Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel identified the gunman as Nikolas Cruz, 19, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland who had been expelled for "disciplinary reasons." "He had countless magazines, multiple magazines, and at this point, we believe he had one AR-15 rifle," the sheriff added. "This is a terrible day for Parkland," Israel said, speaking of the city of about 30,000 people, located 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Miami. A teacher at the school told the Miami Herald that Cruz had been identified previously as a potential threat to his classmates. Since January 2013, there have been at least 291 school shootings across the country -- an average of about one school shooting a week, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit group that advocates for gun control.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 14, 2018 23:58 UTC