FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida: An ex-student opened fire at a Florida high school today, killing at least 17 people and injuring around 14. The sheriff of Broward County, Florida says that the shooter is in custody. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, 72 km north of Miami, had been placed on a "code red" lockdown. At least 17 people were killed before the gunman, identified as Nikolaus Cruz, 19, was taken into custody. Students hid in classrooms until they were rescued by police.
"There are numerous fatalities. It's a horrific situation," Broward Country Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie told reporters. He said the school district had got no warning of a potential shooter and that there was no evidence of more than one shooter.
Live television showed dozens of students, weaving their way between law enforcement officers with heavy weapons and helmets, and large numbers of emergency vehicles including police cars, ambulances and fire trucks.
President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Senator Marco Rubio and the Governor of Florida Rick Scott tweeted condolences for the victims and assured that rescue operations are underway.
The shooting was the latest in a deadly series of attacks at US schools. A 15-year-old gunman in January killed two students at a high school in US' Benton, Kentucky.
Here are the updates from the Florida school shooting:
Feb 15, 2018 05:31 (IST)
The suspect Nikolaus Cruz, 19, was a former student at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who had been expelled for "disciplinary reasons."
"We have already begun to dissect his websites and things on social media," Sheriff Israel said, calling some of the posts "very, very disturbing."
Feb 15, 2018 05:30 (IST)
Broward County Sheriff Steve Israel said the victims were a mix of students and adults, though he could not confirm if the adults were teachers.
Feb 15, 2018 04:29 (IST)
The school had recently held a meeting to discuss what to do in such an attack, Ryan Gott, a 15-year-old freshman told a news channel.
Feb 15, 2018 03:42 (IST)
"There are numerous fatalities. It's a horrific situation," Broward Country Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie told reporters. He said the school district had gotten no warning of a potential shooter and that there was no evidence of more than one shooter.
Feb 15, 2018 03:36 (IST)
Live television showed dozens of students, weaving their way between law enforcement officers with heavy weapons and helmets, and large numbers of emergency vehicles including police cars, ambulances and fire trucks.
Feb 15, 2018 03:34 (IST)
A person who identified herself as the sister of a student at the school described the scene in a text message to Reuters: "She heard him shooting through the windows of classrooms and two students were shot."
Panicked parents checked on their children.
"My daughter, as of right now, she's still trapped in a closet. She's afraid to speak," a man who identified himself as Caesar Figueroa and said his daughter was inside the school, told CBS News.