Classmates knew suspect was a ‘big problem’ – Trump
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has said it appears the suspect in Florida’s deadly school shooting was “mentally disturbed”.
Mr Trump, who had been criticised by a student from the school on Twitter, tweeted about the shooting.
Mr Trump said: “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”
The president offered sympathy in another tweet on Wednesday and said he spoke with Florida’s governor, but he has not addressed the nation.
Mr Trump has cited mental health before as a cause for mass shootings, dismissing questions about gun control.
The president has been labelled a “s**t” on Twitter by a user who is believed to be a student at the Florida school where 17 students were shot dead. The reply by “Sarah” to the US president’s public comment on the mass killing went viral after she urged him to introduce gun control measures instead of platitudes.
Mr Trump had tweeted his “prayers and condolences” to the families of the dead, adding: “No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.
The account @chaddiedabaddie, which says it belongs to the girl attending Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, near Fort Lauderdale, replied: “I don’t want your condolences you f ****** price (sic) of s**t, my friends and teachers were shot. Multiple of my fellow classmates are dead. Do something instead of sending prayers. Prayers won’t fix this. But Gun control will prevent it from happening again.
By yesterday morning her message had been retweeted 65,000 times.
Another student who was in class at the time of the shooting said she “cannot unsee” the terror that unfolded before her.
Morgan Williams described on Twitter how her friends were killed. She said: “I cannot stop hearing the sound of the gun as he walked down my hallway. I cannot unsee my classmates who were shot get carried out by police. I cannot unsee the bodies on the floor.”