COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – April Schentrup wore a lapel pin with a picture of her 16-year-old daughter Carmen Schentrup, one of the 17 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims of the Valentine's Day massacre.
Schentrup sat in the front row to take notes at the Broward College North Campus' auditorium in Coconut Creek during the state's public safety commission's first meeting Tuesday. When it was her turn to speak during public comments, she stood behind the podium and managed not to cry.
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"We understand that the shooter was allowed to just walk on campus through an open, unsupervised gate. Then later permitted to walk through an unlocked building door, undetected, unfettered," Schentrup said adding that the commission needed to speed up the process.
"Many of our families still have other children that attend not only MSD but other Broward schools, so please make sure to look into everything, but also the things that you do find -- report them immediately."
When Schentrup returned to her seat, Lori Alhadeff, the mother of Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, who was also killed in Parkland, put her arm around her. She is planning on running for a spot in the Broward County School Board.
"I am positive after the meeting today that we are headed in the right direction and the facts will be told, and the truth will come out and justice will be served," Alhadeff said after the public part of the meeting ended.
The state commission is tasked with an investigation of what led to the massacre followed by recommendations to prevent another tragedy. Gov. Rick Scott, Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron appointed the members of the commission who have broad powers to subpoena records and compel witnesses to testify.
The grieving mothers also watched a Broward Sheriff's Office animation showing the floor plan of the building and Cruz's tracks. Detectives warned Schentrup and Alhadeff about the detailed timeline.
"It was so hard to watch the icon when it was moving closer to my daughter's classroom," Schentrup said.
Susan Patton wore a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School T-shirt and sat a few rows behind Schentrup and Alhadeff. Since the Valentine's Day massacre, Patton's home hasn't been the same. They have had to deal with fear and sadness. Her son is preparing to be a freshman at MSD next year and her daughter, who survived the shooting at MSD, lost her friend Joaquin Oliver.
"They can't bring them back. They can't undo what was done, but there needs to be accountability," Patton said. "Someone has to be held responsible."
The commission has a Jan. 1 deadline to produce their first report.
