Two more Florida sheriff’s deputies have been fired for their inaction during a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead last year.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony announced that deputies Edward Eason and Josh Stambaugh were fired on Tuesday, following an internal investigation
“It was neglect of duty, the most severe consequences as we lost 17 people,” Tony said. “We are now going to move forward with fixing the issues that exist here.”
According to USA Today, Stambaugh was working nearby the school in Parkland when the shooting occurred, but instead of rushing to help, he hid and drove to a nearby highway.
Eason apparently knew that the gunman Nikolas Cruz made threats online years before he committed the mass shooting, but never made a formal report. He reportedly fled the gunfire on the day of the shooting.
“Even after multiple interviews with Deputy Eason it was not clear when he arrived on campus,” the state report says. “And investigators found his statements to be both vague and contradictory.”
The dismissal of Eason and Stambaugh came shortly after the relief of two other officers earlier this month. Of those, school resource officer Scot Peterson faces criminal charges for child neglect, culpable negligence, and perjury.
