Parkland Survivor Posts Photo Of ‘Shrapnel-Free Face’ While The District Resists Releasing Surveillance Videos

Samantha Fuentes posted a photo of her face, proclaiming that her face is “finally shrapnel free!” In addition to the shrapnel in her face, she suffered from shrapnel in her legs and a bullet wound in her thigh, according to the Huffington Post.

Fuentes added that “Regardless of the fact I look like I lost a fight, inside I’m winning in a way. I’ve been struggling so hard to love my face again, thank you for all your support.”

In the photo, she has a large bandage on the right side of her face and can be seen smiling.

The deadly Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead and 17 injured has rattled the entire country, renewing the debate on gun control. And, in addition, people are still waiting for more answers. The problem? The Broward school district is fighting for its right to not release surveillance footage of the shooting. This news shocked parents at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who all want the district to offer full transparency in order that investigators may have all information available to work with, reported the Sun Sentinel.

Some believe that the district refusing to release the videos goes against the Florida open-records law. The superintendent of the district, Robert Runcie, has apparently blocked parents and other people on social media who have criticized him and the district for the unwillingness to release the videos.

My face is finally shrapnel free! Regardless of the fact I look like I lost a fight, inside I’m winning in a way. I’ve been struggling so hard to love my face again, thank you for all your support. pic.twitter.com/3Y7q7fNniq

— Sam Fuentes (@funkpuncher) May 12, 2018

Additionally, there was confusion and misinformation about whether Cruz was part of a district program called the “Promise program.” The Promise program is a diversion program for students to attend instead of arresting them for minor offenses. Although Runcie vehemently denied that Cruz was part of the Promise program, last week the district revealed that Cruz was indeed part of the program due to a charge for vandalism or destruction of property less than $1,000.

For parents of students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, it was news to them that not all of the information that investigators are seeking has been provided by the district. Andrew Pollack, the father of Meadow, who was killed in the shooting, said that “It caught us all off guard…We didn’t believe it. It’s past two months now already.”

In addition to refusing to release surveillance tapes, the district has refused to release documents like emails and notices of intent to sue. The district is arguing that releasing the footage would “threaten school security by revealing blind spots in the surveillance system.”

Until the court reaches a decision on how to proceed with the matter, it’s a waiting game for the parents, students, and anyone else that’s closely following the aftermath of the deadly school shooting.