Florida lawmakers send gun-control bill to governor, includes plan to arm teachers
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The Florida Senate passed a $400 million security package that will impose longer waiting periods for gun purchases and allow some teachers and staff to carry guns in the classroom.
USA TODAY
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House sent the state’s first gun control measures in 22 years to Gov. Rick Scott on a  67-50 vote Wednesday. The measure that also creates a school marshal program to arm classroom teachers comes three weeks after 17 were slain at a Parkland high school.
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was Florida’s third mass shooting since 2016. Added to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in June 2016 and the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting in January 2017, 71 people have died in mass shootings.Â
Scott said he will read the bill and talk with family members of those killed before he decides whether to sign or veto the measure.
“I’m going to take the time to read the bill,†said Scott. “I have been clear. I don’t believe we should be arming teachers.â€
Scott wants more school resource officers instead of teachers with guns. He proposed one sucg officer under control of the local sheriff for every 1,000 students.
It includes a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases, raises the minimum age to 21 to purchase a gun and gives police more authority to confiscate weapons.
The Legislature lined up behind a first-in-the-nation school marshal plan that would arm teachers after a teenager used a semi-automatic rifle to hunt down 17 students and teachers at a Parkland high school three weeks ago.
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fla. couple who took in school shooter testify | 1:34
James and Kimberly Snead, the couple who gave Nikolas Cruz a home after his mother died late last year, testified before the grand jury Wednesday. (March 7)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
‘It was very hard to see her empty desk in several of my classes’ | 1:10
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School seniors Simon Hoo and Julia Bishop share their struggle with the loss of friends in the shooting and how they’re rebuilding together as a “family.â€
USA TODAY
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‘Today was my first day back after the shooting’ | 1:51
Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School share their experiences on their first day back and explain their mission to create change. Get to know them as they will continue to voice their personal journeys across the USA Today Network.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Flood of emotions for Stoneman Douglas mothers | 1:47
The road to recovery is only beginning for students, teachers and parents in Parkland, Florida. Many are re-living the horror of what happened at Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day. (Mar. 1)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Students wary to return after Florida shooting | 2:12
Students try to keep their emotions in check as they head back to school two weeks after 17 students and teachers were killed in a Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school (Feb 28)
AP
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Superintendent ‘inspired’ by Florida students | 2:08
Superintendent Robert Runcie said about 95% of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students have returned to school, two weeks after a shooting killed 17. Runcie said he’s happy to see the students reunite and is inspired by those who have spoken out. (Feb. 28)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fla. students return to school after shooting | 1:46
There’s heavy security at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as classes resumed for the first time since 17 students and teachers were killed by a teenager with an AR-15, thrusting them into the center of the nation’s gun debate. (Feb. 28)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
School prepares to re-open after mass shooting | 1:46
For students, parents and teachers of Parkland, Florida the shock has subsided as the Stoneman Douglas High School doors will open for the first time since 17 people lost their lives in a mass shooting two weeks ago. (Feb. 27)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Cruz reportedly tried to access $800,000 inheritance before shooting | 0:56
Accused Florida gunman Nikolas Cruz, reportedly tried to get his hands on his $800,000 inheritance, and he still has a chance to see it through. Nathan Rousseau Smith reports.
Buzz60
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida school shooting survivor ‘grateful to be here’ | 1:19
Madeleine Wilford thanked first responders and doctors for saving her life after she was shot multiple times at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Trump: I would have run into school during shooting even without a gun | 0:58
Meeting with the nation’s governors, President Trump once again criticized the Parkland school’s deputy for inaction, claiming had he been there he would have run inside. Nathan Rousseau Smith has the story.
Buzz60
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First Lady Melania Trump heartened by children speaking out | 1:20
First Lady Melania Trump said she has, “been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change” in the wake of the deadly shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. (Feb. 26)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Students, teachers return to Florida school | 0:39
Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and staff members were killed returned Sunday for an orientation to help with transition back to class. (Feb. 25)
AP
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Winfrey praises Florida students | 1:24
In an interview for her new movie ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ Oprah Winfrey compares the outspoken students of Parkland, Florida to civil rights pioneers. She also talks about donating $500,000 to the March for Our Lives movement. (Feb. 25)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Sheriff: Deputy never entered school in shooting | 1:15
A Florida sheriff says the deputy who was on duty at a high school where 17 people were massacred waited outside the building for about four minutes without ever going in. (Feb. 22)
AP
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Trump: Florida deputy did a ‘poor job’ | 2:39
President Donald Trump says the armed officer who didn’t stop the gunman responsible for last week’s Florida massacre was either a “coward†or “didn’t react properly under pressure.†He made the comments as he departed for the CPAC conference. (Feb. 23)
AP
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One-third of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of Fla. shooting | 0:52
President Donald Trump has received a lot of criticism for the way he has handled the aftermath of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Susana Victoria Perez (@susana_vp) has more.
Buzz60
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Florida governor proposes plan to prevent gun violence | 1:22
After the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Gov. Rick Scott unveiled a $500 million plan to address safety in schools.
USA TODAY
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Officer says wounded Fla. student gave key details | 1:38
An off-duty police officer who was on a Florida high school campus during a mass shooting says a wounded student provided “spot on” detail about the shooter. (Feb. 23)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Parents test school security after Fla. massacre | 1:34
In the wake of the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school, many parents are concerned their child’s school security isn’t up to par. A few are even going as far as testing it themselves. (Feb. 23)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Broward County Sheriff: Armed school officer ‘never went in’ | 1:07
Video footage has surfaced of Scot Peterson, the armed school resource officer who resigned after Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said he failed to confront the alleged gunman in last week’s school massacre. (Feb. 23)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Donald Trump: Security guards don’t love schoolchildren | 2:04
President Donald Trump said security guards typically don’t know and don’t love the children at schools as he advocated arming certain teachers to increase school safety and protect children from mass shootings. (Feb. 23)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Barack Obama tweets ‘We’ve got your backs’ in support of Fla. students | 0:58
The Florida Parkland shooting survivors have a supporter in former President Barack Obama. Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) has all the details.
Buzz60
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Cop communication issue during Fla. shooting | 1:17
Coral Springs Police Chief Tony Pustizzi said during a Thursday news conference that there was a communication issue between officers on the day of the Florida school shooting. (Feb. 22)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida school gets powerful message from former students | 3:55
Alumni of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School banded together to share a powerful message with the world: “Change has to happen, and Douglas is gonna be the school that makes it happen.”
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Mourners return to Stoneman Douglas High School | 0:54
Mourners have been building a makeshift memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida for the 17 people shot and killed in the school last week. (Feb. 21)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Oprah will match Amal and George Clooney’s donation to Parkland march | 0:46
Oprah is joining the Clooney’s in donating $500,000 to support of the survivors of the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida. Rob Smith has the story.
Buzz60
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Chelsea Clinton targets right-winger who targeted FL shooting survivor | 0:46
Chelsea Clinton called out Jim Hoft, founder of Right-Wing website Gateway Pundit, for going after a survivor of the Parkland Florida school shooting. Veuer’s Sam Berman has the full story.
Buzz60
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15-year-old Fla. JROTC shooting victim remembered | 0:47
Friends and family of 15-year-old Peter Wang, who was shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week, gathered to say their final goodbyes at his funeral service Tuesday. (Feb. 20)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fla. students walk-out to show solidarity | 1:27
In a show of solidarity, students from West Boca Raton High School walked out of their classrooms Tuesday, bound for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland, where 17 students were gunned down in their classrooms last week. (Feb. 20)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Raw: Vigils in Florida honor shooting victims | 1:00
Candlelight vigils were held in a number of Florida locations on Monday night, to honor the victims of last week’s deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. (Feb. 20)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Angry cries from Fla. students spark national movement | 2:07
There’s a rally for change after the mass-shooting in Parkland, Florida. Students are speaking up and taking action.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fla. community getting help in shooting aftermath | 1:53
Groups with experience from previous school shootings are helping a Florida community cope with the aftermath the latest devastating attack 17 dead. (Feb. 19)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Children react to Florida mass shooting | 1:21
Parkland, Florida community members made a memorial for the victims of the high school shooting that killed 17 people. (Feb. 18)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida school shooting suspect back in court | 2:44
Nikolas Cruz, the man accused of shooting and killing 17 at a Florida high school was back in court Monday for a status hearing. (Feb. 19)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida shooting survivors: Not going to school until Congress acts | 0:38
Several of the Florida high school shooting survivors say they will not go back to school until Congress takes action by passing new gun legislation.
Buzz60
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Accused Florida shooter was a ‘monster living under our roof’ | 1:57
Accused Florida shooter, Nikolas Cruz, is being called a monster by many, including the couple who was taking care of him after the death of his mother.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Funeral held for Florida school shooting victim | 0:49
A funeral was held in Parkland, Fla., on Sunday for Jaime Guttenberg, 14, who was killed in last week’s school shooting. (Feb. 18)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Teen gives emotional speech at gun control rally after mass shooting | 0:53
Thousands gathered in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, some 25 miles where 17 people were shot and killed at a high school.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Trump visits first responders in Fla. shooting | 1:15
President Donald Trump visited the Broward County Sheriff’s Office to praise the first responders for their work at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Friday. (Feb. 16)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
FBI failed to investigate tip about accused Florida school shooter | 1:23
The FBI admitted Friday that it received a detailed tip about accused Florida school shooter Nikloas Cruz in January but failed to follow up and investigate.
Time
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Florida school shooting victims remembered as ‘hero,’ ‘baby girl,’ ‘sweet angel’ | 5:02
A beloved coach. A senior headed to college on a swimming scholarship. These are the 17 fatalities of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Trump praises medical personnel at Florida hospital | 1:11
President Donald Trump visited a Florida hospital Friday to thank medical professionals who helped the wounded in a horrific high school shooting, coming face-to-face with first responders in the deadly assault. (Feb. 16)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Friend says shooting victim ‘in a safer place’ | 0:48
Funerals for the 17 victims of a school shooting rampage have begun in Southern Florida. Meadow Pollack was talking with her friend, David Zafrani, minutes before the shooting took place in which she passed away.
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Sheriff’s office got 20 past calls about shooter | 1:26
Sheriff Scott Israel says his office received about 20 calls in the past few years about the suspect accused of killing 17 people at a high school in Florida. He told a news conference that his office would be investigating these previous calls.
AP
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Sales of bulletproof backpacks spike following Florida shooting | 0:50
Following the tragic shooting death of at least 17 students and teachers at a south Florida high school, sales of bulletproof backpacks are on the rise. Nathan Rousseau Smith has the story.
Buzz60
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Florida teachers recount moment school shooter opened fire | 2:23
Teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School continued to express shock at Wednesday’s shooting rampage that left 17 people dead and more than a dozen others wounded.
AP
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Kentucky town holds vigil, shares bond with Fla. | 1:00
A vigil for the victims of the Florida high school shooting was held in Benton, Kentucky on Thursday night. Benton was the scene of a school shooting that killed two people in January. (Feb. 16)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fla. residents gather for prayer service | 1:51
Grieving residents gathered in Parkland, Florida on Thursday afternoon for a prayer service, a day after a suspect went on a deadly shooting rampage in a nearby high school. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Suspected Florida shooter Instagrammed ‘killing animals’ | 1:33
19-year-old Nikolas Cruz is described by his classmates and investigators as a troubled teen with a history of “disturbing” posts on social media. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in Wednesday’s Florida high school shooting.
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida school shooting: A timeline | 2:35
From the time Nikolas Cruz entered the building until the time he left, only six minutes passed. During that brief time, he allegedly shot more than two dozen students and teachers, 17 of them fatally. (Feb. 16)
AP
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Raw: ‘No more guns’ chanted at Florida vigil | 0:30
The crowd at a vigil in Parkland, Florida for the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims chanted ‘no more guns’ on Thursday night. (Feb. 16)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Attorney: School Shooter on Suicide Watch | 1:45
Executive Chief Public Defender Gordon Weekes told reporters Thursday that Nikolas Cruz has given authorities “a number of indications” that he is suicidal, and has been put on suicide watch. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
After shooting, Fla. community calls for action | 2:35
At least 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil near Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida Thursday night, sobbing openly as the victims’ names were read aloud and cheering the mention of new gun laws. (Feb. 16)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fl. school shooter held on 17 counts of murder | 2:20
A Florida judge has ordered that the suspect in a deadly shooting at a high school will be held without bond on 17 counts of murder. 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed during the Thursday hearing. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Thousands attend candlelight vigil to mourn Florida shooting victims | 0:38
Thousands of grieving students, family members and school staff joined a candlelight vigil Thursday night for the victims of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Time
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Shooter asked about mental health in buying gun | 1:27
Attorneys for Michael Morrison, the owner of the gun shop that sold the weapon involved in Wednesday’s mass shooting, say Nikolas Cruz was asked to show an I.D. and answer questions about his mental health during the transaction. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Fl. School Shooter Held on 17 Counts of Murder | 2:20
A Florida judge has ordered that the suspect in a deadly shooting at a high school will be held without bond on 17 counts of murder. 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed during the Thursday hearing. (Feb. 15)
AP
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Expert: Not enough done to stop Fla. shooting | 1:30
Security expert and former DEA Special Agent David Katz says authorities could have done more to prevent Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Florida high school. (Feb. 15)
AP
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Fla. students mourn lives lost in shooting | 1:07
Students console one another as they remember lives lost in deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida. (Feb. 15)
AP
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Officer: Suspect looked like a typical student | 0:49
The police officer who arrested the high school shooting suspect in Florida says the teen looked like a “typical high school student” when he spotted him walking away from the school. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Student recounts Fla. school shooting experience | 1:38
A junior at the Florida high school where 17 people were killed says she’s ‘traumatized and heartbroken’ this happened. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Pelosi, Ryan differ in school massacre response | 1:40
Democrats and Republicans are taking different tacks in responding to Wednesday’s school massacre. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is pushing legislation, while House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “we need to think less about taking sides.” (Feb. 15)
AP
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Trump: School shooting ‘Terrible violence, evil’ | 2:43
President Donald Trump says Wednesday’s mass shooting turned a Florida school into a “scene of terrible violence, hatred and evil.” (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Surviving student: ‘This is not acceptable!’ | 1:35
David Hogg, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School recorded video of his barricaded classmates during Wednesday’s massacre in Parkland, Fla. One day later, he said, “this is completely unacceptable.”
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
The FBI may have known about Florida school shooter | 1:44
New reports reveal alleged south Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz was actually on the FBI’s radar, students joked he would quote “shoot up the school†one day, and his step-mom died of the flu.
Buzz60
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Raw: School shooting suspect brought to jail | 1:06
Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was brought to the Broward County jail and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder Thursday morning. (Feb. 15)
AP
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‘I can’t do it, Wolf.’ FBI agent breaks down over Fla. school shooting | 0:31
Phil Mudd, a veteran counterterrorism expert and former FBI agent broke down in tears during a live CNN segment on the deaths of 17 people at a school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
Time
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida students describe school shooting | 1:20
Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida are describing the shooting that left 17 people dead on Wednesday. Police say 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and teachers with a semi-automatic weapon. (Feb. 15)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Trump reportedly could visit area of Florida school shooting | 0:49
President Trump’s weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago could also include a visit to the area of the mass shooting in Florida. Veuer’s Nick Cardona has that story.
Buzz60
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Florida school shooting: Rick Scott gives briefing | 4:15
Gov. Rick Scott gives a briefing from Broward Health North following the school shooting in Parkland.
Dorothy Edwards/Naples Daily News
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Lawyer: Suspect’s family shocked after shooting | 2:00
An attorney representing the family that Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was living with says the family is shocked and didn’t believe Cruz could be dangerous.
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida school shooting witnesses detail horrific events | 0:53
A former student went on a shooting rampage at a Florida high school, leaving 17 dead while panicked students barricaded themselves inside classrooms and frantic parents raced to the scene.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Broward hospital prepared for Florida school shooting victims | 1:19
Broward hospital officials say they ‘run drills at their institutions to be ready for instances’ like the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead and many more injured. (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Students describe scene at Florida school shooting | 1:44
Parents are being reunited with their kids at a South Florida hotel near the scene where 17 died in a school shooting. (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Sheriff: 17 dead in school shooting | 2:16
Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County says the 19-year-old suspect is in custody and that investigators are beginning to “dissect” what happened in the attack Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida shooting: News conference from Broward hospital | 7:44
Doctors treated 8 patients and the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, at Broward Health North after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14, 2018.
MELISSA E. HOLSMAN/TCPALM
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Man near Florida school saw shooting suspect arrest | 0:51
Michael Nembhard was sitting in his garage watching live coverage of the school shooting that happened at a Florida high school Wednesday when he heard a police officer yelling “Get on the ground!”
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Several dead, many injured in mass shooting at Florida high school | 0:32
Several people are injured after a shooting at a south Florida high school, and the suspect is still at large, police said.
USA TODAY
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Florida students describe hearing gunshots | 2:23
Students attending the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are describing hearing multiple shots during a shooting at their South Florida high school Wednesday. (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Nelson: Fla. shooting ‘worst’ possible outcome | 0:53
Florida Senator Bill Nelson says the latest school shooting in his state is ‘the worst of all possible outcomes.’ (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Authorities: Florida high school shooting suspect in custody | 1:47
Authorities say the shooter at a South Florida high school is now in custody. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office gave no details in tweeting that development. It did not identify the shooting suspect. (Feb. 14)
AP
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
What to know about the active shooter situation at Florida high school | 0:58
Police are responding to reports of an active shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. As of 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the shooter was still on the loose, authorities said.
Time
CLOSEFATAL MASS SHOOTING AT PARKLAND, FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
Students flee Florida high school after shooting | 2:59
A shooting at a Florida high school sent students rushing out into the streets as SWAT team members swarmed in. (Feb. 14)
AP
More: Nikolas Cruz indicted on 17 murder counts in Florida school shooting
More: Gun control momentum ‘didn’t happen out of the blue’: Why Parkland’s different
More: After Florida shooting, more than 600 copycat threats have targeted schools
Eligible to carry guns into schools would be a teacher who is a member of the U.S. Reserves or National Guard, in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, or is a current or former law enforcement officer. Staff members could volunteer for the program, but classroom teachers who exclusively perform instruction would be blocked from the program.
While Parkland parents got behind the bill, educators and teachers’ unions voiced opposition to the plan.
“The Leon Classroom Teachers Association does not want anyone in the schools with a weapon who is not a sworn law enforcement officer,†said Scott Mazur, LCTA President. “There’s good and bad in this bill. I guess it comes down to morals.”
The marshal program, which was renamed the “guardian program,” was one of three objections opponents used to try to kill the bill. Another was the House’s refusal to ban assault weapons. Others wanted to reject new restrictions on access to guns. They said they saw no need to punish law-abiding citizens for the act of a madman.
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Parkland student newspaper scoops world on DeVos visit
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“This giant gun package has been cobbled together with half-baked ideas that haven’t been fully vetted and is being crammed down our throats,†said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando. “We need more time if we want a comprehensive approach to address the epidemic of gun violence in Florida.”
But supporters said they could not walk away from nearly a half-billion dollars for school security and mental health programs.Â
“If you vote against this proposal it will be because you did not get everything you wanted,†said Rep. George Moriatis, R-Fort Lauderdale. “There is always next year, members.â€
While the House debated the proposal, parents who lost children at Stoneman Douglas lobbied the governor, lawmakers and the media to approve the bill saying, “there is enough good in the middle of this bill that everyone can agree on.â€Â
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“We have different opinions, different backgrounds,†said Ryan Petty, one of the 17 Stoneman Douglas families, and signed a letter backing the proposal.
“(But) We came together and are united behind this legislation and our ask is the Florida House come together as the families have done and pass this bill,’’ said Petty, whose 14-year old daughter was killed in the shooting.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act provides:
• $400 million for mental health and school safety programs
• $98 million to make schools more physically secured
• $87 million to establish a Safe Schools program
• $69 million for mental health assistance
• $25 million to replace the classroom building where the massacre occurred
• $18.3 million for mobile crisis teams
• $500,000 for mental health first aid training
The measure also contains new gun regulations:
• a minimum age of 21 to purchase a gun
• a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases
• easier confiscation of firearms by law enforcement in cases of threats against individuals and public safety.
Throughout the day Republican supporters worked opponents on both sides of the aisle to not derail the proposal over Second Amendment concerns.
“It does not infringe on your constitutional rights,†said Rep. Rick Roth, R-Loxahatchee, in a rare floor speech by the first-term legislator.Â
“It’s better to vote yes today for something that is certain and in your hands right now,†he advised the Second Amendment advocates. “If we totally fail this year, then next year we could get something worse for you, my conservative friends, than what we have today.â€
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Incoming House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami, said he does not think the Legislature is done with guns and violence.
“It will continue into years to come,†said Oliva Tuesday night. “This is a conversation that just started and I think you will see it spill into future sessions.â€
For now, all eyes are on Scott.
Reporters pressed him after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting while the debate raged in the House chambers on whether he will sign a bill that allows some teachers to carry a firearm into the classroom.
In a 3-minute, 30-second exchange with reporters, Scott repeated nine times: “… I am going to take the time to read the bill and talk to families.”
Scott will have 10 days to sign or veto it or it becomes law without his signature.
Posted!
Julia Salomone, 18, front row left, Lindsey Salomone, 15, front row right, Jose Iglesias, 17, second row left, and Isabelle Robinson, 17, second row right, student survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and faculty were killed in a mass shooting on Wednesday, talk on their bus between Parkland, Fla., and Tallahassee, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018, to rally outside the state capitol and talk to legislators about gun control reform. Â
Madyson Kravitz, 16, right, and Melanie Weber, 16, students who survived the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, wait to board buses in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018. Â
Camila Valladares, 9, and brother Miguel Piacquadio, 25, light a candle at a memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018, in response to a shooting at the high school Wednesday that took 17 lives.Â
Isabella Vanderlaat, 15, and Gabriella Benzeken 15, both students of Scott Beigel, the 35-year-old geography teacher who was killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, attend the funeral service at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2018.Â
Taylor Green, 19, from right, Victoria Mejia, 15, Ashley Laurent, 20, and Ashley Hernandez, 16, get emotional while listening to speeches during a gun control rally in front of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Feb. 17, 2018.Â
Max Charles, second from right, 14, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., speaks to members of the media after being picked up by family members at a nearby hotel, in Coral Springs, Fla. A former student opened fire at the Florida high school Wednesday, killing more than a dozen people and sending scores of students fleeing into the streets in the nation’s deadliest school shooting since a gunman attacked an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.Â
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Follow James Call on Twitter: @CallTallahassee
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