Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students started a new school year Wednesday, six months and a day after Nikolas Cruz shot 17 dead.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students returned to classes at 7:45 a.m. while wearing IDs on lanyards to enter the Parkland facility, the New York Post reported. There were also school resource officers at every corner monitoring the students entering the Parkland school.
Students were also welcomed by Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie at the entrance, and had their bags checked upon entering.
“This is a bittersweet day,” Runcie told reporters, according to the New York Post. (RELATED: Parkland Shooting Survivor Slams Broward Country Sheriff For Appearing On School Safety Poster)
“No matter what security measures we put in place, we need discipline in and around schools, including monthly code red and active shooter drills, clinician-staffed wellness centers and assigned victims advocates and therapy dogs,” Runcie added.
The school has fenced off the building where Cruz gunned down 14 students and three faculty members on Valentine’s Day.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School also spent $6.5 million to improve security. The new additions include 18 safety monitors, an automatic locking system in classrooms, and a new video surveillance system. The high school is also closed off with a fence with only three access points, NBC News reported.
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