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‘Many’ dead, former student in custody after school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High in Broward www.miamiherald.com ^ | 02/14/2018 | By Kyra Gurney, David Smiley And Connie Ogle

An American nightmare is unfolding Wednesday afternoon at a North Broward high school where a former student came onto campus and opened fire, killing and injuring multiple people.

Details remain cloudy amid a flurry of police activity at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland off the Sawgrass Expressway. Students, who heard a fire alarm go off just before dismissal, followed by guns shots, fled off campus and hid under desks as police sped to the scene. Parents, blocked from getting onto campus, stood by helpless.

Robert Runcie, superintendent of Broward Schools, is reporting “numerous fatalities” in the terrifying attack, the latest in America’s troubled history with guns. Many victims have been transported to Broward Health North, and four others have been taken to Broward Medical Center.

“It’s just a horrible day for us,” Runcie told WSVN Channel 7. ““We received no warning... We didn’t have any warnings or any threats.”

According to law enforcement sources, the shooter, former student Nicolas de Jesus Cruz, is in custody. Helicopter footage shortly before 4 showed police frisking a handcuffed young man outside a squad car. Dressed in a maroon shirt and dark trousers, he was placed in the squad car as TV choppers filmed the scene. He gave no visible sign of being injured, but authorities have said Cruz was transported to Broward Health North.

A teacher at the school told the Miami Herald that Cruz, 19, had been identified as a potential threat to fellow students in the past.

“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” said math teacher Jim Gard, who said the former student suspected in the shootings had been in his class last year. “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”

Gard says he believes the school administration had sent out an email warning teachers that the student had made threats against other in the past and that he should not be allowed on the campus with a backpack. Another student interviewed on the scene by Channel 7 said the student had guns at home.

A Broward schools spokesperson could not confirm any information about the shooter, and said Runcie was currently meeting with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

“Six kids ran back into my room, and I locked the door, turned out the lights and had the kids go to the back of the room,” Gard said. “Within a minute a code red was announced,” Gard said, referring to the school code for a lock down.

“I told the kids to hang in there, it may still be a drill.”

The students remained calm. One high school senior elsewhere at the school told the Miami Herald that there were “SWAT teams everywhere with big guns, cops everywhere, helicopters.” She said parents trying to reach their children have been unable to make it to the school because the streets are closed off.

But by 2:40, Gard says, they knew it wasn’t a drill. Police had flooded the school, and began clearing buildings one at a time.

Police have remained tight with information. Law enforcement and the district's Special Investigative Unit are on site, as is the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal authorities said they don't believe the high school shootings are related to terrorism.

The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, consisting of local, state and federal agents, sent a squad to the school to assist the Broward Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement.

The shooting drew the Broward Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities to the school Wednesday afternoon. The White House began changing around plans after learning of the incident.

“My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting,” President Donald Trump tweeted. “No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.”

Initially, the Coral Springs Police Department urged teachers and students to remain barricaded inside until police reach them. Shortly after 3 p.m., helicopter footage from Channel 7 showed a stream of students fleeing the east side of the school. The evacuation started under the direction of police officers, and the students were guided to nearby parking lots by officers as well.

The guided evacuation continued from other doors, with some students leaving with hands above their heads. Pick up for students once released from Douglas High School has been announced as the North Heron Bay Marriott, South at Betty Stradling Park.

carliphoto1 Parents are standing about a mile from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High as they try to calm their children by phone. CARLI TEPROFF [email protected]

Parents stood about a mile away as police blocked him from getting closer to their children. Many spoke on their cell phones trying to calm their children down.

Denise Perez paced she spoke to her daughter Marsiel Baluja. Her daughter told her that she was sitting between Publix and Walmart with a bunch of other students. They were surrounded by armed marshals.

“Just stay calm, baby,” she said.

Perez just wanted to get closer to her daughter.

“This is really hard,” she said as she cried.

Victoria Olvera, 17, a junior, able to walk out after getting clearance by police officers. She said she was in history when she heard shots.

“Everyone started running,” she said.

This breaking news bulletin will be updated as more information becomes available.

TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida KEYWORDS: 7ththread; anticruzers; knownwolf; tedcruz

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