PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Friday marks two years since the shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people.
The massacre on Feb. 14, 2018 — Valentine's Day — inflamed the nation's debate over guns, turned some Parkland students into political activists and gave rise to some of the biggest youth demonstrations since the Vietnam era.
The former student accused of opening fire with an AR-15 assault rifle, now 21, is awaiting trial.
Parents of the victims have been vocal as well. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Andrew Pollak and Shara Kaplan, the parents of 17-year-old Meadow Pollack, are suing the FBI. They claim the agency knew the gunman had the means and desire to carry out the shooting, but didn't take action.
It's similar to a lawsuit filed by the parents of Jaime Guttenberg and Carmen Schentrup after their children were killed. They say the FBI was liable.
Jamie Guttenberg's father, Fred Guttenberg, attempted to interrupt President Donald Trump's State of the Union address last week. After Trump mentioned protecting the second amendment, Guttenberg yelled something out from the gallery. Trump didn't appear to notice and continued speaking. Guttenberg was escorted from the chamber. He was at the address as a guest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Guttenberg later apologized.
Trump met with several family members of the victims of the shooting Monday. Parents from the group Stand with Parkland were briefed on a new school safety clearinghouse website that was unveiled by the Trump administration. The website is intended to offer educators, parents and law enforcement officers best practices to address threats to school safety.
Stand with Parkland is also urging Congress to pass universal background checks on gun purchases, something Trump briefly embraced before backing away.
