Speaking to state governors at the White House, Donald Trump criticized officers who were outside the school in Florida at the time of the shooting.
Attacking an armed sheriff’s deputy who failed to enter the school, Trump said that the officers who were present “weren’t exactly medal of honour winners”.
“The way they performed was really a disgrace,” said the US President. “I really believe I’d run in there even if I didn’t have a weapon.”
Scot Peterson, who was the armed school resource deputy who waited outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school during the shooting was called a “coward” by Trump.
Peterson resigned following the shooting and was suspended without pay.
A lawyer for Peterson has hit back, proving the BBC with a statement.
“Let there be no mistake, Mr Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the seventeen victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims in their time of need,” said lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo III.
“However, the allegations that Mr Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue.
“Mr Peterson is confident that his actions on that day were appropriate under the circumstances and that the video (together with the eye-witness testimony of those on the scene) will exonerate him of any sub-par performance.”
Since the shooting in Florida, Trump has suggested training and arming teachers across America.
Trump suggested giving a bonus to those teachers who are qualified to possess and use a firearm. This was challenged after finding that giving 40 percent of America’s teachers a $1,000 would cost the US government $1 billion.
The US President tweeted: “20% of teachers, a lot, would now be able to … immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this.”