POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Four and a half years have passed since a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School claimed the lives of 17 in Parkland. In that time, laws, protocols, and training have been changed to keep schools safer.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and the Polk County superintendent hosted a presentation, open to the public, called Breaking Down Silos. Judd sits on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.
In the two-hour long presentation, Judd went through the timeline of the Parkland shooting, highlighting each mistake made that could have saved lives.
"The gate was opened and unattended," Judd said. "The doors to building 12 were unlocked. There were missed opportunities to call a code red. There were missed opportunities to engage the threat. There were poor policies for both law enforcement and school staff. There was no training or incomplete training."
A repeated phrase by Judd, when seconds count, minutes don't matter.
In the first 41 seconds of the shooting, 15 students were shot and at least seven were dead.
"Killers don't walk around with their agendas stapled to their shirts," Judd said.
"But they do display behaviors, actions, and words."
Judd says the biggest change he hopes to see in school districts across Florida is improvements in communications from schools and mental health specialists with law enforcement.
In reference to the Parkland school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, Judd said he's the prime example of how a lack of communication with law enforcement can be fatal.
"Schools are moving him from program to program in the schools," Judd said.
"They're not sharing [information], and none of them are sharing it with law enforcement."
The families of 17 students and staff mourn the loss of loved ones. Years later, some are pushing for lifesaving changes.
Ryan Petty's daughter Alaina Petty died in the shooting at just 14 years old.
"We've got to break down the silos," Petty said. "This idea that we can't share information about students or staff that are communicating threats, we've got to be able to share that information."
Judd said law enforcement cannot prevent a potential threat if they don't know about it, the next school shooting isn't 'if,' but 'when.'
"I'll remind you of the quote, those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it," Judd said.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.