Shooting at Florida High School; Numerous Fatalities Being Reported

School is Currently in Lockdown

UPDATE: Police are now reporting 17 fatalities in this shooting incident.

PARKLAND, Fla.-A school official says there are numerous fatalities from the high school shooting in South Florida.

Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie says “There are numerous fatalities. It is a horrific situation.” He added, “It is a horrible day for us.”

The tweet added: “Victims have been and continue to be transported to Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Health North hospital.”

A suspect has been taken into custody. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says the shooting suspect is an 18-year-old former student at the South Florida school where the shooting erupted.

He says the teen was arrested without incident after he was located off the school grounds in a nearby community. He didn’t give details of when the suspect had attended the school. But the sheriffs says the suspect wasn’t currently enrolled.

“I don’t know why he left,” Israel said, briefing reporters Wednesday afternoon.

He also says the shooter was outside and inside the school at points during the attack. He didn’t elaborate.

Len Murray’s 17-year-old son, a junior at the South Florida high school where shooting was reported, sent his parents a chilling text: “Mom and Dad, there have been shots fired on campus at school. There are police sirens outside. I’m in the auditorium and the doors are locked.”

Those words came at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. A few minutes later, he texted again: “I’m fine.”

Murray raced to the school only to be stopped by authorities under a highway overpass within view of the school buildings in Parkland.

No information was immediately given to parents, Len Murray says. And he says he remained worried for all those inside.

“I’m scared for the other parents here. You can see the concern in everybody’s faces. Everybody is asking, ‘Have you heard from your child yet?”’