Florida HS Shooting Suspect Is Ex-Student With AR-15

A sheriff says 17 people have died in Wednesday's shooting attack on a South Florida high school, the AP reports. Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County says that 12 of the 17 confirmed deaths were found inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. But he says the attack began outside the school. Israel says two more dead were found just outside the school and one more in a nearby street. He says two other people died later under medical treatment.

A federal official has identified the suspect as 19-year-old Nicolas Cruz. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The official says he had been briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Israel says the suspect, a former student, was previously expelled for disciplinary reasons. He says the shooter had at least one AR-15 rifle as well as multiple magazines. Israel says the suspect was checked out at a hospital after his arrest and is now being held at a secure location in a public building.