Fred Guttenberg blames the Broward Sheriff’s Office for the murder of his 14-year-old daughter Jaime.

He and other parents of the students who died in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High gathered Thursday, ahead of the eighth anniversary of the tragedy, and blasted BSO for their lack of accountability in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting, which led to the deaths of 14 students and three faculty members.

“They all stood outside, scared for their own safety, taking their sweet old time,” said Jennifer Guttenberg, who stood with her husband. Both had orange ribbons for Jaime, a star dancer and volunteer with Best Buddies, pinned on them.

An investigation into the shooting found that BSO deputies failed to do anything to stop it. Most notably was school resource deputy Scot Peterson, who waited outside as Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student, went on a killing rampage in the freshman building. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison in 2022.

Peterson, who retired from BSO after the shootings, faced 11 criminal charges for failing to confront Cruz but was acquitted of all charges in 2023.

Various civil lawsuits were filed after the shooting and have all concluded, except for the negligence lawsuit filed by the families against BSO in 2019. They said the process has been purposefully delayed by BSO through various motions.

In January, BSO appealed to the 4th District Court of Appeal after a judge ruled against the agency on negligence claims related to deputies’ interactions with the shooter before the massacre, court records show. BSO maintains it’s entitled to immunity as a law-enforcement agency.

“It is understandable that the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy are frustrated at the pace of the litigation,” BSO attorney David Ferguson said in a statement to the Miami Herald. Ferguson said BSO’s motions are “well founded in Florida law.”

“We want to face them in court,” Guttenberg told the families gathered at Pine Trails Park Amphitheater in Parkland. “We want our day in court with a jury. We want to put an end to this.”

Jaime Guttenberg was killed on the third floor of the 1200 building. Cruz began the massacre on the first floor. Had deputies stepped in to stop the killings before Cruz ever made his way upstairs, Jaime’s life may have been spared, the Guttenbergs said.

BSO’s lack of response also delayed medical aid, as medics have to be given the all-clear before they can go treat people.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended then-BSO Sheriff Scott Israel for the department’s response. The blame and anger has carried over to current Sheriff Gregory Tony.

Joaquin Oliver, the 17-year-old son of Manuel and Patricia Oliver, was the last to be shot and killed.

“I’m pretty sure he did not die immediately,” Manuel said of his son, who was shot four times. “I think there was a lot of suffering and panic and fear.”

The Olivers and Guttenbergs have both requested their children’s names be removed from a memorial for the Parkland victims at a BSO Research, Development and Training Center.

“Sheriff Tony looked at Patricia, and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I will get my lawyers to work on this and we will get this trial going,’” Manuel said.

Oliver said they are not asking for symbolic gestures, but for Sheriff Tony and BSO to take responsibility.

BSO’s failures started long before Cruz ever pulled the trigger, said attorney Todd Michaels, who represents the families.

“They had been to the shooter’s home more than 40 times,” said Max Schachter, father of Alex Schachter, 14, who died in the shootings. “They received repeated tips that he wanted to become a school shooter, and they did nothing.”

Schachter said Sheriff Tony has publicly admitted the agency is responsible, but that “when the cameras are gone, their actions tell a different story.” He accused the sheriff’s office and county officials of delaying accountability through legal motions that reopen families’ wounds.

“They are choosing delay over accountability,” he said.

A jury would ultimately decide if BSO was liable in the negligence lawsuit and, if so, what monetary damages the agency would owe the families, said Michaels.

But what the families truly want is a “time machine” to go back and prevent the killings of their loved ones.

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(Miami Herald staff writer Grethel Aguila contributed to this report.)

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