This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/14/florida-shooting-school-latest-news-stoneman-douglas

The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Suspect in custody after Florida school shooting claims 'numerous' lives At least 17 people dead in Florida school shooting: 'It's a horrific, horrific day'
(about 2 hours later)
‘At least 14 victims’ reported at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school Police identify gunman as former student Nikolas Cruz, 19
School superintendent says: ‘There are numerous fatalities’ Cruz had ‘countless magazines, multiple magazines’ – officials
Florida shooting – live updatesFlorida shooting – live updates
Oliver Laughland in Parkland,Oliver Laughland in Parkland,
Richard Luscombe in Miami, and Richard Luscombe in Miami and
Alan Yuhas in New YorkAlan Yuhas in New York
Wed 14 Feb 2018 20.30 GMT Wed 14 Feb 2018 23.57 GMT
Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 23.49 GMT First published on Wed 14 Feb 2018 20.30 GMT
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
View more sharing optionsView more sharing options
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
CloseClose
Police arrested a suspected gunman who opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida, leaving at least 14 victims whose condition remained unknown late on Wednesday afternoon. School officials reported “numerous fatalities”. Seventeen people were confirmed dead as the United States endured another horrifying school shooting at the hands of a teenage gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle.
After initial reports of a shooter, officers surrounded the campus, directing the evacuation of hundreds of students from the scene, while other teens hid inside a closet and under desks to stay safe. Students later told reporters that they at first thought alarms in the school were a fire drill, until they heard gunshots in the hallways. Twelve people died inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida. Two more died just outside the building, one more died in a nearby street and two more victims died in hospital, a Broward County sheriff confirmed.
As first reports emerged, deputies of the Broward County sheriff’s department said that Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school was on a “code red” lockdown. The department said there were “at least 14 victims” being taken to a local hospital and medical center, although it was not clear from the statement whether any of them were fatally injured. After initial reports of a shooter, officers surrounded the campus, directing the evacuation of hundreds of students from the scene, while other teens hid inside closets and under desks to stay safe. Students later told reporters that they at first thought alarms in the school were a fire drill, until they heard gunshots in the hallways.
One female student interviewed by CNN described seeing some bodies, including one of a friend’s teacher, as she was led to safety by police officers. School teacher Melissa Falkowski also told CNN that she hid with 19 children in a closet for more than 40 minutes as the shooting unfolded. As first reports emerged, deputies of the Broward County sheriff’s department said the high school was on a “code red” lockdown. The department said there were “at least 14 victims” being taken to a local hospital and medical center, although it was not clear from the statement whether any of them were fatally injured.
However, by 6.30pm local time, police sheriff Scott Israel confirmed the grim news: “It’s a horrific, horrific day. My triplets attended this school, and it’s horrible, just horrible.”
Medical staff confirmed a total of 17 patients had been taken to three hospitals - two patients died, at least three more were in critical condition. The suspect was treated and released into police custody.
Sheriff Israel identified the killer as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who was in custody. Israel said Cruz had been “expelled for disciplinary reasons”. (The sheriff’s office had previously released incorrect spellings of his name.)
Israel said: “He had countless magazines, multiple magazines. One AR-15. I do not know if he had a second.”
At the hotel rendezvous for students and parents, dozens of family members congregated underneath an archway beside the school, anxiously waiting for their children. By Wednesday evening the Swat operation to clear the high school was said to have ended.
A 15-year-old student who did not want to be named told the Guardian he had been in the same building where the gunman opened fire.
“I heard three gunshots,” the student said. “And then some more down the corridor.
“We shut our classroom door and stood to the side of it so we wouldn’t be seen. Twenty minutes later the police broke in through the glass. I was terrified.”
One student interviewed by CNN said she saw some bodies, including one of a friend’s teacher, as she was led to safety by police officers. A teacher, Melissa Falkowski, described to the network how she hid with 19 children for more than 40 minutes.
“It was the end of the school day and the fire alarm went off, and we went to evacuate as if it was a fire drill,” Falkowski said. “We got maybe 15-20 steps out of the classroom and we were told we were on code red. We ran back inside to the classroom and got down, crouched down into the closet.”
She said the experience was “the nightmare scenario that you hope never happens to you”.
“It’s totally unacceptable,” she said. “Society failed those people today.”
At 4.11pm, over an hour after the sheriff’s office warned the public that the shooter was “still at large,” the department tweeted: “Shooter is now in custody. Scene is still active.”At 4.11pm, over an hour after the sheriff’s office warned the public that the shooter was “still at large,” the department tweeted: “Shooter is now in custody. Scene is still active.”
A few minutes earlier, helicopter footage showed seven officers putting handcuffs on a man in a dark burgundy shirt. They placed the man inside a police cruiser. A few minutes earlier, helicopter footage showed seven officers putting handcuffs on a man in a dark burgundy shirt. They placed him inside a police cruiser.
Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters that the suspect was about 18 and was not a current student, but “there was a time where he did attend the school”. Sheriff Israel said: “This is a terrible day for Parkland, Broward County, the state of Florida and the United States.” He said: “It’s just catastrophic, there are no words.”
“I don’t know why he left,” Israel said. He added that officers arrested the suspect “without incident” somewhere off campus. Robert Runcie, Broward County’s superintendent of schools, said:“There are numerous fatalities. It’s a horrific situation. It’s just a horrible day for us.”
“This is a terrible day for Parkland, Broward County, the state of Florida and the United States. My very own triplets went to that school,” Israel said. “It’s just catastrophic, there are no words.” Runcie said investigators believe the suspect acted alone. “We have no evidence there’s been more than one shooter,” he said.
Robert Runcie, Broward County’s superintendent of schools, said he believes there were fatalities. “I can’t confirm the number at this point but there are fatalities involved here,” he said, addressing media at the scene. “There are numerous fatalities. It’s a horrific situation. It’s just a horrible day for us.”
He added that he did not yet know the name of the suspect, but that investigators believe he acted alone. “We have no evidence there’s been more than one shooter,” he said.
“It’s a day you pray every day we will never have to see,” Runcie said. “It is in front of us, and I ask the community for their prayers and support for these children and their families. We’re going to do whatever we can as a community to pull through this, and we will.”“It’s a day you pray every day we will never have to see,” Runcie said. “It is in front of us, and I ask the community for their prayers and support for these children and their families. We’re going to do whatever we can as a community to pull through this, and we will.”
Disturbing video acquired by CBS News from a student’s cellphone showed a scene of terror inside a classroom after the gunman opened fire. On the video, gunshots can be heard in the halls, answered by children screaming in their classroom, huddled on the floor away from windows.
Disturbing video acquired by CBS News from a student’s cellphone showed a scene of terror inside a classroom after the gunman opened fire. On the video gunshots can be heard in the halls, answered by children screaming in their classroom, huddled on the floor away from windows.
During the manhunt for the suspect, Coral Springs police urged friends and families: “if you are in touch with your student you ask that they remain calm and barricaded until police come to their room, this is for everyone’s safety.”During the manhunt for the suspect, Coral Springs police urged friends and families: “if you are in touch with your student you ask that they remain calm and barricaded until police come to their room, this is for everyone’s safety.”
Helicopter footage of the scene showed children fleeing the building with their hands up and dragging backpacks behind them, toward lines of police, armored vehicles, ambulances and paramedics. A student, Megan Hall, recalled on Facebook the “most horrifying experience of my life”.
Recalling how the school had practiced a fire drill Wednesday morning, she wrote: “Everyone was standing around, then I heard multiple gunshots.”
“The shooter was only 20 feet in front of me and I watched students fall to the ground. I didn’t see the shooter because of the crowd,” she wrote. “As soon as I saw kids getting shot I screamed ‘THERE’S A SHOOTER’ and I ran.”
She said that in the chaos, “everyone was running and I fell down the stairs”.
“The students were being herded to the baseball fields, but I didn’t want to be anywhere near the shooting. I ran off campus,” she added.
During the escape, children fled the building through parking lots and across fields, many running through the parking lot with hands up or still dragging backpacks behind them. Lines of police, armored vehicles, ambulances and paramedics embraced them.
FloridaFlorida
US policingUS policing
Gun crime
Florida school shooting
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content