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Former Broward deputy Scot Peterson says he's haunted by Parkland school shooting

Posted at 9:37 AM, Jun 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-05 09:37:38-04

MIAMI (AP) — The former sheriff's deputy who's been called a coward for his actions during a mass shooting at a Florida high school says he's haunted by what happened.

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Scot Peterson told NBC's "Today Show" in a segment aired Tuesday that "those were my kids in there" and he "would have never let my kids get slaughtered."

Peterson says events unfolded so fast that "there was no time" to intervene. The gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at 2:21 p.m. and began firing. He left six minutes later.

Former student Nikolas Cruz has been charged with killing 17 in the Feb. 14 attack.

Peterson resigned from the Broward Sheriff's Office eight days later when surveillance video showed him standing outside the building.

Peterson said he thought gunshots were coming from a sniper, not an "active shooter inside."