PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — A law enforcement official says the former student suspected of killing at least 17 people at a South Florida high school posted highly disturbing material on social media before the shooting rampage.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Wednesday the 19-year-old suspect, Nikolas Cruz, had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for unspecified disciplinary reasons.
Israel says he doesn’t know the specifics of what happened.
Israel says investigators are dissecting the suspect’s social media posts and found material that is “very, very disturbing.” He didn’t elaborate.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott joined law enforcement agents near the site of the deadly school shooting Wednesday night and offered his condolences to the victims’ families and survivors. He says the attack that claimed at least 17 lives “is just absolutely pure evil.”
Scott told reporters Wednesday evening he can’t imagine what the families of the victims are going through. He also said he would be visiting hospitalized survivors.
Sheriff Israel also said at the news conference that 12 of the dead have been identified but some weren’t carrying identification and that slowed confirmation efforts. The families are being notified.
More details at APNews.com.