Parkland parents to protest possible reinstatement of Scott Israel

Florida Senate will make decision this week

PARKLAND, Fla. – Parkland parents boarded a bus Sunday morning bound for Tallahassee. They are protesting the possible reinstatement of former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.

The first bus left for Tallahassee at 11:15 a.m. Sunday. A second bus will leave a few hours later. 

Protestors said they planeed to take up a large chunk of time during the public testimony portion of the Florida Senate special session on Israel. 

Parents who lost their children in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting held a news conference last week saying they don't want Israel back as sheriff.

"You would like to think that he would have done his job better after Feb. 14 and losing 17 people in this country, but he didn't," Fred Guttenburg, who lost his daughter Jaime, said earlier this week.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Israel as Broward County sheriff nine months ago, calling Israel's actions inadequate the day of the Parkland shooting.

This week, the Florida Senate will decide whether to support the governor's decision and remove Israel from office or reinstate him.

"There is not one argument that will convince anyone that it is a good idea to bring this guy back," Manuel Oliver, who lost his son Joaquin, said.

Special master Dudley Goodlette reviewed the governor's decision, arguing that the shooting response was a collective failure and responsibility should not solely fall on Israel.


About the Authors:

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.