Florida Gov. Rick Scott is set to unveil "major changes" to help keep students safe in the wake of last week's deadly high school shooting — just days after he chose not to appear at a televised town hall where survivors faced off against politicians over the country's gun laws.
The action plan, announced in a news release Friday, did not provide specifics, but is expected to include school safety improvements measures to keep individuals with mental illness from accessing guns.
Friday's release said the changes to be unveiled follow emergency meetings organized by the senator with law enforcement, school administrators, mental-health experts and with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Scott drew sharp criticism for not showing up at the CNN-hosted town hall in Sunrise, Fla., on Wednesday night that was attended by U.S. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch.
"I commended [Rubio] for being there," Nelson told a group of Democratic state senators on Thursday. "He had the guts to be there when Gov. Scott did not."
Nelson has questioned Scott's commitment to make meaningful change after the shooting, which left 17 students and school staff dead. Scott is likely to challenge Nelson as he seeks a fourth term in the Senate this November.
'He certainly did a poor job'
The announcement comes as high school teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School return to the Parkdale, Fla., site where a former student is accused of fatally shooting 17 people with an assault-type rifle.
On Thursday, it was revealed an armed officer on campus never went inside the school to stop the gunman.
That failure plus reports of a delays with screening security camera footage and records indicating the suspect, Nikolas Cruz, long displayed behavioural troubles added to what the Florida House Speaker described as an "abject breakdown at all levels."
This photo posted on the Instagram account of Nikolas Cruz shows weapons lying on a bed. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. (Instagram/Associated Press)
Cruz, 19, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
Reacting to the news Friday, President Donald Trump described the campus officer as a "coward" who "didn't react properly under pressure."
While leaving the White House for the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said: "When it came time to get in there and do something," Florida deputy Scot Peterson "didn't have the courage or something happened."
"He certainly did a poor job, there's no question about that," Trump said.
Companies re-evaluate ties with gun lobby
Meanwhile, as criticism mounted against the National Rifle Association in the aftermath of the shooting, three car rental brands owned by Enterprise Holdings Inc. announced they would end discount programs with NRA members.
National Car Rental, Enterprise and Alamo tweeted on Thursday that the move is effective March 26.
On Thursday, First National Bank of Omaha said it would not renew a contract with the organization to issue an
NRA-branded Visa card.
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