Updated: 10:28am – Florida man Nikolas Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.
The ex-student, identified as Nikolas Cruz, walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 72km north of Miami on Wednesday.
He then pulled a fire alarm, prompting students and staff to pour from classrooms into hallways, according to Florida’s two US senators, who were briefed by federal authorities.
He then opened fire on students and teachers, killing 17 people, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. Fifteen wounded survivors are still in hospital, five of them in critical condition.
Police believe he acted alone.
He was questioned for hours by state and federal authorities before being charged this morning.
Cruz participated in the activities of a Florida white nationalist militia, the group’s leader said on Thursday.
“He had some involvement with the Clearwater Republic of Florida cell at some point,” Jordan Jereb said in a telephone interview.
The authorities have so far offered no details about his possible motive, except to say that he was expelled from the high school last year.
Cruz was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, smoke grenades, gas mask and multiple ammunition magazines when he surrendered to officers in a nearby residential area, police said.
Police and former classmates said he loved guns and was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons.
He was expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon for a bond hearing, Constance Simmons, a spokeswoman for the state attorney’s office, said.
RNZ correspondent Steve Mort, who is at the school where the shooting took place, said students described Cruz as “abusive” and a “loner”.
“But it is going to take a long time to piece together exactly why he may have carried out such an attack.”
Mort said the FBI were aware of some warning signs about Cruz based on social media posts but US media report that these concerns were not passed onto local and state law enforcement officials.
A federal law enforcement official has told Reuters the FBI was conducting an extensive review of how it handled the tip to see if mistakes were made.
-RNZ
Featured image: Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz. Photo: AFP PHOTO / BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE / HANDOUT
