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Florida shooting: Nikolas Cruz 'confessed to the shooting', sheriff's arrest affidavit claims | Florida shooting: Nikolas Cruz 'confessed to the shooting', sheriff's arrest affidavit claims |
(about 9 hours later) | |
The prime suspect in the Florida high school shooting confessed to the Valentine's Day massacre, a police report has claimed. | |
Nikolas Cruz “stated that he was the gunman who entered the school campus armed with a AR-15 and began shooting students that he saw on the hallways and on the school grounds,” the affidavit from the Broward County Sheriff's Office stated. | |
His plan, it said, was to discard the gun and a vest holding extra magazines so he could “blend in with the crowd”. | His plan, it said, was to discard the gun and a vest holding extra magazines so he could “blend in with the crowd”. |
It appeared to work as the 19-year-old “blended in with fleeing students and was able to elude arriving officers”, it added. | It appeared to work as the 19-year-old “blended in with fleeing students and was able to elude arriving officers”, it added. |
He later stopped and bought a drink at a Subway inside a Walmart, according to Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, and then entered a McDonald’s. He was arrested 40 minutes later. | |
Officer Michael Leonard of the Coconut Creek Police Department told reporters Mr Cruz was held without incident. He recognised him from a description sent out over the radio. | Officer Michael Leonard of the Coconut Creek Police Department told reporters Mr Cruz was held without incident. He recognised him from a description sent out over the radio. |
Mr Cruz also admitted to bringing additional loaded magazines and keeping them hidden in a backpack until he began firing, the affidavit said. | Mr Cruz also admitted to bringing additional loaded magazines and keeping them hidden in a backpack until he began firing, the affidavit said. |
The suspected shooter’s parents are deceased and he had been living with another family for the last few months, it added. | The suspected shooter’s parents are deceased and he had been living with another family for the last few months, it added. |
A witness quoted in the affidavit described Mr Cruz as a “former troubled student,” echoing descriptions from some of his classmates. Authorities have said Mr Cruz was expelled for bad behaviour. | A witness quoted in the affidavit described Mr Cruz as a “former troubled student,” echoing descriptions from some of his classmates. Authorities have said Mr Cruz was expelled for bad behaviour. |
He has been charged with 17 counts of murder. | He has been charged with 17 counts of murder. |
The FBI has also confirmed that it received a tip about an online comment, posted last year under the name “nikolascruz,” proclaiming: “Im going to be a professional school shooter”. | The FBI has also confirmed that it received a tip about an online comment, posted last year under the name “nikolascruz,” proclaiming: “Im going to be a professional school shooter”. |
It is unclear the suspect is the same person that wrote the comment. | It is unclear the suspect is the same person that wrote the comment. |
However, Sheriff Israel had previously called some of Mr Cruz’s online postings “very disturbing”. | However, Sheriff Israel had previously called some of Mr Cruz’s online postings “very disturbing”. |