The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Murder suspect trained with white nationalists
SHOOTING: Orphaned teenager charged with 17 counts of killing after it emerges he did paramilitary drills with militia group
An orphaned 19-year-old who participated in paramilitary drills with a white nationalist group has been charged with murder over the deaths of 17 people shot at a Florida high school.
Nikolas Cruz legally purchased the AR-15 rifle used in the assault at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, law enforcement officials said.
A Florida judge ordered the suspect be held without bail on 17 counts of murder.
His lawyer did not contest the order and had her arm around Cruz during the brief court appearance.
As the criminal case against the suspect took shape, the leader of a white nationalist militia called the Republic of Florida said Cruz was a member of his group and participated in exercises in Tallahassee.
Jordan Jereb said he did not know Cruz personally and that “he acted on his own behalf” and is “solely responsible for what he just did”.
The group wants Florida to become its own white ethno-state.
Mr Jereb said his organisation holds “spontaneous random demonstrations” and tries not to participate in the modern world.
He also said Cruz had “trouble with a girl” and that he believed the timing of the attack, on Valentine’s Day, was not a coincidence.
In a national address from the White House, President Donald Trump said he wanted America’s children to know: “You are never alone and you never will be.”
He planned to travel to Florida to meet victims’ families, explore how to better secure schools and to “tackle the difficult issue of mental health”.
At no point did Mr Trump mention guns or how to control them.
Former President Barack Obama called for “common sense gun safety laws”, tweeting: “We are grieving with Parkland. But we are not powerless. Caring for our kids is our first job.”
He added: “And until we can honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, common sense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change.”
The former Democratic President held office through multiple mass shootings.
He pushed to tighten access to firearms but was blocked by the Republican-controlled Congress.
A total of 13 wounded survivors were taken to hospital, including two people in critical condition.
The dead included a school sports director and another adult who worked as a monitor at the school.