DAVID HOGG vs FOX NEWS BULLY LAURA INGRAHAM (FIRE HER)

DAVID HOGG vs FOX NEWS BULLY LAURA INGRAHAM:

FOLLOWING HER PUBLIC ATTACK ON HOGG, INGRAHAM IS NOW LOSING SPONSORS.

WHY WOULD A GROWN, EDUCATED WOMAN ATTACK A 17-YR OLD TEENAGER WHO WITNESSED HIS FRIENDS DIE??

LAURA INGRAHAM SHOULD BE FIRED.

TIME FOR FOX NEWS TO CLEAN HOUSE.


Sources: Fox News, Yahoo News, CNN, PennLive, Youtube


****** How an ill-advised tweet became a nightmare for a Fox News show


A little over a month ago, David Hogg was like any other high school senior anxiously awaiting college acceptance letters.

Then, on Feb. 14, he witnessed the deaths of 17 of his classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Since then, he has graced the cover of Time Magazine, organized a march attended by hundreds of thousands of individuals demanding gun reform and gained a massive following of 667,000 on Twitter.

Despite becoming a household name pretty much overnight, Hogg is still a 17-year-old who plans to attend college.

According to an interview with TMZ on Tuesday, Hogg received rejection letters from the four University of California campuses where he submitted applications —UCLA, UCSD, UCSB and UC Irvine. He has a 4.2 GPA and an SAT score of 1270.

The following day, Laura Ingraham, host of Fox News’ evening program, “The Ingraham Angle,” retweeted a piece from the conservative news site, The Daily Wire, adding her own commentary — “David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA… totally predictable given acceptance rates.)”

The power of Twitter

Hogg, fully aware of how powerful he has become, has been encouraging his followers to tweet at brands that advertise on the show. And since Ingraham’s initial tweet, at least 16 companies have pulled their ads. Rachael Ray’s Nutrish was the first brand to sever ties. StitchFix (SFIX), Expedia (EXPE), TripAdvisor (TRIP), Wayfair (W), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Nestlé USA (NESN), Hulu, Office Depot (ODP), The Atlantis, Paradise Resort, Honda (HMC), Liberty Mutual, Progressive insurance (PGR), Jenny Craig and the global investment group Principal followed suit.

On Thursday, after advertisers had already begun to distance themselves from the show, Ingraham issued an apology, retracting her original attack on Hogg: “Any student should be proud of a 4.2 GPA —incl. @DavidHogg111. On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland.”

Responsibility to share both sides of a story’
Hogg said he does not accept her apology. “She’s only apologizing after a third of her advertisers pulled out, and I think it’s really disgusting that she basically tried promoting her show after ‘apologizing’ to me. I think it’s wrong and if she really wants to do something, she can cover things like inner city violence and the real issues that we have in America. I know she’s a talk show host, but she also has a responsibility to show both sides of a story,” he said during an interview on CNN’s New Day.

“Atlantis does not support or agree with the recent comments made by television broadcaster Laura Ingraham. Although we are an organization that believes in freedom of expression, we do not condone discrimination, bullying, mockery or harmful behavior of any kind. As a result of these events, we have decided to remove all brand advertising tied to the program,” an official Atlantis spokesperson told Yahoo Finance.

Prior to the era of social media, brands would have had to release official statements on their websites and wouldn’t necessarily be subject to immediate criticism. That’s no longer the case with Twitter. Now, critical decisions made by companies can be discovered via one-off responses to everyday users.

StitchFix responded to a user who threatened to stop buying clothes from the monthly subscription program, saying “We appreciate our clients’ feedback on this, and we can confirm we’re no longer advertising on Laura’s show.”

Progressive watchdog Media Matters compiled a list of Ingraham’s 100+ sponsors, including Bayer, NutriSystem, Choice Hotels, Arby’s, Cars.com, DirecTV, Duracell, Esurance, Honda, IBM, and Kayak, to name just a few.

Are boycotts effective? It depends
“I think it’s great that corporate America is standing with me and the rest of my friends because when you come against any one of us, whether it be me or anybody else, you’re coming against all of us,” Hogg told CNN. “I think it’s important that we stand together as both corporate and civic America to take action against these people and show them that they cannot push us around, especially when all we’re trying to do here is save lives.”

“The issue needs to be gun violence in America, but what she’s trying to do is distract from that and I hate it,” he added.

This is not the first time Ingraham has been in hot water. Just last month, she faced significant pushback and criticism after she publicly said that Lebron James should stay out of politics and “shut up and dribble.”

Ingraham announced on her show Friday night that she would be taking a week off, with plans to resume on April 9.

The efficacy of boycotts against Fox News has had mixed results. While this movement is akin to the demise and ultimate cancellation of The O’Reilly Report last April, Bill O’Reilly had much graver problems than a single controversy. Nearly 60 companies withdrew their advertisements following a New York Times report on five sexual harassment settlements by O’Reilly and Fox News. While much of the momentum was on social media, it was much harder for the company to defend his egregious behavior than stand by an anchor for an offensive tweet.

Ingraham is likely hoping this movement would resemble the fleeting backlash against her colleague, Sean Hannity. Hannity endorsed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who reportedly made several sexual advances toward underage girls. Many advertisers, including Keurig, Realtor.com and Volvo deleted tweets that stated they would be pulling ads.

As The Washington Post aptly pointed out, “At any given time, someone is probably trying to boycott a Fox News show for something.”

BEYONCÉ DEMANDS AN END TO GUN VIOLENCE (VIDEO)

BEYONCÉ DEMANDS AN END TO GUN VIOLENCE:

AFTER PARKLAND, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

HUMAN LIFE MATTERS MORE THAN MONEY FROM NRA LOBBYISTS.


Sources: FuseTV, Youtube

MARCH FOR OUR LIVES - GUN CONTROL ACTION NOW (GEN Y ACTIVISM)

MARCH FOR OUR LIVES - GUN CONTROL ACTION NOW:

NRA & CONGRESS vs GENERATION Y ACTIVISM.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

ALL HUMAN LIVES MATTER.


Sources: CNBC News, PBS News, Washington Post, Youtube


***** Thousands gather to march for gun control and spark activism

Organizers of the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington hoped their protest would match in numbers and spirit last year's women's march.


After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students have tapped into pro-gun control sentiment that has been building for years.

Organizers hope the passions of the crowds and the under-18 roster of speakers will translate into a tipping point starting in the midterm elections this year.

Summoned by high school students swept up in school violence, thousands swarmed into the nation's capital and cities across America on Saturday to march for gun control and ignite political activism among the young.

Organizers of the "March for Our Lives" rally in Washington hoped their protest would match in numbers and spirit last year's women's march, one of the largest Washington protests since the Vietnam era and one that far exceeded predictions of 300,000 demonstrators.

By 11:00 a.m., large crowds had already started to gather in the nation's capital.

Bearing signs reading "We Are the Change," "No More Silence," "Keep NRA Money Out of Politics," protesters lined Pennsylvania Avenue from the stage near the Capitol, stretching back toward the White House.

The route also takes in the Trump International Hotel. President Donald Trump was in Florida for the weekend; a motorcade took him to his West Palm Beach golf club on Saturday morning.
After the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students have tapped into a current of pro-gun control sentiment that has been building for years -- yet still faces a powerful counterpoint from supporters of gun rights.

Organizers hope the passions of the crowds and the under-18 roster of speakers will translate into a tipping point starting in the midterm elections this year.

People flocked, too, to a "March for Our Lives" event near the Parkland school where the massacre happened. Police presence was heavy as organizers set up and demonstrators streamed in.

Eden Kinlock, 17, came from 20 miles away to pass out water, "a small thing but it helps in the bigger picture." Many Parkland students came to the Washington rally.

Washington is generally nonchalant about protests, but Saturday's gathering prompted more attention and speculation than usual.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters released a statement on Saturday in support of the protesters.
"We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today.

Keeping our children safe is a top priority of the President¹s, which is why he urged Congress to pass the Fix NICS and STOPSchool Violence Acts, and signed them into law. Additionally, on Friday, the Department of Justice issued the rule to ban bump stocks following through on the President¹s commitment to ban devices that turn legal weapons into illegal machine guns," Walters said in a statement.

The protesters, many of them high school students, claim that the youth leadership of this initiative is what will set it apart from previous attempts to enact stronger gun-control legislation.
Polls indicate that public opinion nationwide may indeed be shifting on an issue that has simmered for generations, and through dozens of mass shootings.

A new poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 69 percent of Americans think gun laws in the United States should be tightened.

That's up from 61 percent who said the same in October of 2016 and 55 percent when the AP first asked the question in October of 2013.

Overall, 90 percent of Democrats, 50 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of gun owners now favor stricter gun control laws.

But even with claims of historic social momentum on the issue of gun control, the AP poll also found that nearly half of Americans do not expect elected officials to take action.

Among the questions facing march organizers and participants will be how to translate this one-day event, regardless of turnout, into meaningful legislative change.

One way is by channeling the current energy into the midterm congressional elections this fall.
Students in Florida have focused on youth voter registration and there will be a registration booth at the Saturday rally.

JUSTIN BLACKMAN, 16 - SOLO GUN CONTROL WALK OUT AT HIS N.C. SCHOOL

JUSTIN BLACKMAN, 16 - SOLO GUN CONTROL WALK OUT AT HIS N.C. SCHOOL:

JUSTIN, 16 OF WILSON NORTH CAROLINA, WAS THE ONLY STUDENT AT HIS SCHOOL TO WALK OUT MARCH 14th.

JUSTIN BLACKMAN, 16 HAS A VOICE & HE USED IT VIA CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE FOR NATIONWIDE GUN CONTROL.

SOMETIMES REAL LEADERS MUST BE WILLING TO STAND ALONE.

KUDOS TO JUSTIN FOR BEING COURAGEOUS & FOR CARING ABOUT HUMAN LIFE.

PRAY FOR JUSTIN’S PROTECTION BECAUSE THE NRA IS ANGRY.


Sources: Yahoo News, CNN, Youtube


****** This teen was the only student in his school to participate in the national walkout


On Wednesday, students nationwide left class to honor the 17 teenagers who died in the Parkland shooting, and to protest lax gun control laws in the United States.

But on #NationalWalkoutDay, 16-year-old Justin Blackman realized that he was the only student at Wilson Preparatory Academy in Wilson, North Carolina to participate in the protest.

"It's National Walkout Day, I'm the only one from my school out here," he said in a video he tweeted. “I’m just going to be chilling here for the next 15 minutes.”

According to CNN, about 700 students attend Wilson Preparatory Academy. Blackman was the only student to leave class. He spent 17 minutes outside, one for every person who died at Stoneman Douglas High School last month, and then walked back to his Spanish class.

The school declined to comment on the issue, but told CNN Blackman is an "independent thinker."

He didn't think that anyone would care. “There’s going to be like six people watching this hopefully," he said in the video.

Instead, Blackman received an outpouring of support from people around the country.

Lindsay Knauf, who's from Newtown, Connecticut, where the Sandy Hook school shooting occurred in 2012, thanked Blackman for standing up.

"Seeing the action that is finally taking place means the world to all of us here," she tweeted at him.

Filmmaker and A Wrinkle In Time director Ava DuVernay retweeted Blackman's video with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Alexis Tracton, a freshman at Stoneman Douglas, thanked Blackman. "I'm inspired by you for being a leader," she tweeted at him, "Every little thing makes a difference."

Since it was posted, Blackman's video was viewed more than 2.6 million times at the time of writing, and has received more than 11,000 comments.

Blackman isn't the only student to walk out alone at school; second grader Leonardo Aguilar joined the high schoolers in San Jose because he was reportedly the only one to leave his classroom.

And school officials in Sayreville, New Jersey threatened Rosa Rodriguez with suspension for leaving class, but she did it anyway.

This may be the start of Blackman's career in leadership. The high schooler runs a YouTube channel for gaming, but he's thinking about starting one dedicated to politics.

"I'm young and I HAVE A VOICE!!!!" he tweeted.

GUN CONTROL NATIONAL WALK-OUT - MARCH 14, 2018, 10:00am (GEN Y)

GUN CONTROL NATIONAL WALK-OUT - MARCH 14, 2018 - 10:00am:

GENERATION Y vs THE NRA - CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE FOR FEDERAL & NATIONWIDE GUN CONTROL LAWS.

I AM SO PROUD OF OUR BRAVE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR PUTTING PRESSURE ON CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION.

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT?

SAVING HUMAN LIVES OR CAMPAIGN MONEY FROM NRA LOBBYISTS??


Sources: ABC News, LA Times, Yahoo News, Youtube


***** Everything to know about the National School Walkout on March 14


Students, teachers, parents and administrators across the country are invited to take part in a National School Walkout in a call on Congress to pass tighter gun control laws.

The ENOUGH National School Walkout on March 14 is exactly one month after the mass shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people.

The event will be at 10 a.m. across every time zone and last 17 minutes -- one minute for each of the victims gunned down in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The walkout is organized by young people working with Women’s March Youth Empower.

Women’s March Youth Coordinator Tabitha St. Bernard Jacobs, one of the few adults helping with the youth-led movement, told ABC News that while the walkout was sparked by the Florida school shooting, the event is about calling out gun violence.

St. Bernard Jacobs said it is a way to shed light on the type of gun violence that exists not just in schools, but everyday gun violence, like shootings that impact minority communities or devastate cities like Chicago, Illinois.

Students across the country have said they will join, as well as groups from schools as far as Ireland, Switzerland and Israel.

How participants spend the 17 minutes of the walkout is up to them. Some people are doing a lie-in, while others are holding rallies, St. Bernard Jacobs said.

This isn't a protest against schools, but a way to encourage school administrators to help students "amplify their voices," she said.

She went on to add, "Some schools are looking to this as an opportunity to really educate their young people about what it means in this moment to be engaged."

Mixed emotions Stoneman Douglas Students return to class: 'School shouldn’t be a war zone'.

The March 14 event is one of many student walkouts erupting throughout the U.S. as a new generation of youth advocates lead a fierce push for gun reform. While many school districts are supportive of the protests, some schools have reportedly threatened to punish students participating in walkouts.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said schools can punish students for missing class for walkouts, but the punishment should only be because students are missing school -- it cannot be a harsher punishment because the students participated in a protest.

Dozens of colleges and universities have said they won't penalize applicants who are peaceful student protesters. Brown University, for example, posted on Twitter, "Applicants to Brown: Expect a socially conscious, intellectually independent campus where freedom of expression is fundamentally important. You can be assured that peaceful, responsible protests against gun violence will not negatively impact decisions on admission to Brown."

"That's very encouraging," St. Bernard Jacobs said of the schools supporting students' decisions to protest gun violence. "This is a moment for youth to find their voice."

JIMMY KIMMEL vs TRUMP - “YOU’VE LITERALLY DONE NOTHING” (GUN CONTROL)

JIMMY KIMMEL vs TRUMP - “YOU’VE LITERALLY DONE NOTHING” (GUN CONTROL):

KIMMEL SAID, “TELL YOUR ALLEGED CHRISTIAN BUDDIES IN CONGRESS TO DO SOMETHING”.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE KIMMEL’S BOLDNESS & HIS SINCERE PASSION.

TRUMP USED TO DISPLAY SAME BOLDNESS UNTIL HE WENT TO THE SWAMP.

DEAR GOD PLEASE HELP THOSE HURTING FAMILIES IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA.

DEAR GOD PLEASE EXPOSE THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO INFLUENCED OR PAID NICKOLAS CRUZ, 19.


Sources: NBC, CNN, WASHINGTON POST, YouTube


****** Jimmy Kimmel to Trump after school shooting: 'You've literally done nothing


An emotional Jimmy Kimmel opened his show Thursday night by speaking to both his audience and President Trump following Wednesday's school shooting that took place in Florida.

"As I'm sure you know and feel, this is another very sad day in America," Kimmel said on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" "At least 17 lives have been lost. More than a dozen people are hospitalized, and our President, as he should, weighed in on the tragic events this morning from the White House."

The host then showed clips of Trump's speech from the White House on Thursday morning in which the president said, "No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning."

"Agreed," the host responded. "Here's what you do to fix that. Tell your buddies in Congress -- tell Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio, all the family men who care so much about their communities -- that what we need are laws. Real laws that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people who are going to shoot our kids."

Authorities say that Nikolas Cruz, 19, gunned down students and staff with a rifle on Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people. It is at least the eighth shooting at a U.S. school this year.

Kimmel, who was visibly shaken, continued by speaking directly to Trump.

"Tell these Congressmen and lobbyists, who infest that swamp you said you were going to drain, force these allegedly Christian men and women who stuff their pockets with money from the NRA year after year after year to do something," he said. "Now. Not later. Now."

The host told Trump not to let anyone say that "it's too soon to be talking about it."
"Children are being murdered. Do something," Kimmel said with his voice breaking. "We still haven't even talked about it. You still haven't done anything about this. Nothing. You've literally done nothing."

Kimmel kept addressing Trump by adding that politicians and the president like to say that mass shootings are a mental health issue.

He then said that one of the first acts of Trump's presidency was to roll back a regulation designed to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill.

"Your party voted to repeal the mandates on coverage for mental health," Kimmel said. "So I agree, this is a mental illness issue because if you don't think we need to do something about it, you are obviously mentally ill."
Kimmel finished his monologue by saying that viewers could write or call their representatives to demand gun control. And if they don't listen, he said, people can vote those representatives out.

"Whatever you do, do something because I, for one, am very, very, very, very tired of this," he said before showing clips of politicians and the president saying it's too early to talk about gun control.

"Yeah, no it isn't," Kimmel said.

NIKOLAS CRUZ’S DISTURBING INSTAGRAM PAGES vs FREEDOM OF SPEECH (LAWSUITS)

NIKOLAS CRUZ’S DISTURBING INSTAGRAM PAGES vs FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

WHY DID INSTAGRAM EMPLOYEES IGNORE CRUZ’S OBSESSION WITH GUNS?

WHAT WAS CRUZ’S MOTIVE & WHO INFLUENCED HIM?

A 19-YEAR OLD COULD NOT PLAN SUCH MASS MURDER, PREMEDITATED EVIL ALL BY HIMSELF.

CRUZ’S INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK PAGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE FBI.

WHY DIDN’T FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM REPORT CRUZ TO THE FBI??

THE PARENTS OF THOSE 17 DEAD TEENS SHOULD SUE INSTAGRAM.


Sources: Telegraph.co.uk, CBS News, Fox News, TIME, Youtube


***** Nikolas Cruz: Florida school massacre suspect had 'disturbing' social media history and 'was crazy about guns'


TThe gunman who allegedly killed at least 17 people at a Florida high school on Wednesday was a former student who posted disturbing material on social media and was "crazy about guns".

Police identified the suspect as Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old who had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Miami.

The suspect was wearing a gas mask and carrying smoke grenades, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida told CNN.

Mr Nelson, who said he had been briefed by the FBI, said the attacker "set off the fire alarm so the kids would come pouring out of the classrooms into the hall. And there the carnage began."

He said he did not know if the gunman had used the smoke grenades but he assumed that's why he had a gas mask on.

Frightened students ran out onto the streets as shots rang out before SWAT team members swarmed the building.

Authorities later announced that they had taken the suspect into custody and took him to hospital after locating him in Coral Springs, a little over a mile away from the school. The gunman surrendered to police without a struggle, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.

Inside the suspect's disturbing Instagram page

The Instagram page of the alleged shooter paints a picture of a man obsessed with guns and knives.

One of the more recent posts shows target practice, captioned "Group therapy. Sometimes it really f---ing works."

Others show him posing proudly with his weapons, which include pistols and knives, and in one Instagram post, he seemingly asks followers for advice on a certain model of gun.

He also posed for selfies where he wore all black clothes and a balaclava.

One photograph shows a dead toad, which he claims to have killed.

His Instagram profile contained the word “annihilator.”

One post about purchasing a shotgun reads: “I plan on getting this but I need more information on it so if someone could give advice on how much I’m spending and background cheeks [sic] please to god let me know."

Students at the school have confirmed the Instagram page is his.

One student, who escaped the shooting, wrote on Twitter: "He literally had an Instagram where he posted pictures of animals he killed gruesomely."

Flagged as a threat

Jim Gard, a Maths teacher, said Cruz had been in his class last year.

“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” Mr Gard told the Miami Herald. “There were problems with him last year threatening students.”

However, Robert Runcie, the Broward County School District Superintendent, told reporters he was not aware of any concerns raised about the student.

“We received no warnings,” Mr Runcie said outside the school. “Potentially there could have been signs out there. But we didn't have any warning or phone calls or threats that were made.”

One student, who did not wish to be named, told TV station WSVN-7 that Cruz had said he had guns at home and talked about using them.

“He’s been a troubled kid,” the student said. “He’s always had a certain amount of issues going on. He shot guns because he felt it gave him, I guess, an exhilarating feeling.”

'Very disturbing' social media history

Mr Israel said the gunman had an AR-15 assault rifle and "countless magazines".

“We already began to dissect his websites and the things on social media that he was on and some of the things that came to mind are very, very disturbing," he said.

His Instagram account was taken down after the shooting, but screenshots were sent to various media outlets.

“Everything he posts is about weapons,” one student told ABC News. “It’s sick.”

Daniel Huerfano, a student who fled Wednesday's attack, said he recognised Cruz from an Instagram photo in which Cruz posed with a gun in front of his face. Huerfano recalled Cruz as a shy student and remembered seeing him walking around with his lunch bag.

"He was that weird kid that you see ... like a loner," he added.

One pupil said other teenagers had long thought the suspect would “shoot up the school”.

The pupil told local television station WFOR-TV: “A lot of people were saying it was going to be him. A lot of kids threw jokes around saying that he was going to be the one to shoot up the school. It turns out that everyone predicted it. That’s crazy.”

Broward County Mayor Beam Furr said during an interview with CNN that the shooter was getting treatment at a mental health clinic for a while, but that he hadn't been back to the clinic for more than a year.

"It wasn't like there wasn't concern for him," Mr Furr said. "We try to keep our eyes out on those kids who aren't connected ... Most teachers try to steer them toward some kind of connections. ... In this case, we didn't find a way to connect with this kid."

Another student, named as Brandon, was asked whether he was surprised to learn the identity of the gunman, and replied: “No.” He continued: “He told me he got kicked out of two private schools, and was held back twice. He seemed a little off.”

'Crazy about guns'

Chad Williams, 18, a senior at Stoneman Douglas High school, remembered Cruz as a troubled classmate from when they attended middle school together. He said Cruz would set off the fire alarm, day after day, and finally got expelled in the eighth grade.

More recently, Williams saw Cruz carrying several publications about guns when they ran into each other at the high school. Williams thought Cruz was there to pick up a younger sibling.

“He was crazy about guns,” Williams told Reuters, speaking by the side of the road near the high school. “He was kind of an outcast. He didn’t have many friends. He would do anything crazy for a laugh, but he was trouble.”

Victoria Olvera, a 17-year-old junior, said Cruz was expelled last school year after a fight with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. She said Cruz had been abusive to his girlfriend.

'If anyone would do it, it was him'

Dakota Mutchler, 17, said he used to be close friends with Cruz but hadn't seen him in more than a year following his expulsion from school.

"He started progressively getting a little more weird," Mutchler said. "He started going after one of my friends, threatening her, and I cut him off from there.

"I think everyone had in their minds if anybody was going to do it, it was going to be him."

Travis Julmice, an 18-year-old senior, said he had not been in a class with Cruz since middle school.

"You could tell he was a little off," Julmice told Reuters at the Coral Springs hotel. "He was always like a troubled kid, getting in-school suspension a lot. And detentions."

FLORIDA SHOOTING, 15+ DEAD, ACTION NEEDED, GUN CONTROL

FLORIDA SHOOTING, 15+ DEAD, ACTION NEEDED, GUN CONTROL:

SHOOTING SUSPECT IS NICHOLAS CRUZ, 19.

I SUPPORT 2nd AMENDMENT RIGHTS BUT GUN CONTROL SHOULD BE ENFORCED.

SOME FORM OF GUN CONTROL IS BETTER THAN NO GUN CONTROL AT ALL.

EVEN IF THE U.S. MILITARY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED.

OUR GOV’T HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.

IT’S TIME FOR MORE PRAYER.

IT’S ALSO TIME FOR A LEGISLATIVE COMPROMISE ON GUN CONTROL.

TIME FOR PRES TRUMP & CONGRESS TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED THEM INTO PUBLIC OFFICE.

NO MORE SLAUGHTER OF HUMAN LIVES VIA MASS SHOOTINGS.

DEAR GOD, HELP US ALL.


Sources: AP, CNN, Yahoo News, Youtube


****** At least 17 dead in Florida school shooting, law enforcement says


At least 17 people were killed Wednesday in a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.

The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody, the sheriff said. The sheriff said he was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons.

At least 14 people have been taken to area hospitals following the shooting, Israel said.

Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly before 3 p.m. The shooting sent students and staff streaming out of the school in a panic. Some students said a fire drill earlier in the day added to the confusion.

mmediately after the shooting, aerial footage from CNN affiliate WSVN showed people lying on the ground outside the school, being treated for injuries and moved to ambulances.

Freshman Kayden Hanafi said he heard two gunshots and saw people running out of another building on campus. As he and his classmates went into lockdown in a classroom, many thought the noise might have been firecrackers.
"It's really a blessing to still be alive," he said.

Nicole Baltzer, 18, said she was in trigonometry class about 10 minutes before the end of the school day when the fire alarm went off. As students evacuated, she heard six gunshots and everyone started running back inside the school, Baltzer told CNN's Sara Ganim.

"I heard so many gunshots, at least like six. They were very close," Baltzer said.

A police officer told her to close her eyes as she walked past a classroom with broken glass, telling her "there's nothing good to see in there," she said.
A freshman named Aidan posted a photo on social media from inside his math class while on lockdown. Since then, he has left the building.

"We have been liberated. God bless, America," Aidan tweeted after being evacuated from the building. "Love each other. You may never know when it may be the last day you meet someone."
There had been a fire drill at the school earlier in the day, leading some to believe at first that the afternoon incident was another drill, a student told CNN affiliate WSVN. "Everyone just started freaking out."
"But then word started going around that it was shots and not just, like, something else, everyone just started running towards the canal," the student said.

Parkland, with a population of 31,000 people in 2016, was named Florida's safest city last year, according to an analysis by the Washington-based National Council for Home Safety and Security, a home security industry trade association.

The south Florida city had seven reported violent crimes and 186 property crimes the previous year, according to the analysis.

Stoneman Douglas High School had an enrollment of about 3,100 students in the 2015-16 year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

As news of the shooting spread, desperate parents gathered near the property searching for their children.
Lissette Rozenblat told CNN that her daughter safely evacuated the school and took shelter at a nearby Walmart.
"She was very nervous, she said that she could hear the person who was shot crying out for help, and was just a nervous wreck," Rozenblat said.

Agents from the Miami office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are responding to the scene, a spokesman said.