improve police response to tragedies. But law-enforcement surveillance in public schools could also have negative consequences.
School Climate & Safety
Why Victims' Families Are Seething Over Broward Schools' Handling of the Parkland Shooting
Grieving families say missteps, inaction, and a lack of empathy have broken their trust in the Broward school district and its leader.
School Climate & Safety
Hero Parkland Teacher on School District’s Response to Shooting: 'Too Little, Too Late'
Ernest Rospierski braved gunfire to save his students' lives. Five months later, the district called to see if he's OK.
Families & the Community
At a Parkland Elementary School, PTA Decides It Can’t Wait for Safety Upgrades
Parkland, Fla., parents used to buy musical instruments for their children's school. Now, they are also paying for stop-the-bleed kits.
Law & Courts
Over 100 Pending Lawsuits Blame the Parkland Shooting on the School District. Do They Stand a Chance?
Broward County Public Schools has received at least 103 notices of pending legal claims related to the Parkland mass shooting.
Equity & Diversity
Lawsuit Challenges Florida's Post-Parkland Plan to Arm Some School Employees
A Florida district's decision to put armed "school safety assistants" in its elementary schools puts the safety and well-being of its students at risk and oversteps existing state law, says a lawsuit, which could topple school security plans throughout the state.
Education
Parkland Shooting Investigation: Cruz's Violent Acts Well-Known, But Not Reported or Acted On
Details revealed by the state commission investigating the shooting fit in with a larger pattern in which officials from law enforcement, mental health agencies, and schools appear to have missed possible warning signs related to Cruz.
Federal
The Parkland Shooting's Role in the Close Florida Senate Race
The impact of the killings of students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School could extend into the tight Florida contest that will help decide control of the U.S. Senate.
School Climate & Safety
Superintendent Runcie Describes How He Handled the Aftermath of the Parkland Shooting
Calling the Parkland, Fla., shooting a "9/11 moment for schools," Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie said the tragedy brought overwhelming logistical, political, and communications challenges to the district.
School Climate & Safety
School Safety Requires Prevention, Not Just Physical Security, Federal Commission Told
While many school safety conversations since the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Fla., have focused on "hardening schools" with physical security measures, keeping students safe requires a broader, multifaceted approach, panelists said.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Shooting Victims' Families: School Board Is Weak on Safety
Families of those killed in the Parkland, Fla., school shooting urged voters to elect new members to the Broward County school board.
School Climate & Safety
Investigation Into Parkland School Shooter Flags Transition Out of Special Education Program
A consultant's review of the Parkland, Fla., school shooter's educational history found that the Broward County School District did not respond properly when the gunman, a former student, asked to be re-enrolled in special education services after opting out of the program several months earlier.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Students Are Still Going Strong. Their Message to Students: Vote
In Blacksburg, Va., and other stops on their summer road tour, Marjory Stoneman Douglas survivors and their fellow activists are integrating their anti-gun messages with a strong call for young people to register and vote.
School Climate & Safety
After Parkland Shooting, District Teams With Sandy Hook Promise to Spot Warning Signs of Violence
As it works to heal from the Parkland school shooting, the Broward County school district in Florida plans to partner with Sandy Hook Promise to help prevent future violence.
School Climate & Safety
Controversial Discipline Program Not to Blame for Parkland School Shooting, Commission Finds
A controversial school discipline program designed to reduce student arrests cannot be blamed for a shooting by a former student in Parkland, Fla., a state commission said Tuesday.
School Climate & Safety
In Parkland, New Safety Measures Pitched in Response to School Shooting
A local task force unveiled 90 pages of safety recommendations for Broward County, Fla., schools Monday in response to a Feb. 14 school shooting in the district's Stoneman Douglas High School.
School Climate & Safety
'March for Our Lives' Student Organizers Announce Nationwide Voter Registration Tour
Student who launched a youth movement for stronger gun laws after surviving a mass shooting at their Parkland, Fla., high school announced Monday plans for a nationwide tour aimed at registering young voters.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Drama Teacher Who Hid 65 Students From Gunman Wins Tony Award
Melody Herzfeld, a drama teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, received an award this week for excellence in theater education from the biggest name in Broadway honors: the Tony Awards.
School Climate & Safety
Company Pulls School Shooter Video Game After Outrage From Victims' Families
A site removed a game that would have allowed players to pose as school shooters after it drew condemnation from parents of students killed in the Parkland shooting, along with politicians, and education groups.
School Climate & Safety
A Principal Lost Her Daughter in the Parkland Shooting. As She Grieved, the District Tried to Dock Her Pay
April Schentrup told Broward County, Fla., school board members the district tried to dock her pay for missed time from work after her daughter was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Survivors and Other Youth Activists: 'You're Going to Listen to Us' on Gun Violence
The student activists from Parkland, Fla., Newtown, Conn., and Chicago urged the media to keep the national spotlight on gun violence and not let their tragedies fade away.
School Climate & Safety
Why a Revelation About the Parkland School Shooter's Disciplinary History Matters
News that Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was once referred to an alternative school discipline program has added fuel to a debate about what the district could have done differently.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
School Design Contributed to Massacre at Florida School, Investigator Says
Faulty classroom design and failures in the police radio and 911 systems contributed to the chaos and 17 deaths during the recent Florida high school massacre, a commission investigating the shooting in February was told at its first meeting last week.
School Climate & Safety
Parents Lash Out at District Over Shooting
During an emotional public safety forum in Broward County, Fla., shaken students and enraged parents and educators demanded fixes for what they consider lax security, district indifference, and failure to act to prevent the mass shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Victims' Families Have Pushed for Change. Here's What They've Accomplished.
While Parkland's student activists have received much attention, family members of victims of a school shooting their have successfully pushed for changes at both the state and federal levels.
Education
Parkland Student-Journalists Reflect on Surviving and Covering a Mass Shooting
Five staff members of the student newspaper at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, discuss being both survivors of the mass shooting at the Florida school and journalists covering it.
School Climate & Safety
'You Have to Redefine Normal': Leading Schools in the Aftermath of a Shooting
In the unfortunate club of principals and K-12 administrators whose schools become the site of unthinkable violence, the best source of guidance to navigate the grief, trauma, and leadership challenges that follow are their peers who've been through it.
School Climate & Safety
Lawmakers Question Obama-Era Discipline Policy at Hearing on Parkland Shooting
Members of Congress debated a directive to drive down disproportionately high discipline rates for students of color with Republicans questioning whether similar policies in a Florida district allowed the accused Parkland, Fla., shooter to avoid being arrested despite his reportedly frequent discipline issues at school.
Education
'60 Minutes' Profiles Student Leaders of the 'Mass Shooting Generation'
The CBS News magazine show spotlights five of the students leading the debate on guns and school safety after the Feb. 14 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Equity & Diversity
Civil Rights Groups Sound the Alarm About Safety Plans After Parkland Shooting
"Knee-jerk reactions" to school safety fears after a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., have created civil rights concerns for students of color and students with disabilities, a group of civil rights organizations said Monday.
School Climate & Safety
Federal Response to Fla. Shooting Starts to Take Shape
Legislation on school safety is bubbling in the Republican-controlled Congress, though new gun restrictions don't appear to be in the cards.
Federal
House Passes STOP School Violence Act One Month After Parkland Shooting
The bill passed the House exactly one month after 17 students and staff were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Federal
Senators Zero In on Law Enforcement, School Discipline in Hearing on Parkland Shooting
Republicans tended to focus on what law enforcement and schools could have done to prevent the shooting in Florida last month, while Democrats pushed for more-restrictive gun laws.
School & District Management
In Response to Mass Student Walkouts, Conservatives Largely Stay Silent
By some estimates, 1 million students walked out of schools to honor the Parkland, Fla., victims and call for stricter gun laws, while Republican politicians all but ignored them.
School Climate & Safety
Post-Parkland, the Second Amendment Gets a Closer Look in Class
Two Nevada high school classes are getting a deep lesson on the Second Amendment and learning firsthand why the debate over the right to bear arms can be so politically divisive and emotionally fraught.
School Climate & Safety
Video
Instead of a Walkout, Some Students Had a 'Walk In'
On a day when thousands of students nationwide were walking out of their schools in response to gun violence and the shootings in Parkland, Fla., high school students in Yonkers, N.Y., assembled in their gymnasium to participate in an assembly organized by the administration. For 11th grade student Britney Cruz and others, a walk-in was not what they had in mind. They wanted to lead their classmates out of the building. But for Yonkers Superintendent of Schools Edwin M.Guezada and many other school leaders across the country, allowing students to leave the safety of their school buildings posed risks. Guezada argued that bringing students, administrators, and elected officials together on the day of protests could be more powerful.
School Climate & Safety
Video
Gun Control Walkout Just The Start, Students at One Maryland School Say
Hundreds of students bundled up against the cold and headed out of Maryland’s Parkdale High School to join the nationwide walkout on gun control. More than 2,000 students attend the school, in the Prince George’s County school district outside Washington. Student government leaders at the largely Hispanic and African-American campus led the march and rally, chanting “books, not bullets,” and “hey hey, ho, ho, gun violence has got to go”.
They observed a moment of silence for the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month and released 17 balloons, one for each victim at the Florida school. Students say they will lobby lawmakers to make it tougher for troubled individuals to get guns, and they pledged to keep up the pressure long after today’s marches were over. “We shouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt in school,” said sophomore Jordan Cooper. “From here we keep marching, keep protesting, keep speaking, keep tweeting… until we see change.”
School & District Management
Student Walkout Taps Well of Anger, Mourning Over Gun Violence
The thousands who left their schools nationwide to mark the Feb. 14 shootings in Parkland, Fla., rode a dramatic wave of youth activism tinged with sadness about those killed in their schools and communities.
School Climate & Safety
Collection
Student Walkouts
Education Week reported from schools and communities around the U.S. to provide live coverage of the 2018 student walkouts and school-based events throughout the day. Here is a complete collection of our coverage.
Federal
House Passes STOP School Violence Act One Month After Parkland Shooting
The bill passed the House exactly one month after 17 students and staff were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Student Well-Being
'The Most Traumatizing Experience Imaginable.' Stoneman Douglas Teacher Tells Senators About Students' Pain
After a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students will be processing their trauma for years to come, a teacher told lawmakers.
Federal
Senators Zero In on Law Enforcement, School Discipline in Hearing on Parkland Shooting
Republicans tended to focus on what law enforcement and schools could have done to prevent the shooting in Florida last month, while Democrats pushed for more-restrictive gun laws.
School Climate & Safety
Video
What to Expect From Student Walkouts on Gun Violence
Wednesday marks the one month anniversary since the shooting at Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida that left 17 students and teachers dead. Thousands of students around the nation will mark the day by staging walkouts - many will be 17 minutes long - one for each of the victims. The protests are designed to put pressure on Congress to tighten gun laws. We look at how the walkouts will unfold and how schools are handling them.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Students Are Walking Out. Are Schools Ready for When They Walk Back In?
There are four things educators should know about engaging students in these politically tumultuous times, write two civic-education leaders.
School Climate & Safety
This Week's Nationwide Student Walkout: 6 Things to Know
K-12 leaders need to prepare for what may be a massive student walkout tied to ending gun violence and school shootings. Here's a primer on students' rights to participate, what districts' responsibilities are for keeping them safe, and alternatives to leaving campus.
Federal
Parkland Student David Hogg, Other Advocates Lobby Capitol Hill on Gun Control
Democrats in Congress heard from students, parents and others who have been impacted by gun violence and who are urging Congress to pass gun-control measures.
School Climate & Safety
Can the Parkland Survivors Inspire a New Focus on Civics Education?
Civics often takes a backseat in schools, but educators say the Marjory Stoneman Douglas students-turned-activists are setting a powerful model for civic engagement.
Federal
Betsy DeVos in Florida: Arming Well-Trained Staff Should Be Option for Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos traveled to Parkland, Fla., Wednesday to meet with students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of a mass shooting last month that left 17 dead.
Federal
Trump Pushes to 'Harden' Schools Against Mass Shooters in Meeting With Lawmakers
President Donald Trump again lobbied for increased school security measures, including armed staff, in a meeting with congressional lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday.
School Climate & Safety
Lost Sense of School as a Safe Place
After the Parkland school shooting, survivors and members of the community have dealt with wrenching questions about whether the attack could have been prevented.
School Climate & Safety
A Florida City Forever Changed
The scene at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the surrounding area after the shootings shifted from chaos and panic to grief, anger, and calls for swift and aggressive action to prevent other school attacks.
Federal
These Are School Safety Bills Congress Can Already Vote on After Parkland
After the mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla. high school last week, many are wondering what lawmakers, including those on Capitol Hill, will do to address school shootings.
Education
College Board Accused of Using Parkland Shootings for Self-Promotion
A letter from College Board President David Coleman about the Parkland school shootings has sparked anger and an apology.
School Climate & Safety
'Let the Youth Lead': Student Activists Nationwide Demand Change After Parkland Shooting
The upwelling of youth activism stands in stark contrast to that seen after previous school shootings, advocates and academics say, and could prove a powerful force in the gun control debate.
School Climate & Safety
After Shooting, Superintendent Calls for Review of Suspect's Education, Disciplinary History
Robert Runcie, the superintendent of the Broward County district recovering from a Feb. 14 school shooting, called for an independent review of the "educational record and the academic, social and emotional services" that accused gunman Nikolas Cruz received while he was a student.
School Climate & Safety
After Parkland Shooting, Sen. Rubio Questions Obama-Era Guidance on School Arrests
Obama-era guidance that calls on schools not to rely on police to administer routine student discipline "may have contributed to systemic failures" to report a school shooting suspect's behavior to law enforcement, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary or Education Betsy DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions Monday.
School Climate & Safety
After Shooting, Tension Mounts Between Security Quick-Fixes and Long-Term Solutions
School district leaders must weigh costly measures like adding school police and installing metal detectors against considerations for students' civil rights and whether hiring a school counselor might achieve greater safety benefits.
School Climate & Safety
Shooting Survivors Face Long Road to Recovery
Vigils, protests, and marches are helping the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School channel their grief, experts say, but they’re just a start toward recovery.
Federal
Trump on Parkland Shooter: 'A Teacher Would Have Shot the Hell Out of Him'
President Donald Trump repeated his proposal to arm well-trained school staff to intervene in the event of a mass school shooting, earning roaring applause in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland School Officer Took Position, But Didn't Enter Building During Shooting, Sheriff Says
The Broward County sheriff's deputy assigned to Stoneman Douglas High School took position outside of a building during the mass shooting there last week, but he never entered to try to stop the gunman, Sheriff Scott Israel said Thursday.
School Climate & Safety
Fla. District Faces Barrage of Legal Issues in Wake of School Massacre
From liability and student privacy to the complexities of a deadly crime scene, legal officials in Broward County, Fla., will be consumed for months, if not years, with the aftermath of the fatal shooting.
School Climate & Safety
Calls to Arm Teachers Meet Resistance From Parkland Educators, Leaders
Even before President Donald Trump proposed training and arming teachers in response to a mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school, some teachers there said they wouldn't want to carry a weapon in their classrooms.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
It's Not Just About Guns. Male Aggression Is a Serious Problem
Putting a gun in the hands of an angry man is a recipe that will only lead to death, writes Patrick O’Connor.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
As Teachers, We Cannot Fix This Gun Mess. But Our Students Can, and We Can Help
A culture of violence and guns cannot be fixed in a moment, writes a 5th grade teacher. But by teaching young people to raise their voices, educators can help them create change.
Federal
Trump: Nation Should Consider Arming Teachers to Prevent School Shootings
President Donald Trump's comments came at a White House meeting where he heard the heartbreaking stories of school shooting survivors and of parents who have lost children in school massacres.
School Climate & Safety
'I Worry Every Day': Lockdown Drills Prompt Fear, Self-Reflection After School Shooting
Lockdown drills are ubiquitous in schools these days, but teachers say they’re especially unnerving in the wake of a horrific school shooting such as the one in Parkland, Fla.
School Climate & Safety
After Parkland Shooting, Deputies in Broward County Schools Will Carry Rifles
Deputies who patrol Broward County, Fla., schools will carry AR-15 rifles, the same weapon that was used to carry out a mass shooting at one of the district's high schools last week, Sheriff Scott Israel said.
School Climate & Safety
West Point Posthumously Admits School Shooting Victim Honored as Hero by Classmates
The military academy awarded a rare posthumous admission to Peter Wang, a Parkland JROTC member who died holding open a school door so his peers could escape.
School Climate & Safety
For Parkland Students and Teachers, Wrenching Questions Surround Return to School
Teachers, parents, and students face a long and difficult recovery as they contemplate returning to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and educators were killed in last week's mass shooting.
School Climate & Safety
'We Will Get Through This Together': Principal Shares Emotional Message After School Shooting
"I will hug each and every one of you," Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Principal Ty Thompson said in a video message to students days after a school shooting at the Parkland, Fla., school.
School Climate & Safety
Parkland Students Want to Know: Will the Shooting at Their School Change Gun Laws?
Grief and anger are driving students in Parkland, Fla., to ask tough questions of the adults responsible for protecting them.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Congress Has Failed Our Students on Gun Violence. What's Next?
Enough is enough. The U.S. Department of Education must take action on school safety, writes Deborah S. Delisle.
School Climate & Safety
Explainer
School Shootings: Five Critical Questions
An Education Week explainer on school shootings. This includes what counts as a school shooting and what can be done to prevent them.
School Climate & Safety
'I Didn't Want Them to Panic': Amid Chaos, Teacher Sheltered Students in Fla. School
The day after the nation’s third-deadliest school shooting, people questioned whether signs were missed that a troubled former student at a Parkland, Fla., high school posed such a significant threat.
School Climate & Safety
Schools Chief Says No One Reported Alleged Shooter's Troubling Social Media Posts
Students said social media posts from the alleged school shooter were ominous, but school officials said the district never got reports that Nikolas Cruz was a serious threat to his former school.
School Climate & Safety
As Parkland Community Grieves, Experts Predict Long Road to Recovery
Broward County, Fla. faces the challenges of responding both to student trauma—and the longer-term grieving process.
Federal
Trump Urges Focus on Mental Health After School Shootings, Offers No Specifics
In a televised address, President Donald Trump said he would work with state and local leaders to "tackle the difficult issue of mental health" after Wednesday's deadly shooting at a Florida school.
Classroom Technology
School Shootings Now Unfold on Social Media. Here's What Educators Need to Know.
When terror strikes, social media can be used to share information, process grief, and re-traumatize victims. Experts say parents and educators can help.
Education
Florida Shooting: Superintendent Has 'No Words That Can Describe the Heartache'
In an interview with Education Week, Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie expressed sadness over the shooting that killed at least 17 people at a high school in his district.
Education
In Wake of Parkland Shooting, Proposals for Arming Teachers Likely to Resurface
Policymakers have weighed arming teachers at school and training them to shoot back in case of emergency in the aftermath of school shootings like at Sandy Hook and now, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Teaching Profession
In Florida School Shooting, at Least 3 Educators Were Killed Protecting Students
Some of the 17 victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., were educators who died protecting their students.
Education
Opinion
A Teacher's Response to Parkland: 'I Don't Know How to Protect You Anymore'
How can I tell my students that while I'd move mountains for them, I know my body is just as feeble against bullets as theirs?
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Why Security Measures Won't Stop School Shootings
Research into school shootings finds that status and identity issues can contribute to students turning against their school community.
School Climate & Safety
Interactive
School Shootings in 2018: How Many and Where
In 2018, there were 24 K-12 school shootings that killed or injured people. Our map and data table provide more details.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Let Them March: Schools Should Not Censor Students
This week, as students walk out of school to advocate for school safety, they will be protected by the First Amendment, write two university professors.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
After Parkland, Where Do We Go From Here?
Education Week has rarely seen an event that has stirred readers quite like the deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
'We Must Not Stand Idle': A Call to Action on Gun Control From Education Leaders
Student survivors of the Parkland shooting responded to the tragedy with a #NeverAgain campaign. We must join them, write 23 education leaders.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
A Pediatrician's Advice for Treating Student Trauma
To treat student trauma effectively and heal children’s brains and bodies, doctors and school communities must work together, says pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Parkland's Student Activists Are Getting a Powerful Civics Lesson
The surviving students of the Parkland shooting have turned grief into action by entering the gun control debate. Teachers should take note, writes educator Jennifer Gunn.
