This article is from the source 'nytimes' 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.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/florida-shooting.html
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Florida Shooting: Funerals Begin, and Schools Across the U.S. Are on Edge | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Right Now: The F.B.I. admitted it failed to act on a tip in January about the suspect in this week’s shooting in Parkland, Fla. The tipster said Nikolas Cruz had a “desire to kill.” Read more. | |
| PARKLAND, Fla. — There were no classes for the students of Majory Stoneman Douglas High School on Friday. Instead, many of the children were attending the first of the funerals for the 17 people gunned down at their Parkland, Fla., school. | |
| At the nearby South Broward High School, teenagers gathered to protest in support of gun control, chanting “ban assault rifles” and holding signs saying “It could have been your child.” | |
| And the unease caused by Mr. Cruz, the 19-year-old who the authorities say confessed to Wednesday’s massacre in Florida, was being felt in schools across the nation. School districts from New Jersey to Texas took measures like closing their doors or increasing security on Friday after they were hit with anonymous threats or rumors of coming violence. | |
| Here are the takeaways: | Here are the takeaways: |
| • Mr. Cruz is being held without bond at the Broward County jail, where he has been placed on suicide watch, according to Gordon Weekes, the county’s chief assistant public defender. He faces 17 counts of premeditated murder. | |
| • Thousands of people gathered Thursday night at Pine Trails Park in Parkland for a candlelight vigil for those killed. Read more about the victims here. | |
| • The AR-15 rifle used in the attack was bought legally in 2017 at Sunrise Tactical Supply in Florida, officials said. | • The AR-15 rifle used in the attack was bought legally in 2017 at Sunrise Tactical Supply in Florida, officials said. |
| • In Florida, an AR-15 is easier to buy than a handgun. Read more on how the AR-15 became one of the weapons of choice for mass killers, and the research that tries to explain the high rate of mass shootings in the United States. | • In Florida, an AR-15 is easier to buy than a handgun. Read more on how the AR-15 became one of the weapons of choice for mass killers, and the research that tries to explain the high rate of mass shootings in the United States. |
| • 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. |
| Under clear blue skies on a Friday morning, the first funeral for victims killed in the Florida high school mass shooting was held. | |
| Alyssa Miriam Alhadeff, 14, was remembered for her joy and kindness, traits that had attracted a wide circle of friends. Hundreds of mourners filled the Star of David Funeral Chapel in North Lauderdale, spilling outside. | |
| Among the youngest victims, Alyssa, an honor student and a player for the Parkland soccer club, was buried in the Garden of Aaron at Star of David Memorial Gardens. | |
| Her mother, Lori Alhadeff, urged Alyssa’s friends to stay in touch, but also let their future success be her daughter’s legacy. “Live, breathe for Alyssa,” she said. | |
| On Friday, a number of schools had canceled classes and other activities after receiving unsubstantiated threats. | |
| The Gilchrist County School District in Florida shuttered its schools after receiving an email threat, and the Nutley Public School System in New Jersey also said it would be closed because of a security threat. A high school in Colorado Springs canceled a pep rally. | |
| A school district in Redwater, Tex. decided to close after the superintendent said it received “a rumor about a possible shooter.” And a school in Massachusetts announced it would deploy more police officers and do random security checks throughout the day due to a threatening post on social media. | |
| Among the victims were Aaron Feis, a popular football coach, Christopher Hixon, the school’s athletic director, and Scott Beigel, a geography teacher credited with saving a boy’s life. | Among the victims were Aaron Feis, a popular football coach, Christopher Hixon, the school’s athletic director, and Scott Beigel, a geography teacher credited with saving a boy’s life. |
| Mr. Feis was seen as someone who looked out for students who got in trouble, those who were struggling, those without fathers at home. “He’d go out of his way to help anybody,” said Mr. Feis’s grandfather. | Mr. Feis was seen as someone who looked out for students who got in trouble, those who were struggling, those without fathers at home. “He’d go out of his way to help anybody,” said Mr. Feis’s grandfather. |
| The teenagers who died enjoyed soccer, swimming, dance and marching band. Some did church volunteer work or were involved in Junior ROTC. Seven were only 14. | The teenagers who died enjoyed soccer, swimming, dance and marching band. Some did church volunteer work or were involved in Junior ROTC. Seven were only 14. |
| During the horror at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Carly Novell, a 17-year-old senior who is an editor for the school’s quarterly magazine, The Eagle Eye, hid in a closet and thought about an awful family tragedy from before she was born. Her mother had told her about how her grandfather had survived a mass shooting in 1949 in Camden, N.J. His family had not made it. | During the horror at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Carly Novell, a 17-year-old senior who is an editor for the school’s quarterly magazine, The Eagle Eye, hid in a closet and thought about an awful family tragedy from before she was born. Her mother had told her about how her grandfather had survived a mass shooting in 1949 in Camden, N.J. His family had not made it. |
| “My grandfather was 12, and his grandma and his mom and dad were killed while he hid in a closet,” Ms. Novell said. “They heard gunshots on the street, so my great-grandma told my grandpa to hide in the closet, so he was safe. But he didn’t have a family after that.” | “My grandfather was 12, and his grandma and his mom and dad were killed while he hid in a closet,” Ms. Novell said. “They heard gunshots on the street, so my great-grandma told my grandpa to hide in the closet, so he was safe. But he didn’t have a family after that.” |
| Interviewed on Thursday, she said: “I was thinking of him while I was in the closet. I was wondering what he felt like while he was there. My mom has told me he was in shock after it, too — that he didn’t remember how he got to the police station, or anything like that. I didn’t forget anything, but I was in shock and I didn’t understand what was going on.” | Interviewed on Thursday, she said: “I was thinking of him while I was in the closet. I was wondering what he felt like while he was there. My mom has told me he was in shock after it, too — that he didn’t remember how he got to the police station, or anything like that. I didn’t forget anything, but I was in shock and I didn’t understand what was going on.” |
| In an orange jumpsuit and shackled around his hands, feet and waist, Mr. Cruz was asked if he understood the circumstances of his appearance in court. “Yes, ma’am,” he whispered. | In an orange jumpsuit and shackled around his hands, feet and waist, Mr. Cruz was asked if he understood the circumstances of his appearance in court. “Yes, ma’am,” he whispered. |
| “He’s sad. He’s mournful,” his public defender, Melisa McNeill, said afterward. “He is fully aware of what is going on, and he’s just a broken human being.” | “He’s sad. He’s mournful,” his public defender, Melisa McNeill, said afterward. “He is fully aware of what is going on, and he’s just a broken human being.” |
| Mr. Weekes, the chief assistant public defender, said lawyers were still trying to piece together the details of Mr. Cruz’s life. He has a “significant” history of mental illness, according to Mr. Weekes, and may be autistic or have a learning disability. | Mr. Weekes, the chief assistant public defender, said lawyers were still trying to piece together the details of Mr. Cruz’s life. He has a “significant” history of mental illness, according to Mr. Weekes, and may be autistic or have a learning disability. |
| But Mr. Weekes was not ready to say whether he would pursue a mental health defense. | But Mr. Weekes was not ready to say whether he would pursue a mental health defense. |
| Howard Finkelstein, the chief public defender in Broward County, said the case would present a difficult question: Should society execute mentally ill people? | Howard Finkelstein, the chief public defender in Broward County, said the case would present a difficult question: Should society execute mentally ill people? |
| “There’s no question of whether he will be convicted of capital murder 17 times,” he said. “When we let one of our children fall off grid, when they are screaming for help in every way, do we have the right to kill them when we could have stopped it?” | “There’s no question of whether he will be convicted of capital murder 17 times,” he said. “When we let one of our children fall off grid, when they are screaming for help in every way, do we have the right to kill them when we could have stopped it?” |
| After Mr. Cruz’s mother died last fall, the family that took him in, the Sneads, had seen signs of depression but nothing indicating he was capable of such violence, Jim Lewis, the family’s lawyer, said. The family had allowed Mr. Cruz to bring his gun with him to their house, insisting that he keep it in a lockbox. | After Mr. Cruz’s mother died last fall, the family that took him in, the Sneads, had seen signs of depression but nothing indicating he was capable of such violence, Jim Lewis, the family’s lawyer, said. The family had allowed Mr. Cruz to bring his gun with him to their house, insisting that he keep it in a lockbox. |
| Mr. Lewis had encouraged Mr. Cruz to attend adult education courses, work toward his G.E.D. and take a job at a local Dollar Tree store, he said in a brief interview. The Sneads’ son, a junior, knew Mr. Cruz from Stoneman Douglas High. | Mr. Lewis had encouraged Mr. Cruz to attend adult education courses, work toward his G.E.D. and take a job at a local Dollar Tree store, he said in a brief interview. The Sneads’ son, a junior, knew Mr. Cruz from Stoneman Douglas High. |
| On Wednesday, Mr. Cruz and the Sneads’ son were texting until 2:18 p.m., Mr. Lewis said — about five minutes before the first 911 calls about the shooting. “But there was nothing crazy in the texts,” Mr. Lewis said. Here is our profile of Mr. Cruz. | On Wednesday, Mr. Cruz and the Sneads’ son were texting until 2:18 p.m., Mr. Lewis said — about five minutes before the first 911 calls about the shooting. “But there was nothing crazy in the texts,” Mr. Lewis said. Here is our profile of Mr. Cruz. |
| Elected and law enforcement officials — from President Trump to the Broward County sheriff — have ramped up their demands for expanded authority over the mentally ill who pose a danger. In doing so, they stepped into a long and complicated balancing act in the United States between public safety and the right to bear arms for people with mental health issues. | Elected and law enforcement officials — from President Trump to the Broward County sheriff — have ramped up their demands for expanded authority over the mentally ill who pose a danger. In doing so, they stepped into a long and complicated balancing act in the United States between public safety and the right to bear arms for people with mental health issues. |
| Others, including some gun control and mental health advocates, point to the increasing number of states that allow law enforcement officers or, in some cases, family members or others to petition a court to temporarily take guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. | Others, including some gun control and mental health advocates, point to the increasing number of states that allow law enforcement officers or, in some cases, family members or others to petition a court to temporarily take guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. |
| The measures, known as “red flag laws” or extreme risk protection orders, have shown evidence of reducing suicides in Connecticut, where the first such law was passed in 1999, and in recent years have also been passed in California, Washington and Oregon. Eighteen states, including Florida, and the District of Columbia are considering such laws this year, according to a list compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit advocacy group. | The measures, known as “red flag laws” or extreme risk protection orders, have shown evidence of reducing suicides in Connecticut, where the first such law was passed in 1999, and in recent years have also been passed in California, Washington and Oregon. Eighteen states, including Florida, and the District of Columbia are considering such laws this year, according to a list compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit advocacy group. |
| “To claim, ‘Oh, well, you should see the signs and tell law enforcement,’ to me is disingenuous unless there is something law enforcement can do,” said Avery Gardiner, the co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. | “To claim, ‘Oh, well, you should see the signs and tell law enforcement,’ to me is disingenuous unless there is something law enforcement can do,” said Avery Gardiner, the co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. |
| Red flag laws, she said, “provide a path to remove guns from somebody in a temporary crisis.” And, she said, even if a family decides not to seek a gun restraining order, the fact that the option exists can prompt frank conversations with struggling relatives. | Red flag laws, she said, “provide a path to remove guns from somebody in a temporary crisis.” And, she said, even if a family decides not to seek a gun restraining order, the fact that the option exists can prompt frank conversations with struggling relatives. |
| Read more about the debate around mental illness and gun ownership here. | Read more about the debate around mental illness and gun ownership here. |
| Students and parents in Parkland, an affluent suburb in Florida’s most intensely Democratic county, said a focus from policymakers on treating mental illness was not enough. | Students and parents in Parkland, an affluent suburb in Florida’s most intensely Democratic county, said a focus from policymakers on treating mental illness was not enough. |
| Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa, 14, was killed, made an emotional plea for action. | Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa, 14, was killed, made an emotional plea for action. |
| “President Trump, we need action, we need change,” she said, the urgency rising in her voice. “Get these guns out of the hands of these young kids and get these guns off the streets.” | “President Trump, we need action, we need change,” she said, the urgency rising in her voice. “Get these guns out of the hands of these young kids and get these guns off the streets.” |
| “If we’re constantly having our children worried about getting shot at, what are we telling our future?” said David Hogg, 17, a senior, who said two of his 14-year-old sister’s friends were killed. “And that’s what these people are killing, our future.” | “If we’re constantly having our children worried about getting shot at, what are we telling our future?” said David Hogg, 17, a senior, who said two of his 14-year-old sister’s friends were killed. “And that’s what these people are killing, our future.” |
| In an address to the nation on Thursday, President Trump announced he would visit Parkland and work with the nation’s governors “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” But he made no mention of guns. | In an address to the nation on Thursday, President Trump announced he would visit Parkland and work with the nation’s governors “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” But he made no mention of guns. |
| In a Twitter post on Friday, the president said that he was working with Congress “on many fronts” and would “be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered,” without providing details on either matter. | In a Twitter post on Friday, the president said that he was working with Congress “on many fronts” and would “be leaving for Florida today to meet with some of the bravest people on earth - but people whose lives have been totally shattered,” without providing details on either matter. |
| Democrats in Congress pushed for a renewed focus on gun control on Thursday. Republicans called for prayers, and argued that no single fix to the nation’s gun laws would deter a shooting like the one on Wednesday in Parkland. | Democrats in Congress pushed for a renewed focus on gun control on Thursday. Republicans called for prayers, and argued that no single fix to the nation’s gun laws would deter a shooting like the one on Wednesday in Parkland. |
| “This is one of those moments where we just need to step back and count our blessings,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin said. “We need to think less about taking sides and fighting each other politically, and just pulling together.” | “This is one of those moments where we just need to step back and count our blessings,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin said. “We need to think less about taking sides and fighting each other politically, and just pulling together.” |
| Read more about Congress’s failure to act on gun control legislation here. | Read more about Congress’s failure to act on gun control legislation here. |