“A heavily armed young man walked into a Florida high school he once attended and began shooting on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and escaping amid the fleeing students before being arrested a few miles from the campus,” The New York Times reports.
“The gunman, armed with a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle and ‘countless magazines,’ was identified by the authorities as Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old who had been expelled from the school,” The Times reports. “In the hours after the shooting, people who knew Mr. Cruz described him as a ‘troubled kid’ who enjoyed showing off his firearms, bragging about killing animals and whose mother would resort to calling the police to have them come to their home to try to talk some sense into him.”
“School officials declined to say why Mr. Cruz no longer attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas,” The Times reports. “But Amanda Samaroo, whose daughter, Elizabeth, attended the school while he was a student there, said he had been expelled for bringing knives on campus. ‘Her friends have said he was known to always be mentally ill and would kill animals,’ Ms. Samaroo said.”
President Trump offered his prayers and condolences to the families and victims:
My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2018
He was joined by the First Lady, Melania Trump:
My heart is heavy over the school shooting in Florida. Keeping all affected in my thoughts & prayers.
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) February 14, 2018
A few hours later, Apple CEO Tim Cook also offered his prayers:
We pray for the victims of today’s shooting in Florida, for their families and loved ones, and for an end to the senseless violence that has taken so many innocent lives.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 15, 2018
MacDailyNews Take: Along with praying for the victims, families, and friends, we most fervently pray that a system will be devised wherein the severely mentally ill will be identified early and helped before they degenerate to the point where such calamitous tragedies befall innocents.
SEE ALSO:
Apple CEO Cook tweets condolences for victims of mass murder in First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas – November 6, 2017
Apple CEO Cook tweets condolences for victims of Islamic terrorist attack in New York City – November 1, 2017
Apple CEO Tim Cook offers his condolences to the victims and families of the Las Vegas mass shooting – October 2, 2017
Apple CEO Cook tweets condolences for victims of Islamic terrorist attack in Barcelona – August 18, 2017
