The dad of one of the 17 people murdered in the shocking Parkland school shooting talks to The U.S. Sun about the push for change
SEVEN years ago today, the city of Parkland suffered unimaginable heartache.
Valentine’s Day represents a day of global love, yet in this small corner of South Florida, there will forever be pain and despair on February 14.
THE DARKEST OF DAYS
On this day in 2018, 17 innocent lives were brutally cut short by sick former student Nikolas Cruz, who strode into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and mercilessly sprayed the classrooms with a hail of bullets.
Deranged Cruz pled guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, forever marking the darkest day in Florida’s history.
The 24-year-old was hammered with a life term for each of the 34 counts read by the judge, but the jury recommended life in prison with no parole rather than the death penalty.
The final death toll was 14 students and three members of staff. Yet the agony for those affected is everlasting.
Max Schachter’s beloved 14-year-old son Alex was among the victims.
The former insurance company owner’s life was turned upside down when the horrific news began to break.
There had already been heartbreak in his life – his first wife passed away when their son was just four years old, and after remarrying and moving to Parkland, fresh tragedy was to follow.
Yet as he speaks to The U.S. Sun ahead of the seventh commemoration of Alex’s tragic passing, Schachter’s message is hope for a brighter future.
The Florida native has become a relentless crusader for tougher gun laws, fighting for change in Florida and beyond. His mission is to ensure safety for all students everywhere.
But for now, he says, the Sunshine State is leading the way.
FUTURE HOPE
Max sits on the Parkland Shooting Commission, which was formed by Governor Ron DeSantis after the tragedy. They meticulously investigated the shooting and produced recommendations to make schools safer.
“What we’ve been doing is unique,” he told The U.S. Sun, “Florida leads the nation in school safety efforts.”
He says every year since the Parkland shooting, a new school safety law has been passed, which is not just recommended – they are mandated by law.
“Schools have to take it seriously or face serious consequences,” he said.
For the record, I live in South Florida, and without the help of Max and his fellow advocates — Democrat congressman Jared Moskowitz is also a local resident and has been vociferously outspoken on the subject — my daughter’s school, for example, wouldn’t have an armed guard stationed outside keeping kids safe daily.
The impact of the tragedy on Florida’s leaders was huge.
The most significant school safety bill in the state’s history —the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act — was passed after constant analysis and refinement of implemented policies.
“I made clear when I arrived in Washington that I would not bow to decades of inaction on school safety,” said Moskowitz.
“Too many families fear for their child’s safety at school, and Congress ought to be listening to them to enact urgently needed reforms to protect our classrooms.”
“Our government failed the community at Marjory Stoneman Douglas that day, and families across the nation who have faced other tragic instances of school violence.”
“I’m working with colleagues across the aisle to bolster school security, improve emergency notification systems, and keep students and teachers safe.”
Max, meanwhile, has also been instrumental in creating the school safety dashboard, which, he says, is the first of its kind in Florida.
Parents are given real-time information about what’s happening in schools—data on bullying, violence, weapons, and discipline numbers. Access to this information can then crucially aid informed conversations with school districts if problematic trends appear.
“Transparency is key to improving school safety,” said Max. “We know these individuals often show warning signs before something happens. If we can catch that early and use our systems effectively, we can prevent much harm, even if we can’t stop everything.”
SICKENING STATS
Since 2018, the statistics have been alarming.
Education Week has reported 221 school shootings through December 2024 — including a staggering 39 alone in 2024.
Of those, over two-thirds happened outdoors, making it harder for security to step in before it’s too late.
Last year, there was at least one shooting per month.
While Max enthuses about the strides made in his home state, he fears for the rest of the country.
“Yes, I’m worried about other states,” he continued. “It’s not a question of if, but when and where the next tragedy will occur. These individuals don’t just snap overnight—they exhibit concerning behavior over time.”
“If we can teach people to identify that behavior and implement multidisciplinary threat-assessment teams, we can prevent many tragedies or limit the damage.”
When he last spoke to The U.S. Sun in July last year, the building where the killings occurred was finally being torn down.
It had been frozen in time since that fateful day, and a crime scene was maintained to assist prosecutors and jurors.
Max recalled how, despite it sparking unspeakable agony, to have a prime example of how the shooting played out was critical in helping shape how to refine safety protocols moving forward.
He was able to take governors and government officials on emotional classroom walkthroughs where his son and 16 others were killed.
It graphically showed visitors what happened and how to make sure it won’t happen again.
“It’s excruciatingly painful to see Alex’s blood all over the chair and to see how he died,” he said.
But despite such a harrowing reminder of his beloved son’s death, Max was keen for the authorities to keep the building to help further educate some areas of the country that sadly remain ambivalent when pressed on the issue of gun crimes in school.
Last year, for example, Utah officials were taken around the halls of horror during a grueling six-hour visit before confirming a new $200 million safety program.
It was razed to the ground eight months ago, despite Max’s best efforts to persuade the authorities to think outside of the box. He said the current superintendent “didn’t want to keep it.”
“That building was the best tool we had to teach others about the tragedy of Parkland,” he said.
“That Utah bill would never have happened if we hadn’t used that building as a tool to change minds. I understand their decision, but there’s nothing like bringing people through that building to change their perspective truly. I was upset when it was knocked down.”
Max is also the founder of Safe Schools for Alex, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the best school safety practices to communities nationwide.
The threat is constant, yet the push for change – and to keep his son’s memory alive – remains.