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U.S. NEWS Friday 16 February 2018
Sheriff's report: Suspect confessed to Florida school attack

involved people killed in Twitter early Thursday, call-
arguments and three in- ing the suspect "mentally
volved people who were disturbed" and stressing
shot but survived. Nine in- that it was important to "re-
volved no injuries at all. port such instances to au-
As the criminal case began thorities, again and again!"
to take shape, President In the case of Cruz, at least
Donald Trump, in an ad- one person did report him.
dress to the nation, prom- FBI agent Rob Lasky said
ised to "tackle the difficult the FBI investigated a 2017
issue of mental health," but YouTube comment that
avoided any mention of said "I'm going to be a pro-
guns. Trump, who owns a fessional school shooter."
private club in Palm Beach, But the agency could not
about 40 miles from Park- identify the person who
land, said he planned to made the comment, which
visit the grieving commu- was from an account us-
nity. ing the name Nikolas Cruz.
He did not answer shouted It was left on a YouTube
questions about guns as he video of a vlogger and bail
left the room. At the Capi- bondsman from Louisiana
tol, the usual divisions over named Ben Bennight.
gun laws were evident. In a Buzzfeed article , Ben-
A student mourns the loss of her friend during a community vigil at Pine Trails Park, Thursday, Feb.
15, 2018, in Parkland, Fla., for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Trump, who did not speak night said he called the FBI,
Nikolas Cruz, a former student, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder on Thursday. publicly immediately after and agents came out to
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) the shooting, weighed in on talk with him. q

Continued from Front active in his Roman Catho-
At least one student said lic church.
classmates joked that Cruz Some bodies remained in-
would "be the one to shoot side the high school Thurs-
up the school." day as authorities analyzed
Cruz, a 19-year-old orphan the crime scene. Thirteen
whose mother died last wounded survivors were still
year, was charged with hospitalized, including two
murder Thursday in the at- in critical condition.
tack at Marjory Stoneman Authorities have not de-
Douglas High School in this scribed any specific mo-
sleepy community on the tive, except to say that Cruz
edge of the Everglades. It had been kicked out of
was the nation's deadliest the high school, which has
school attack since a gun- about 3,000 students and
man assaulted an elemen- serves an affluent suburb
tary school in Newtown, where the median home
Connecticut, more than price is nearly $600,000.
five years ago. Students who knew him de-
Meanwhile, students strug- scribed a volatile teenager
gled to describe the vio- whose strange behavior
lence that ripped through had caused others to end
their classrooms on an ordi- friendships with him.
nary day just before classes Cruz was ordered held
were to be dismissed. without bond at a brief
Catarina Linden, a 16-year- court hearing. He wore an
old sophomore, said she orange jumpsuit with his
was in an advanced math hands cuffed at his waist.
class Wednesday when the His attorney did not con-
gunfire began. test the order and had her
"He shot the girl next to me," arm around Cruz during
she said, adding that when the short appearance. Af-
she finally was able to terward, she called him a
leave the classroom, the air "broken human being."
was foggy with gun smoke. Cruz was under a suicide
"I stepped on so many shell watch, Executive Chief
casings. There were bodies Public Defender Gordon
on the ground, and there Weekes told reporters.
was blood everywhere." Wednesday's shooting was
Among the dead : a the 17th incident of gunfire
football coach who also at an American school this
worked as a security guard, year. Of the 17 incidents,
a senior who planned to one involved a suicide,
attend Lynn University, an two involved active shoot-
athletic director who was ers who killed students, two