At least 17 people killed in Florida school shooting
At least 17 people have been killed in a shooting at a high school in southern Florida. US authorities have announced the arrest of the 19-year-old gunman, a former student at the school.
Police officials say the bodies of a number of the dead have been transferred to the hospital, and reports indicate that about 20 people have also been injured.
Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the February 15 incident, had previously been expelled from the high school he attacked for “disciplinary reasons.” He reportedly surrendered to police without resistance an hour after the shooting.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said the gunman was carrying at least one AR-15 and several loaded magazines.
The AR-15 is a lightweight, semi-automatic rifle that is very similar to the M16, except that it is the only semi-automatic version available. In the United States, it is legally available to civilians.
US President Donald Trump, in a message on his Twitter account, expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims and injured, saying, "No child, teacher, or anyone else should feel unsafe in America's schools."
The Florida incident is the latest example of deadly and widespread shooting violence in the United States and is expected to reignite debates about gun ownership and carrying laws in that country.
The recent shooting occurred in the Parkland area, 70 kilometers north of Miami. A number of students fled into the streets after hearing sirens and gunfire. Security forces and police also protected another group and moved them to safe areas.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office says both students and adults have been identified among the victims, and most of them died inside the high school building.
According to Everytown, a gun control campaign in the US, this is the 18th school shooting in the United States this year.
Source: Radio Farda
