Florida shooting: Suspect Nikolas Cruz 'confessed to killing students' police report claims - as it happened
Hundreds attend vigils for the 17 victims of the massacre
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Your support makes all the difference.The teenager accused of using an AR-15 rifle to kill 17 people at a Florida high school is said to have confessed to police that he was the one who carried out the shooting and carried extra ammunition in his backpack, according to a sheriff's department arrest report.
Nikolas Cruz told investigators that he shot students in the hallways and on the grounds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, north of Miami, the report from the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
The youngest of the victims in one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, was identified as 15-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff. Meanwhile Cruz appeared in court charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. More than a dozen other people were injured in the shooting. The judge ordered Cruz - who has not yet entered a plea - to be held without bail.
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Police also laid out what they believe to be the timeline for the shooting, which is said to have started when the suspect was dropped off at the school at 2.19 pm local time [7.19pm GMT] by an Uber taxi. Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news conference that the suspect entered the east stairwell and pulled the AR-15 rifle out of a case, readying it and then beginning to shoot into classrooms. The suspect is then said to have shot into classrooms on multiple floors.
The suspect is then said to have dropped the rifle, a vest and his backpack before running back down the stairs. Police believe he discarded those items to join others who were fleeing and escape the grounds. Cruz was arrested about an hour later, having visited at least one fast food restaurant in the meantime.
In a televised address to the nation – his fourth following a mass shooting – President Donald Trump urged Americans to “respond to hate with love”.
“Later this month, I will be meeting with the nation’s governors and attorney generals, where making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority,” he said. “We must also work together to create a culture in our country that embraces the dignity of life, that creates deep and meaningful human connections and that turns classmates and colleagues into friends and neighbours.”
In his remarks to the nation, Mr Trump avoided the issue of gun control, which was the subject of a lot of talk from those in Congress throughout the day, but did say he planned to travel to Florida to meet with victims’ families.
South Florida remains on edge. Miami's main criminal courthouse building was put on lockdown after an unspecified threat was reported, Miami-Dade County's state attorney said on Twitter.
Another Broward school also briefly went on lockdown after reports of a shooting, which turned out to be unfounded, local media reported.
Sheriff Israel says all families who lost loved ones in Wednesday's school shooting have now been notified.
Broward Country school Superintendent Ron Runcie said he has received several calls from students, asking him to push for conversations about sensible gun control laws.
"Students have been reaching out to me, reaching out to staff, probably board members and others to say that now, now is the time for this country to have a real conversation on sensible gun control laws in this country," he said.
"Our students are asking for that kind of conversation," he said. "We can get it done in this generation, but if we don’t they will."
Sheriff Israel is now asking for more resources for dealing with those that show the they may want to commit such violence.
Also, more on his comments over copy-cat threats:
Sheriff Scott Israel said people have called in copy-cat threats at other schools in Florida today, and they would investigate each of these calls.
"Any fake call … any call that’s made to take out resources at a time like this" will receive the maximum charge, Mr Israel said. "For doing something so horrific, so pathetic."
Sheriff Israel says authorities believe they know where the weapon used in the shooting, an AR-15 rifle, was purchased - but they are chasing up the background to that weapon.
Superintendent Ron Runcie says the gunman came onto campus as the school was letting out for hometime "which is a fairly open time".
He says he cannot provide information about the former student, who is the suspect in the case - but that they had been providing sopport to that student and there had been "challenges".
At least three victims remain in critical condition in local hospitals
Sheriff Israel has gained a reputation for his emotional speeches at press conferences. Here is another - when talking about people being worried about their gun ownership rights.
Donald Trump is now speaking from the White House - calling the attack a scene of "hatred and evil" and that he is addressing a nation in "grief"
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