The first names of the victims killed in the Marjory Stonemason Douglas High School shooting are starting to emerge as the Parkland Community, Florida, struggles to come to terms with one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.
Athletic director Chris Hixon, 49, and student Jaime Guttenberg were among those killed when ex-pupil Nikolas Cruz, 19, walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Wednesday shortly before classes ended and opened fire on students and teachers, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.
Armed with an AR-15-style rifle, the gun-loving teenager was armed with multiple magazines of ammunition.
He later surrendered himself to officers in an nearby residential area after hiding among the crowd in the chaos afterwards.
Cruz has since been arrested and charged with 17 counts of pre-meditated murder.
The shooting was the eighteenth in a United States school this year, according to gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.
Where is the school in Parkland? Location of Nikolas Cruz attack revealed
Major Stonemason Douglas High School is set near Heron Bay, in Pine Island Road, Parkland on the east coast of Florida.
Parkland is a municipality in Broward county, Florida, with a population of 23,962 according to the latest census.
The high school is part of the Broward County Public School district and is the only public high school in Parkland.
It is ranked the thirteenth best school in Florida and 358th in the United States.
The school, which was named after the Everglades environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, opened in 1990 and has approximately 3,000 students.
A message on the school’s website by Robert W. Runcie, Superintendent of Schools, currently reads: “Our District is dealing with an unimaginable tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
“There are no words to express the sorrow that we are all feeling. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the entire Marjory Stoneman Douglas community.
“As our District continues to work with law enforcement – we are focusing on providing our students, families and employees with the support and resources needed to cope with this devastating situation.
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“We have grief counselors and crisis teams ready to assist, and we will be providing details to all of our families and staff as we move forward. Dealing with this tragedy is going to take time – and we will be here for every student, every family and every staff member.
“Our hearts are broken. Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.