Authorities have released surveillance video footage from the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, when Nikolas Cruz allegedly opened fire in the school, ultimately killing 17 people.

The surveillance footage appears to confirm earlier reports that Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson, the School Resource Officer, never entered the building while Cruz engaged in a shooting massacre.

WPTV and USA Today obtained the time-stamped video footage, which show Peterson and an unidentified adult male approach the door of the building where the shooting was taking place. But neither go inside, and subsequent footage shows Peterson riding in a golf cart, still outside the building.

A Broward County circuit judge ruled to release the video in response to a lawsuit brought by multiple media agencies, arguing that the footage was in the public interest.

The Broward Count Sheriff’s Department issued a statement about the release of the video, which the department did not appeal.

We welcomed the court’s decision to release the video of Deputy Scot Peterson’s actions on February 14.

The video speaks for itself. His actions were enough to warrant an internal affairs investigation, as requested by Sheriff Scott Israel on Feb. 21. After being suspended without pay, Peterson chose to resign and immediately retired rather than face possible termination.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel announced a week after the shooting that Peterson had chosen to resign, after he learned that his response to the shooting was being investigated.

Peterson’s attorney has argued that his client responded appropriately and did nothing wrong.

[Feature image: Broward County Sheriff video screenshot]