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| Florida Shooting: Trump Laments ‘Terrible Violence’ but Avoids Mention of Gun Control | Florida Shooting: Trump Laments ‘Terrible Violence’ but Avoids Mention of Gun Control |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARKLAND, Fla. — President Trump said on Thursday that he would make school safety a top priority when he meets with the nation’s governors later this month, following one of the deadliest school shootings in modern American history. | PARKLAND, Fla. — President Trump said on Thursday that he would make school safety a top priority when he meets with the nation’s governors later this month, following one of the deadliest school shootings in modern American history. |
| In the address to the nation, he also said he planned to visit the grieving South Florida community where a gunman killed 17 students and adults at a local high school. But he pointedly avoided any mention of gun control. | In the address to the nation, he also said he planned to visit the grieving South Florida community where a gunman killed 17 students and adults at a local high school. But he pointedly avoided any mention of gun control. |
| “We are here for you — whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain,” Mr. Trump said, calling the deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland a “scene of terrible violence, hatred and evil.” | “We are here for you — whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain,” Mr. Trump said, calling the deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland a “scene of terrible violence, hatred and evil.” |
| The shooting on Wednesday, captured on cellphone video by terrified students at the suburban high school about an hour north of Miami, added to the growing toll of mass killings on school grounds and renewed a national debate on how to prevent more tragedies. | |
| • Nikolas Cruz, who barged into his former high school with a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle on Wednesday afternoon, was charged on Thursday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, one for each of the students and adults he killed. | • Nikolas Cruz, who barged into his former high school with a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle on Wednesday afternoon, was charged on Thursday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, one for each of the students and adults he killed. |
| • The F.B.I. on Thursday said it received information about a comment made on a YouTube channel which has been attributed to the gunman, but were unable to identify the person. | • The F.B.I. on Thursday said it received information about a comment made on a YouTube channel which has been attributed to the gunman, but were unable to identify the person. |
| • Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said he would meet with state lawmakers to secure more funding for school safety and the treatment of mental illness. “If we have somebody that’s mentally ill, they can’t have access to a gun,” Mr. Scott said. | • Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said he would meet with state lawmakers to secure more funding for school safety and the treatment of mental illness. “If we have somebody that’s mentally ill, they can’t have access to a gun,” Mr. Scott said. |
| • The authorities said the AR-15 rifle that Mr. Cruz used in the attack was purchased legally. “No laws were violated in the procurement of this weapon,” said Peter J. Forcelli, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Miami. | • The authorities said the AR-15 rifle that Mr. Cruz used in the attack was purchased legally. “No laws were violated in the procurement of this weapon,” said Peter J. Forcelli, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Miami. |
| • With the Parkland shooting, three of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history have come in the last five months. Here is a graphic that records the grim toll of school shootings across the nation. | • With the Parkland shooting, three of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history have come in the last five months. Here is a graphic that records the grim toll of school shootings across the nation. |
| • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. | • Sign up for the Morning Briefing for news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. |
| Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said the school resource officer was on campus but did not run into Mr. Cruz. The gunman arrived during dismissal, when the campus was “fairly open,” according to Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of the Broward County Public Schools. | |
| Among the dead, Sheriff Israel confirmed, was a beloved assistant football coach, Aaron Feis, who coached the sheriff’s two sons. | |
| Dr. Evan Boyar, the director of the department of emergency medicine at Broward Health North, said the hospital received nine of the shooting patients. Four victims remained in critical condition in county hopsitals. | |
| The medical professionals at Broward North had prepared for such an event, according to Dr. Boyar. | |
| “Nowadays, unfortunately, we do drills for this,” he said. “About nine months ago, we did a drill at our facility specifically for an active shooter.” | |
| Ben Bennight, a bail bondsman in Mississippi, said in a video posted Wednesday that he reported a suspicious comment left on his YouTube channel last fall by a user named “nikolas cruz.” | Ben Bennight, a bail bondsman in Mississippi, said in a video posted Wednesday that he reported a suspicious comment left on his YouTube channel last fall by a user named “nikolas cruz.” |
| “I’m going to be a professional school shooter,” the Sept. 24 comment said. | “I’m going to be a professional school shooter,” the Sept. 24 comment said. |
| Mr. Bennight took a screenshot of the comment and flagged it to YouTube, which removed the post. Then, Mr. Bennight said he left a voice mail message at his local F.B.I. field office alerting them about the comment. | Mr. Bennight took a screenshot of the comment and flagged it to YouTube, which removed the post. Then, Mr. Bennight said he left a voice mail message at his local F.B.I. field office alerting them about the comment. |
| Mr. Bennight, 36, spoke briefly with The New York Times on Thursday. He said when he originally reported the comments to the F.B.I., a pair of agents interviewed him the next morning. Mr. Bennight said two F.B.I. agents visited him a few hours after the shooting on Wednesday, spending about 15 to 20 minutes with him. The agents told him they thought the person who posted on his channel might be connected to the Florida shooting because they had the same name. | Mr. Bennight, 36, spoke briefly with The New York Times on Thursday. He said when he originally reported the comments to the F.B.I., a pair of agents interviewed him the next morning. Mr. Bennight said two F.B.I. agents visited him a few hours after the shooting on Wednesday, spending about 15 to 20 minutes with him. The agents told him they thought the person who posted on his channel might be connected to the Florida shooting because they had the same name. |
| The F.B.I. on Thursday released a statement that said it received information about a comment made on a YouTube channel in September 2017. “No other information was included in the comment which would indicate a particular time, location, or the true identity of the person who posted the comment,” the statement said. The F.B.I. said it conducted database reviews and other checks, but were unable to further identify the person who posted the comment. | The F.B.I. on Thursday released a statement that said it received information about a comment made on a YouTube channel in September 2017. “No other information was included in the comment which would indicate a particular time, location, or the true identity of the person who posted the comment,” the statement said. The F.B.I. said it conducted database reviews and other checks, but were unable to further identify the person who posted the comment. |
| Mr. Bennight did not fault the F.B.I., he said. | Mr. Bennight did not fault the F.B.I., he said. |
| “We live in a country where you can’t just lock people away for saying something,” he said. “You can’t just stuff somebody in a black hole because they said something that makes you uncomfortable. I believe the F.B.I. took it seriously. I hope that they followed up.” | “We live in a country where you can’t just lock people away for saying something,” he said. “You can’t just stuff somebody in a black hole because they said something that makes you uncomfortable. I believe the F.B.I. took it seriously. I hope that they followed up.” |
| Mr. Trump, in a Twitter post early Thursday, said that people should report anyone behaving like Mr. Cruz to the authorities. | Mr. Trump, in a Twitter post early Thursday, said that people should report anyone behaving like Mr. Cruz to the authorities. |
| “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior,” Mr. Trump said. “Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” | “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior,” Mr. Trump said. “Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” |
| Later, in his televised address, Mr. Trump said he plans to work with state and local leaders to “tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” | Later, in his televised address, Mr. Trump said he plans to work with state and local leaders to “tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” |
| The president has blamed mental illness on previous mass shootings, even as one of his first acts as president was to repeal an Obama-era regulation that would add the names of mentally ill Americans registered with the Social Security Administration to the database used for gun purchase background checks. | The president has blamed mental illness on previous mass shootings, even as one of his first acts as president was to repeal an Obama-era regulation that would add the names of mentally ill Americans registered with the Social Security Administration to the database used for gun purchase background checks. |
| Without offering any specific proposals, the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said on Thursday,“We’ve got to reverse these trends we’re seeing in these shootings.” | Without offering any specific proposals, the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said on Thursday,“We’ve got to reverse these trends we’re seeing in these shootings.” |
| He added that the Justice Department was prepared to enforce existing gun laws and that he met with officials from the Health and Human Services and Education Departments on Thursday to study “the intersection of mental health and criminality and violence.” | He added that the Justice Department was prepared to enforce existing gun laws and that he met with officials from the Health and Human Services and Education Departments on Thursday to study “the intersection of mental health and criminality and violence.” |
| On weekday mornings, Mr. Cruz usually got up to catch a ride to the adult education courses that the family he had stayed with after his mother’s death last year had encouraged him to attend, the family’s lawyer, Jim Lewis, told CNN. But on Wednesday, he refused to get up, Mr. Lewis said. | On weekday mornings, Mr. Cruz usually got up to catch a ride to the adult education courses that the family he had stayed with after his mother’s death last year had encouraged him to attend, the family’s lawyer, Jim Lewis, told CNN. But on Wednesday, he refused to get up, Mr. Lewis said. |
| Mr. Lewis said that Mr. Cruz explained his reluctance by saying something to the effect of “It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t go to school on Valentine’s Day.” | Mr. Lewis said that Mr. Cruz explained his reluctance by saying something to the effect of “It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t go to school on Valentine’s Day.” |
| He had been staying with the family since November, the month his mother, Lynda Cruz, died. Mr. Lewis said that the family had seen signs of depression in Mr. Cruz, but nothing indicated that he was capable of this kind of violence. The family had allowed Mr. Cruz to bring his gun with him to their house, insisting that he keep it in a lockbox. | He had been staying with the family since November, the month his mother, Lynda Cruz, died. Mr. Lewis said that the family had seen signs of depression in Mr. Cruz, but nothing indicated that he was capable of this kind of violence. The family had allowed Mr. Cruz to bring his gun with him to their house, insisting that he keep it in a lockbox. |
| “This family did what they thought was right which was take in a troubled kid and try to help him,” he said. | “This family did what they thought was right which was take in a troubled kid and try to help him,” he said. |
| That included Mr. Lewis encouraging Mr. Cruz to attend adult education courses and work toward his G.E.D. As the months wore on, the family thought his mood seemed to be improving. Though they were aware that he had disciplinary problems at his former school and there were some indications that he had been bullied, he had never shared contempt for the school or anyone there with them. | That included Mr. Lewis encouraging Mr. Cruz to attend adult education courses and work toward his G.E.D. As the months wore on, the family thought his mood seemed to be improving. Though they were aware that he had disciplinary problems at his former school and there were some indications that he had been bullied, he had never shared contempt for the school or anyone there with them. |
| In the hours after the shooting, people who knew Mr. Cruz described him as a “troubled kid” who enjoyed showing off his firearms, bragging about killing animals and whose mother would resort to calling the police to have them come to their home to try to talk some sense into him. | In the hours after the shooting, people who knew Mr. Cruz described him as a “troubled kid” who enjoyed showing off his firearms, bragging about killing animals and whose mother would resort to calling the police to have them come to their home to try to talk some sense into him. |
| Here is what we know about Mr. Cruz’s past. | Here is what we know about Mr. Cruz’s past. |
| “We’ve been through this a lot, and each time we say enough is enough, and then of course it isn’t enough,” Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said in an appearance on CNN in which he railed against the inability of his state to pass effective legislation to help prevent attacks after shootings at the Pulse shooting in Orlando and the Fort Lauderdale airport. | |
| In Parkland, Superintendent Runcie did not mince words. | |
| “Students have been reaching out to me, reaching out to staff, probably board members and others, saying that now is the time for the country to have a real conversation on sensible gun controls in this country,” he said. | |
| Representative Ted Deutch, whose district includes Stoneman Douglas High, said in an interview that skirting the gun question by focusing on mental illness was not enough — an opinion shared openly by numerous students and parents in Parkland, an affluent suburb in Florida’s most intensely Democratic county. | |
| “The superintendent and every person I’ve spoken to in my community since I got here: That’s who’s been talking about guns,” Mr. Deutch said. | |
| But in an interview on WIBC radio on Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that public policymakers “shouldn’t just knee-jerk before we even have all the facts and the data.” | |
| “It’s not as if nothing has been done to enforce the laws we have on the books, and make sure that people, bad people who aren’t supposed to get guns, don’t get guns,” he said. “But I don’t think that means you then roll the conversation into taking away citizens’ rights, taking away, you know, a law-abiding citizen’s rights. Obviously this conversation typically goes there. Right now, I just think we need to take a breath and collect the facts.” | |
| Many students used their phones to keep their parents informed about what was happening, and to document some of the violence that was unfolding around them. | Many students used their phones to keep their parents informed about what was happening, and to document some of the violence that was unfolding around them. |
| Sarah Crescitelli, a freshman, was in drama class rehearsing for a musical when gunshots rang out. | Sarah Crescitelli, a freshman, was in drama class rehearsing for a musical when gunshots rang out. |
| Hiding in a sweltering storage room with about 40 other students, she typed out a text message to her mother, Stacy, for what she thought might be the last time. | Hiding in a sweltering storage room with about 40 other students, she typed out a text message to her mother, Stacy, for what she thought might be the last time. |
| “If I don’t make it,” she wrote, “I love you and I appreciate everything you did for me.” | “If I don’t make it,” she wrote, “I love you and I appreciate everything you did for me.” |