17 DEAD IN HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING
Teen arrested after at least 50 injured in horrifying attack
AT least 17 people were killed and 50 injured when a crazed gunman opened fire at a US school.
Former student Nikolaus Cruz, 19, who had been expelled, was arrested by police in Florida yesterday.
The shooting spree began outside the school and continued inside. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said: “There are numerous fatalities. It’s a horrific situation.”
CHILDREN screamed in terror last night as a teen gunman killed 17 and injured at least 50 in the third worst school shooting in US history.
Ex-student Nikolaus Cruz blasted away with an AK47 after entering Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, north of Miami.
Then he slipped out during the panic before being arrested.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said: “It’s catastrophic. There really are no words. I’m saddened to say that 17 people lost their lives.
“Suspect Nikolaus Cruz, 19, is in custody.” Sheriff Israel said the attack began outside the school, but the majority of people were killed when Cruz entered the building.
Twelve bodies were found in the school, two on the street outside, one in several streets away.
Two people succombed to their wounds.
Sheriff Israel refused to be drawn on the attacker’s motive, telling reporters he had “no idea” what could have sparked the attack.
Local media were reporting that Cruz had used a AR15 assault rifle in the attack, equipped with multiple large capacity magazines. A student, who was not identified, told Fox News “there were dead bodies everywhere as I was led out of the building”.
One pupil tweeted from inside the siege, posting photographs from inside a classroom. He said: “My school is being shot up and I am locked inside. I’m f ****** scared right now.”
The account also shared pictures of pupils hiding for cover under tables.
Student Michael Katz told ABC News he “heard what sounded like a garbage truck like banging”.
He added: “Then also I hear, ‘boom, boom, boom.’ I hear screaming everywhere.
I just got underneath my teacher’s desk.”
Maths teacher Jim Gard told the Herald that Cruz was previously identified as a threat to the school in previous years.
He said: “We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him. There were problems with him last year threatening students, and he was asked to leave campus.”
The 17 deaths make it the third most deadly attack on a US school in its history. The most deadly was 27 children killed in Sandy Hook.