PARKLAND, Fla. — Families of victims killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School say their fight for accountability is far from over, arguing that the Broward Sheriff’s Office has yet to fully answer for its actions before and during the tragedy.
Their attorneys say Broward County Public Schools, the FBI and the U.S. Government have reached settlements over the years, but BSO remains the only major agency they consider culpable that has not resolved the consolidated civil case. They accuse the sheriff’s office of deliberately prolonging the litigation, preventing families from having their claims heard by a jury.
“Because there has been so much smiling to their face and accepting responsibility to their face, and ceremonies to the public, but when it comes time for the rubber to meet the road, there is just the refusal of acceptance of responsibility or even letting us get to a court where that can be determined by a jury,” said Todd Michaels, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
Local 10 News reached out to BSO and a spokesperson for Broward Commission, and they responded saying:
“It is understandable that the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy are frustrated at the pace of the litigation. The grounds for the filed motions and appeals are well founded in Florida law, and are not for the purposes of delay. BSO’s filings streamline the issues raised by Plaintiffs and had BSO waited to assert these defenses and immunities at trial, the delay would be compounded.”
The shooting on Feb. 14, 2018, left 17 students and staff members dead and another 17 wounded. The gunman is serving a life sentence.
In 2023, a jury acquitted former school resource officer Scot Peterson, the BSO deputy prosecutors said failed to confront the shooter.
Eight years later, grieving parents say the unresolved civil case continues to deepen their pain.
“I blame BSO for my daughter’s murder,” said Fred Guttenberg.
Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed, said the family continues to honor his memory daily while pushing for accountability.
“I don’t want to close Joaquin as a chapter -- I carry the legacy of my son with dignity,” Oliver said.
In July 2024, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony told Parkland families, “This agency is responsible. We have our guilt in this. We have our blood on our hands.”
Families say they still remember those words and expected the civil case to move forward.
Instead, they point to a recent notice of appeal filed by Tony in his official capacity, challenging a lower court’s summary judgment on negligence claims and arguing statutory immunity, including that no legal duty was owed or that law enforcement emergency protections apply.
“Every time this happens and everything drags out again and again about what happened that day, it prevents us from grieving in peace,” said Annika Dworet. “We just want to grieve in peace and remember our loved ones the way they were, and we want this to end.”
Families are now urging Broward County leaders to push the sheriff’s office to allow the case to proceed to trial.
“All we want is to go to trial -- let’s go,” Guttenberg said.
Oliver echoed that message, calling for a jury to decide responsibility.
“You already said you have blood on your hands. You already said that you failed,” he said. “Well, let’s bring all that to trial and then let a jury decide.”
You can read the complaint Guttenberg filed against BSO below:
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