Marjory Stoneman Douglas student honored in Miami Beach

Emma Gonzalez receives key to city from Miami Beach mayor

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez was honored at the annual Equality Florida gala Saturday evening on Miami Beach.

The gay-straight alliance group at Gonzalez's school received the Voice for Equality award after the young adults were recognized for their efforts that called for stricter gun laws following the tragedy at their high school last month.

"We are still fighting for comprehensive gun reform and comprehensive gun safety," Gonzalez said. "We are not done yet."

Gonzalez also received a key to the city of Miami Beach from Mayor Dan Gelber.

"We are inspired by who you are, what you have done and what you will do," Gelber said.

With the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., just two weeks away, Local 10 News asked Gonzalez what she hoped the march would accomplish.

"A sense of unity in the United States and around the world," Gonzalez said.

In Parkland, new details continue to surface in the investigation of the school shooting that took the lives of 17 people.

There were no words from Nicolas Cruz, 19, as he stood before a judge Friday after officially being charged in the Stoneman Douglas massacre.

As he faces 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, Local 10 News is learning more about the case against him.

Obtained 911 calls have raised questions about communication between the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Coral Springs Police Department the day shots rang out at the high school.

First Dispatcher: "911, what is your emergency?"
Second Dispatcher: "Yes, I just got a call from Douglas High School. A female on the line advised that they believe there was a shooter at the school."
First Dispatcher: "OK, at Douglas High School? In what city?"
Second Dispatcher: "Yes, in Parkland."

A Coral Springs dispatcher relayed information to a dispatcher from Broward County.

"All 911 calls that are cellular generated in Parkland go to the Coral Springs call center," an official said, not to both the Broward Sheriff's Office and Coral Springs police.

The divide between the two dispatch centers was heard the day of the shooting when both agencies had difficulties communicating with each other on different radio channels.

As the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates further into how the Broward Sheriff's Office and Coral Springs police responded, Local 10 News read through incident reports of Coral Springs police officers who arrived to the school the day shots rang out.

"We located numerous students and teachers hiding in different classrooms during our clearing of the buildings and escorted them out of the school to safety," one officer said.

Another officer described seeing the tragedy first hand, saying, "We cleared several rooms on the first floor. I observed several injured and deceased students."

Cruz is expected to face a judge again Wednesday. Local 10 News will be there.


About the Author:

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.