A Florida sheriff’s deputy fled to safety during the 2018 Parkland school massacre, putting his own life ahead of the children he was charged with protecting and giving the gunman time to fatally shoot several victims, prosecutors told jurors Monday during the closing arguments of his trial on child neglect charges. Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson could have located and stopped Nikolas Cruz as he carried out his Feb. 14, 2018, attack inside the three-story 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prosecutor Kristen Gomes told the jury. But instead of opening a door, looking in a window or seeking information from fleeing students, he chose to take shelter next to an adjoining building, Gomes said. That prevented him from confronting Cruz before he reached the third floor, where six of Cruz's 17 killings were committed. Even if he hadn't killed Cruz, his presence would have distracted him, giving students and teachers time to flee or hide, or caused him to surrender or commit suicide, she said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/parkland-shooting-scot-peterson-deputy-trial-closing-arguments/67-68527e8f-4a5c-4881-8b08-1596b7c26b2d ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay