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In Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, 17 people were killed and 14 injured in a mass shooting on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 14.
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Not only does this mean that another mass shooting has occurred at an American high school, but it is also the 18th gun-related school incident in the U.S. just this year alone.
Suspected killer Nikolas Cruz, 19, was formerly a student at Douglas where he was expelled from last year for disciplinary issues and threatening other students.
Students recount similar stories of the fire alarm being pulled and filing out of their classrooms to their designated evacuation areas – like they had done many times before for drills – when the shots began. Snapchat videos of students hiding in classrooms as loud gunshots rang from the hallways were shown on news outlets like CBS and NBC.
Broward County Sheriff, Scott Israel, told reporters that Cruz had entered the school shortly before classes ended. He wore a gas mask when walking through the school carrying the rifle and an assortment of smoke grenades. Cruz was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and several magazines of ammunition when he surrendered to officers in a nearby residential area.
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“This has been a day we’ve seen the worst in humanity. Tomorrow (Thursday) is going to bring out the best in humanity as we come together to move forward from this unspeakable tragedy,” Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said at a news conference.
The shooting is now in the top five deadliest school shootings in the United States, following events such as Sandy Hook Elementary School and the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.Photo: Fox News