More Broward County deputies are under investigation for their response to the high school shooting in south Florida that left 17 dead, according to multiple media reports.
Sheriff Scott Israel told ABC News that his department is investigating whether several of his deputies stayed outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the mass shooting instead of immediately going inside. Already, Israel has said the first deputy there, the school's recourse officer, did not go inside even though the gunman was actively shooting.
The investigation became public after several media reports, citing unnamed officials in the nearby Coral Springs Police Department, said officers who responded to the Feb. 14 shooting were concerned because Broward deputies did not immediately enter the building to help those inside.
Several Coral Springs officers lodged a complaint, which was then taken by the department's police chief to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
"We will dot every I, cross every T. We'll do it in a meticulous manner," Israel told ABC News. "If there is no wrongdoing in the part of our deputies, we'll move on. If there is wrongdoing on the part of our deputies, we’ll handle it accordingly as I have for 5 years as sheriff."
It's unclear whether the deputies who are accused of waiting outside were at the school when suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz was inside and actively shooting.
Israel was asked Thursday during a press conference about whether his deputies were told to wait for SWAT officers before going into the building.
The sheriff told a reporter he did not know anything about that and quickly moved on to another question.
Broward County officials did not immediately respond to questions by USA TODAY.
The internal investigation is at least the third announced in the department in the aftermath of the school shooting.
The school's armed resource officer, charged with protecting the school, resigned after Israel placed him under investigation after footage at the school showed he never went inside the school as the rampage was unfolding, Israel announced Thursday.
The deputy, Scot Peterson, arrived within a minute and a half of the start of the shooting. Israel said Peterson stayed outside for about four minutes as the killing happened inside, which directly violates how law enforcement across the country are trained to respond to active shooters.
Israel also provided details Thursday on nearly two dozen calls the department had gotten regarding Cruz or his family. He said deputies who responded to two previous incidents before the shooting were being investigated to see whether the deputies could have done more and whether any policies were violated.
