Campus security guards are tasked with protecting students lives.

School Deputy Scot Peterson failed at his duty. The result? Seventeen dead.

On February 14, a tragic massacre of students and staff occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Nikolas Cruz, a former student at MSD, entered the school at 2:21p.m with an AR-15.

Within six minutes, 17 people had been fatally shot and killed, while many more were wounded.

Officer Peterson was on campus at the time of the brutal attack, but did not enter the school to engage the shooter.

Instead Peterson remained outside of the building and waited.

Immediately following the incident, Peterson was suspended without pay, and ultimately terminated from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Peterson had a duty to enter and stop Cruz during the time of the murders, but instead he froze, not moving, just outside the front doors.

Peterson should have entered the freshman building and confronted the killer.

This could have saved many lives and prevented many injuries.

When Peterson took the role of a police officer, he was given a duty to put the lives of the public above his own.

Petersons’ first priority should be the lives of the people he signed up to protect.

Peterson stated that he believed the gunshots were coming from outside, but we have to consider if this could just be a sorry excuse for not fulfilling his role as an armed police officer.

Entering the building could have ended in many different ways for Peterson, he would have risked the chance of getting shot, or even worse, killed.

Petersons’ lack of aid could have resulted from a fear of these outcomes.

But fearing death is not a viable excuse for letting others die.

I could not live with myself after I’ve knowingly allowed children to die, after I have placed the value of my own life over theirs.

This is the definition of reckless homicide,  a crime in which the perpetrator was aware that their act or failure to act (when there is a legal duty) will result in a human death, but ignores the risk and continues to act that way.

Many people who cause others death due to reckless behavior can serve up to fifteen years in prison.

Peterson will be getting away with a slap on the wrist and the task of finding a new job.

This is in no way fair, as he gets to continue living his life, when he allowed others to lose their own.