Posted on 02/14/2018 2:05:20 PM PST by Red Badger
An American nightmare is unfolding Wednesday afternoon at a North Broward high school where a former student came onto campus and opened fire, killing and injuring multiple people.
Details remain cloudy amid a flurry of police activity at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland off the Sawgrass Expressway. Students, who heard a fire alarm go off just before dismissal, followed by guns shots, fled off campus and hid under desks as police sped to the scene. Parents, blocked from getting onto campus, stood by helpless.
Robert Runcie, superintendent of Broward Schools, is reporting numerous fatalities in the terrifying attack, the latest in Americas troubled history with guns. Many victims have been transported to Broward Health North, and four others have been taken to Broward Medical Center.
Its just a horrible day for us, Runcie told WSVN Channel 7. We received no warning... We didnt have any warnings or any threats.
According to law enforcement sources, the shooter, former student Nicolas de Jesus Cruz, is in custody. Helicopter footage shortly before 4 showed police frisking a handcuffed young man outside a squad car. Dressed in a maroon shirt and dark trousers, he was placed in the squad car as TV choppers filmed the scene. He gave no visible sign of being injured, but authorities have said Cruz was transported to Broward Health North.
A teacher at the school told the Miami Herald that Cruz, 19, had been identified as a potential threat to fellow students in the past.
We were told last year that he wasnt allowed on campus with a backpack on him, said math teacher Jim Gard, who said the former student suspected in the shootings had been in his class last year. There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.
Gard says he believes the school administration had sent out an email warning teachers that the student had made threats against other in the past and that he should not be allowed on the campus with a backpack. Another student interviewed on the scene by Channel 7 said the student had guns at home.
A Broward schools spokesperson could not confirm any information about the shooter, and said Runcie was currently meeting with the Broward Sheriffs Office.
Six kids ran back into my room, and I locked the door, turned out the lights and had the kids go to the back of the room, Gard said. Within a minute a code red was announced, Gard said, referring to the school code for a lock down.
I told the kids to hang in there, it may still be a drill.
The students remained calm. One high school senior elsewhere at the school told the Miami Herald that there were SWAT teams everywhere with big guns, cops everywhere, helicopters. She said parents trying to reach their children have been unable to make it to the school because the streets are closed off.
But by 2:40, Gard says, they knew it wasnt a drill. Police had flooded the school, and began clearing buildings one at a time.
Police have remained tight with information. Law enforcement and the district's Special Investigative Unit are on site, as is the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal authorities said they don't believe the high school shootings are related to terrorism.
The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, consisting of local, state and federal agents, sent a squad to the school to assist the Broward Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement.
The shooting drew the Broward Sheriffs Office and federal authorities to the school Wednesday afternoon. The White House began changing around plans after learning of the incident.
My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting, President Donald Trump tweeted. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.
Initially, the Coral Springs Police Department urged teachers and students to remain barricaded inside until police reach them. Shortly after 3 p.m., helicopter footage from Channel 7 showed a stream of students fleeing the east side of the school. The evacuation started under the direction of police officers, and the students were guided to nearby parking lots by officers as well.
The guided evacuation continued from other doors, with some students leaving with hands above their heads. Pick up for students once released from Douglas High School has been announced as the North Heron Bay Marriott, South at Betty Stradling Park.
carliphoto1 Parents are standing about a mile from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High as they try to calm their children by phone. CARLI TEPROFF cteproff@miamiherald.com
Parents stood about a mile away as police blocked him from getting closer to their children. Many spoke on their cell phones trying to calm their children down.
Denise Perez paced she spoke to her daughter Marsiel Baluja. Her daughter told her that she was sitting between Publix and Walmart with a bunch of other students. They were surrounded by armed marshals.
Just stay calm, baby, she said.
Perez just wanted to get closer to her daughter.
This is really hard, she said as she cried.
Victoria Olvera, 17, a junior, able to walk out after getting clearance by police officers. She said she was in history when she heard shots.
Everyone started running, she said.
This breaking news bulletin will be updated as more information becomes available.
At 19?..................
To control the narrative.
They usually start them around 12.
“the latest in Americas troubled history with guns. “
Guns don’t kill people, people....oh what’s the use.
Keep pushing special interest identity instead of unity and patriotism.
Continue to keep individuals alienated and distrustful.
What could possibly go wrong?
The police actively contact social media and tell them to pull all pages related to these types of murderers. The authorities want to control the narrative. The only truth that exists is what they tell you. They don’t want the public getting ahold of any facts that don’t’ line up with what they want to tell you.
They like these events. They figure one of them will eventually lead to gun control.
Good Irish name, there.
Student on Fox just mentioned seeing the security officer on the ground dead.
Just another Charlie Brown I suppose,21st century version though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2hoRQDXGVo
Major news networks and TV in general are to blame for this blight! News, glorifies these shooters and their actions. Showing their faces and repeating their names. Their faces should never be shown or names uttered. For these creatins are pursuing fame. Later TV channels make shows promoting them to stellar levels. Thank you major media for encouraging mass murder.
If true, next question is, were they carrying a gun, or simply a flashlight.
Of course, carrying a gun doesn't auto-magically mean the security officer will win the confrontation, but it certainly increases the odds.
Illegal ms13?
And, the radical alt-left extremists are already crankin’ it up. Just checked and did roll call on any weapons that may or may not be in my abode. All present and accounted for and just laying about doin’ nuthin’.
Written by an eighth grader for fifth grade reading level folks. Edited by no one or a class mate of the eighth grader.
Nikolas Cruz
Saying he is Antifa because one of his pics has his face covered is hardly proof he is antifa.
One of his pistol;s seems to have a red cap on it’s muzzle.
Waving a toy to look “badass”?
I knew a situation would come along and inspire a new tagline for me. “Updated tagline on order.” is gone, new one below.
Schizophrenia and other major,chronic,psych problems are just as common...with far fewer inpatient beds available for treatment and protection of the public.
Was watching a reporter ask 2 female students what they saw. They saw several classmates bodies lying in a hallway, one in a “pile” of blood and a teacher lying dead outside. A second female student recounted the same scene and added a smile to the reporter.
I think in a few more hours they will identify the shooter’s car with 20 firearms in the trunk with 35,000 rounds of ammo, he wore several pistols with multiple magazines, but only used an “AR-15” reloading often.
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