Tag: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

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Couple apologizes for taking in school shooter

James and Kimberly Snead, the Parkland couple that took in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz, issued a written apology for their actions at the end of July.

The apology is part of a legal agreement settling negligence suits against the couple as a result of the 2018 tragedy in which 17 people were killed.

“The settlement also calls for them to pay $1 to the victims and forbids them or their lawyer from speaking of or profiting from the story of the massacre.” The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

The text of their apology follows:

We, JAMES and KIMBERLY SNEAD, will forever regret taking NIKOLAS CRUZ into our home. We did so believing we were helping a troubled young man who needed help. We are profoundly sorry for the actions and inactions which may have contributed to Nikolas Cruz’s ability to carry out the murders on February 14, 2018.

Despite warnings from Rocxanne Deschamps, his prior caretaker, and Kathy Blaine, a relative of Nikolas Cruz, we allowed Nikolas Cruz to move in with us.

Ms. Deschamps informed us of warning signs of his behavior, which occurred in her home, and that he had chosen to keep his rifle over continuing to live with her.

Kathy Blaine informed us that Nikolas Cruz was violent, dangerous, infatuated with guns and knives, untrustworthy, and threatened to kill people on Instagram, among other things.

We thought we could handle this troubled young man, unfortunately, we were wrong.

We were particularly wrong to allow him to store his firearms in our house, including the AR-15 used in this tragedy. We believed the firearms were secured in a gun safe under lock and key. We believed we had the only key, yet, somehow Nikolas Cruz was able to access the AR-15 before he attacked Stoneman Douglas.

We want people to learn from our mistakes and experience. Before considering bringing a troubled young person (particularly a teen) into your home, you should consider your safety, the safety of your family, and the safety of the community at large. You are assuming this danger.

If they have a history or exhibit any warning signs, you must immediately get him or her the professional help they need, and contact law enforcement. Don’t just naively think that you can handle it yourself.

And make sure you securely lock any and all firearms, and also make sure you keep any and all keys in your sole control. Don’t just think you have custody of the key. Know it.

And review the person’s social media, regularly. Troubled persons so often foretell the violence that they’re going to commit on social media.

Lastly, when you see something, say something to the law enforcement, to mental-health professionals, to everyone.

Sincerely,
James and Kimberly Snead

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A Tale of Two Parklands

There are two Parklands. There is the cardboard cutout of the classic suburban dream. There is the latest installment in America’s long-running series of school shootings. There is that familiar, mind-numbing boredom. There is that wild, vicious intensity. There is the Parkland where I spent my childhood — and there is the Parkland where I lost it.

I assumed that the shooting destroyed the Parkland from before, swallowed it whole. I threw myself into college before it could swallow me too. But of course, the pandemic forced me to return. I cannot escape the gravitational pull of the past. As expected, my Parkland, the wasn’t-that-where-that-shooting- happened Parkland, was waiting for me. We walk circles together around my neighborhood, only to see the Parkland that I used to know, preschoolers and their parents playing games. That Parkland is yours now, and all I can do is wave politely as I pass by.

I imagine you sizing me up, guessing my age, what school I went to. Wondering. I know your questions before you ask them. Every survivor does. That “were you there?” hangs in the air between us. That “did you know anyone?” haunts our awkward back-and-forth. We students, we were all so watched. That ever-present elephant in the room has trampled over every interaction between Douglas students and Parkland residents for the past two and a half years. I grew so used to it, I didn’t realize how quickly people began to forget.

I never thought I would miss the days where well-meaning
— but ultimately condescending — adults would look at me whenever there was a loud sound, waiting for me to break down. But on this year’s Fourth of July, I wish Parklanders had maintained that hyper-awareness.

PTSD doesn’t just affect us when it’s convenient for you. It affects us when we hear fireworks sounding like gunshots. The #MSDstrong stickers seem more like mockery when paired with the distinctive stink of gunpowder. This year’s nearly nonstop display of fireworks demonstrates that Parkland has forgotten the victims it vowed to remember.

I ran outside on the Fourth of July, enraged at my neighbors, spitting out every curse I could. I yelled at the top of my lungs, yelled as though I was dying. You’d think I’d gone insane. I think I did. All I know is, this town is eating me alive, and I must scream. When I told off my neighbors for lighting fireworks, they said, “I didn’t know.” Part of me wants to scoff at this excuse. How dare you not know! But thank God you don’t. The other part of me remembers that I used to be like you.

The Me from Before reminds me that I love fireworks. Not loved, love, present- tense. I miss them even now. I used to beg my parents to take us to the beach to watch them. The big boom reverberating in my throat, the bright colors lighting up the smoke of their predecessors, the collective oohs and ahhs, filled me with such awe. I am both starving and nauseous. I long for that which makes me sick.

To my surprise, my neighbors sent me a card and flowers the next day, apologizing. They meant no harm. I still don’t know how to feel about it. Yay, they care! Of course, they couldn’t know how the saccharine sympathy we received after the shooting only intensifies survivors’ guilt. Again, they mean no harm, and yet, harm is caused. To be honest, I don’t know that there is a right way to handle this. How can you do right in a situation so fundamentally wrong? I wrote them a letter in response, saying this:

“We need to cultivate conscious empathy. If you live in Parkland (or Coral Springs), you live in the aftermath of a school shooting, even if you personally did not go through it. Over 3,000 students were there. We live among you, and you live among us. No one gets the luxury of opting out of our past. It wasn’t just the 17 deaths the day of the shooting. Two survivors died by suicide after that. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on how to support each other, or at least how not to cause harm. The stakes are higher than you can imagine.”

I can’t return to Your Parkland. Slowly, the victims and their families are moving away, and new families take their place. Like a hurricane, old branches fly off. New growth takes over. If you look close enough, you might notice a slight gap where a tree crushed the branches, but this is Parkland. Soon enough, landscapers will shave down the irregularities and plant something suitable to keep the real estate values high.

So what can we do to bridge this aching gap between us? Octavia Butler once said there was no single answer to the difficult questions she raises in her writing. “Instead,” she said, “there are thousands of answers — at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”

By LMF

Publisher’s Note: Celebrate as one.

July 4th is a celebration, and fireworks have always been a major part of it. As a community, we can find possible solutions for residents with PTSD, so they too can celebrate our nation’s birthday without stress. Send in your ideas to publisher@theparklander.com, so we can make 7/4/2021 a better experience for those of us still healing.

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