Florida shooting: 17 dead in 'absolutely pure evil' high school massacre in Parkland - as it happened
The suspect has been identified as 19-year-old former student, who was once expelled from the school
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Your support makes all the difference.Seventeen people have been killed and more than a dozen injured after a gunman opened fire at a Florida high school.
Aerial footage showed students streaming out of the school with their hands in the air before dropping their backpacks into a large pile next to police and sitting on nearby grass. Parents were instructed to meet at a location away from the school, where they waited anxiously to be reunited with their children.
The carnage began shortly before school was to be let out at 2.40 pm, when the sound of gunfire ripped through the air.
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Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County said the 19-year-old suspect - identified in media reports as Nikolaus Cruz - is in custody and that investigators are beginning to "dissect" what happened in the attack.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Miami, was placed on a “code red” lock down, and students tweeted and texted from inside about the chaos that had come down upon their school.
Of the fatalities, 12 were killed inside the school, two were killed outside on the campus grounds, one was killed on a road outside of the school, and another two were transported to the hospital but died there.
Sheriff Israel said the suspect, a former student, was previously expelled for disciplinary reasons. Mr Israel added that the gunman had at least one rifle - believed to be an AR-15 - and multiple magazines.
The White House has cancelled its daily press briefing and President Donald Trump has spoken with Florida Governors Rick Scott about the shooting. He said in a tweet that the White House is “working closely with law enforcement on the terrible Florida school shooting.”
He earlier tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims.
Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump has offered Florida federal assistance, if needed. The homeland security secretary has also been in touch with state and local officials.
Ms Sanders said, “We continue to keep the victims, and their friends and family, in our thoughts and prayers.”
Agencies contributed to this report
Cell phone footage gives a longer look at the suspect being arrested. Police have yet to release the suspect's name.
Today's tragedy marks the 18th school shooting in the United States this year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group.
The shooter has been identified as Nicolas Cruz, a US official told the Associated Press.
A teacher at the school told the Miami Herald that staff had previously been instructed not to let the former student on school grounds, as he had been identified as a possible threat.
The Broward County School District Superintendent has said he had no knowledge that Nicolas Cruz, the former student named as the suspect, could have been a threat.
“We received no warnings,” Superintendent Robert Runcie said, according to the Miami Herald. “Potentially there could have been signs out there. But we didn't have any warning or phone calls or threats that were made.”
Other school employees told the Herald they had been instructed not to let Mr Cruz on campus.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has issued a statement on the shooting, calling it “an unspeakable tragedy”.
“Let us keep the victims in our hearts,” he said. “A long night lies ahead for many families. Right now, the whole country is standing with the Parkland community.”
Melissa Falkowski, a teacher at the school, told CNN she pulled 19 children into a closet with her to protect them from the shooter. She estimated the group waited for 40 minutes before stepping outside.
Ms Falkowski said the school had provided training on active shooter situations weeks ago.
"If we hadn't had that training it could have been a lot worse," she said.
Parkland, where today's shooting occurred, was named Florida's safest city last year by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.
The home security industry trade association praised Parkland's "character and charm," and touted the city's notably low crime rate on its website.
The rankings were based on recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics and the council's own research.
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