School shooter had AR-15, smoke bombs, multiple magazines and was wearing a gas mask

(Updated) On February 14 at approximately 2:40 p.m., Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old disgruntled ex-student with a troubled past, walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  He was carrying an AR-15 rifle with “countless” magazines and smoke bombs, according to authorities.  Wearing a gas mask, Cruz pulled the school’s fire alarm designed to draw the faculty, staff and students inside the school into the school’s hallways – where he would begin shooting.

Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in what is being described as the worst mass school shooting in Florida’s history.  It’s the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. in the last five years, according to Time. In addition to the deaths, at least 14 more shooting victims were hospitalized.

When deputies with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene, they were greeted with hundreds of students fleeing the school. Investigators later learned that the shooter had concealed himself in the crowd and was among those running out of the school, according to the sheriff’s press release.

After watching school security video, investigators were able to identify the shooter as Cruz, a former student at the high school who had been expelled the previous year due to disciplinary issues.  Cruz was located about an hour later and taken into custody by Coconut Creek PD in a nearby Coral Springs neighborhood.

Victoria Olvera, a 17-year-old junior at the school, said Cruz was expelled last school year because he got into a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. She said he had been abusive to his girlfriend. ~ per Time

During his arrest, Cruz exhibited labored breathing and was transported to a local hospital as a precaution. He was later ordered held without bond and booked into jail.

Fifteen victims died at the school. Two of the 17 victims who were transported died later at the hospital. The 17 fatalities included students and adults. President Donald Trump issued his condolences in a tweet.

The president later tweeted, “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

Heroic Football Coach:  One of the heroes inside the school is reported to be the school’s football coach, Aaron Feis.  Witnesses reported that Feis was seen “putting his own life on the line to make sure that his students were safe,” according to Heavy.

Some reports say that he suffered three gunshot wounds and was in surgery “fighting for his life.”  Heavy quoted witnesses as saying that the 37-year-old Feis “jumped in front of gunman’s bullets, putting his own life on the line for his students.”

Tragically, ESPN reports that Feis has died.  Willis May, head football coach for the school, told ESPN that, “a student told him that Feis, who also served as a security monitor at the school, pushed her out of the line of fire while jumping between her and the shooter.”  The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s football team posted the sad news to their twitter account.

According to his biography on the school’s athletic website, Feis graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 1999, returned to the school as a coach in 2002 and served as head coach of the junior varsity team for eight seasons. ~ per ESPN

CNN reports Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel as saying that shooter Nikolas Cruz’s digital profile contained “very, very disturbing” content. Cruz could be seen in social media photos brandishing a gun and spouting violence-related rhetoric. On his Instagram account, he can be seen posting pictures of weapons.

Postings under the name Nikolas Cruz included threatening comments under videos on YouTube and other sites, including “I whana shoot people with my AR-15” (sic), “I wanna die Fighting killing s**t ton of people” and “I am going to kill law enforcement one day they go after the good people.”

On his Instagram page, Cruz posted a photo of a shotgun, in another photo he is shown brandishing a pistol that appears to be a type of BB gun. In other pictures he is covering his face with a kerchief, and brandishing long knives. ~ per CNN

Officials are requesting that anyone with any information regarding the shootings should call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.

~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter