Nikolas Cruz's mental instability sadly stripped the future of 17 bright students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The infamous massacre left 17 people dead and numerous others injured following the tragic rebellion by the former student of the school. Cruz stormed through the school with an AR-15 Rifle, shortly before the end of the school day, at 2:20 pm on Wednesday, February 14th.

The ongoings of this horrific event have been described by Isabella Gomez, a tenth-grade student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on NBC News: "We were in class and it was just a normal day, and the fire alarm went off, we thought nothing of it, I was just thinking wow this is a really late fire drill.

So we all started rushing outside, people were screaming and we were like, oh my gosh maybe it's a real fire. We all started going down the back staircase to the second floor, once we reached the second floor, we heard loud sounds like 'pow pow pow' at least three in a row. So I started to grab the door and we all started running. As soon as we were on our way up to the third floor, we just heard the guy open the back door of the staircase, where we were, and he started shooting. We all started running, ran into our classrooms, dove in, as soon as we closed the doors, I don't know who couldn't make it in, the girls, but all you could hear was screaming and shooting once we closed the doors...bodies were just there covered in blood."

Isabella presumed she and her fellow peers would be victimized next, therefore like many other students that day, she frantically contacted her family, she states, "First I texted my brother saying 'I love you, if I don't make it home, know I love you and I'm sorry, thank you for everything'.

I called my Mom and said, "Mom there's a school shooter, I don't know if I am going to make it out, I am hiding behind a desk." I never thought I would have to say that to my mom, I felt so bad."

Nikolas Cruz

AL Jazeera news identified the suspect as a 19-year-old boy that was earlier expelled from the school, where he used a deadly firearm against his fellow students.

His former teacher Alicia described him as, "a very quiet student, he has a Hispanic background, I remember that he didn't like to speak Spanish much, I think there was some pride issue there. He didn't feel comfortable in his own skin, his own culture.'

It has been reported that mental health facilitators from South Florida were contacted for a psychiatric evaluation in 2016, after a concerning Snapchat video by Nikolas.

The video showed Nikolas claiming that he wanted to buy a gun and displayed cuts on his arm. However, after speaking to Cruz, Henderson Behavioural Health professionals decided not to take any further action. They deemed him 'Stable enough to not be hospitalized.'

Lynda Cruz, Nikolas's adoptive mother who died from pneumonia in November 2017, told investigators in 2016 that Nikolas suffered from ADHD, depression, and Autism insisting he received necessary medication; which according to the report he was consistently taking.

The report by Henderson Behavioral Health professionals was brought to the attention of the Florida Department of Children and Families by a school counselor from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The counselor wanted to ensure that that the former report was not premature, hence investigated further. The report noted that 'Mr. Cruz has fresh cuts on both his arms' and in 2015 'a Nazi symbol was drawn on his book bag' as well as 'hate signs of his book bag stating, I hate n----s'. Despite these red alert signs, the case was 'closed with no indicators to support the allegations of inadequate supervision and medical neglect.'

Officials that investigated Cruz's social media found some 'disturbing posts', as well as Snapchat, and there was also a YouTube post by the alleged suspect stating "I'm going to be a professional school shooter."

National Rifle Association

Various attacks have also imposed liability towards America's National Rifle Association.

Clearly, research suggests that many were culpable for this heinous act as well as the suspect himself. Students held a protest outside the White House in order for lawmakers to re-evaluate Gun Laws. The national outcry and an array of vigils and protests held by students and families, has led to White House raising the minimum age for Gun Sales.

Sarah Huckabee, The White House Press Secretary, stated that although Trump is still in support of the concept, It is something that is being discussed. Trump is reported to have said, although no official Bill has been passed as yet, that 'It should be 21 and the NRA will support that."
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