RISKAlert Report Updated: June 11, 2018
According to a retired Secret Service agent, Parkland’s Marjorie Stoneman Douglass staff was well
aware of the lack of security as much as 60 days before the fatal shooting took place. The former agent, Steve Wexler,
was invited to review the high school for security and he reported numerous weaknesses to the MSD staff including:
“Gates were unlocked. Students did not wear identification badges. A fire alarm could send students streaming into the halls. Active-shooter drills were inadequate,” he said.
In addition, he noted, “This stuff is blatantly obvious. You’ve got to fix this,’” Wexler said. He never
heard from the school again. His recommendations included:
1. School gates should be locked, and students should wear ID badges showing they belong on campus.
The shooter on Feb. 14 was able to get on campus because the gates were opened at the end of the school day.
- Active-shooter drills should be routine. After the shooting, some students said they had not been involved
in drills this year. - Any adult should be able to declare a Code Red to lock down the school. Clark, the school district spokeswoman, said that is the current protocol, but Wexler said he was told an assistant principal notifies the principal, who then makes the call. “That’s a problem,” he said he told the staff. “This stuff happens fast. This playing telephone is no good. By that time we could sit down and have breakfast.”
- Schools should not immediately evacuate students for a fire alarm without first confirming there’s a fire. During the shooting, the gunfire set off the smoke alarm, and students fled into the halls, where the shooter could take aim.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. If you have a security iny weaknesses identified by an expert – TAKE THEIR ADVICE AND
fix the issues that were identified!2.
Liability increases if staff were clearly warned BEFORE an incident that there were
existing security weaknesses.
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