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At least 17 dead in 'horrific' Florida school shooting, suspect had 'countless magazines'

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'I heard 2 pops:' High school shooting witness says



A gunman opened fire at a South Florida high school today, killing 17 people and sending students running for their lives, according to two law enforcement officers on the scene.

-- At least 17 victims were taken to Broward Health Hospitals from the incident at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, though their conditions were not immediately clear. Victims include students and adults, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

-- The suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, was taken into custody off campus. He slipped out of the school after the shooting by blending in with other students who were trying to escape, according to two law enforcement sources and an eyewitness.

-- Cruz had "countless magazines" and was believed to have an AR-15 rifle, the sheriff said.

-- The sheriff said Cruz had attended the school but was expelled for disciplinary reasons.

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Equation said:

This tragic and sad. My condolences to all the victims families.

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Equation said:

This tragic and sad. My condolences to all the victims families.

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Equation said:

This tragic and sad. My condolences to all the victims families.

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Peter Wang, Florida school shooting victim: Brave teen seen holding door open for others during shooting
Peter Wang was a freshman and member of the ROTC program at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He was remembered as a brave teen who was seen holding the door open for others during the shooting.

Johnny Diaz
South Florida Sun Sentinel

Peter Wang, 15, was a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he was a member of the JROTC program.

“He is so funny, caring and selfless,’’ said Lin Chen, Wang’s 24-year-old cousin.

She said Wang, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., was wearing his gray JROTC shirt Wednesday when the shooting happened. She said a friend of his told her Wang was holding a door to let other students out before him.

She said she wasn’t surprised to hear that.

“He is so brave. He is the person who is genuinely kind to everyone. He doesn’t care about popularity. He always liked to cheer people up. He is like the big brother everyone wished they had,’’ added Chen, who flew in from Louisiana to be with the family.

She said Wang, who enjoyed playing basketball, had two younger brothers, ages 11 and 5. His parents, who were too upset to talk, own a restaurant in West Palm Beach.

Chen said the family had planned to celebrate Chinese New Year’s eve on Thursday.

“I feel the family can never be the same,’’ said Chen.

Barbara Sharpe, principal of PenTab Academy in Miami Gardens, said Wang attended her school about 10 years ago, from pre-kindergarten to second grade.

“He was a sweet, loving child … very eager to learn,’’ she said, with a shaky voice.

She said school staffers got to know the family because they owned a Chinese restaurant across the street from the school. “His parents were very supportive and involved in his education,’’ Sharpe added.

Teachers and staff were mourning his loss Friday, she said. “We still have pictures of him at our school. Our heart is hurting. We were devastated when we saw the name,’’ Sharpe said.

Jesse Pan, a Parkland real estate agent who said he is a neighbor and friend of the teenager’s family, described Wang as “very polite, smart” and as someone who cared about people. He said Wang spoke English and Chinese.

Under a Facebook message — which read “Rest In Peace Peter!” — Pan posted photos of him at Disney World and dressed in a JROTC uniform while standing in front of an American flag.

Pan said his dream was to attend West Point military academy to be of “service to our country.”

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PanAsian said:

Just one of the 17 senselessly killed, Peter Wang's dream was to serve in the US military.

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PanAsian said:

Just one of the 17 senselessly killed, Peter Wang's dream was to serve in the US military.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

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Army awards medals to students killed in Florida shooting
By Jamie Crawford, CNN

Updated 2:36 PM ET, Tue February 20, 2018

Washington (CNN)The US Army is awarding medals for heroism to three students killed in last week's school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Alaina Petty, Peter Wang and Martin Duque, all students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, were also cadets in the school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and will receive the Medal of Heroism for their actions in last Wednesday's shooting.

Petty's family was presented with her medal at her funeral service Monday, and Wang's family was due to receive his medal at his service Tuesday morning, where Wang was to be buried in his JROTC uniform, according to Army spokesman Michael Maddox.

"The JROTC Heroism medal will be on his uniform, but a second 'keepsake' medal," will be given to the Wang family, Maddox said.
Duque's family will be presented with his medal during a service on Saturday.

Separately, the United States Military Academy at West Point announced Tuesday it would posthumously offer acceptance to Wang, according to a statement from the academy.

"Peter Wang, an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, had a lifetime goal to attend USMA and was posthumously offered admission for his heroic actions on Feb. 14, 2018," the statement said.

Wang was shot repeatedly while holding a door open to let other people escape. "He died a gentleman holding the door for other students," his classmate Kelsey Friend told CNN after the shooting.

Awards for other possible cadets are going through the review process. Maddox said the current focus is on "supporting the funerals and dignity and honor, so deserved by these cadets and their families."

According to the Army, the Medal of Heroism is awarded to a JROTC cadet "who performs an act of heroism."

"The achievement must be an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding that it clearly sets the individual apart from fellow students or from other persons in similar circumstances," according to the criteria laid out by the Army. "The performance must have involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy fortitude and courage."

Seventeen people were killed in the shooting.

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US Secret Service denies China nuclear football ‘skirmish’

The US Secret Service denied Monday reports that one of its agents and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly wrestled with Chinese security officials over the “nuclear football” during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing in November.

Chinese security officials blocked the US military aide carrying the briefcase that carries the procedures and communications equipment that allow the US leader to launch nuclear missiles as the official entered the Great Hall, according to the Axios news website. Then there was a commotion as Kelly got all the US officials accompanying the president to move toward the site of the nuclear football, Axios said, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the events. A Chinese security official “grabbed” Kelly, who “shoved” the man’s hand off of his body, according to Axios, which said a US Secret Service agent then tackled the Chinese official to the ground.

The Secret Service denied the website’s characterization of the events.

“FACT CHECK: Reports about Secret Service agents tackling a host nation official during the President’s trip to China in Nov 2017 are false,” it said on Twitter.

In a separate statement, the presidential law enforcement agency provided further details about the incident.

“An individual, not part of the official delegation, attempted to prevent one of our protectees from entering a room,” it said.

“A US Secret Service agent quickly intervened and a short scuffle ensued.”

However, the Secret Service added, “the individual complied with the agent’s directions and no further action was necessary. At no time did anyone involved fall to the ground. The event continued without incident.”

Axios reported that US officials who learned about the incident were told to keep the information to themselves, adding that the Chinese did not have the nuclear football with them at any point or touch the briefcase at all.

The head of the Chinese security detail apologized to the Americans for the misunderstanding after the incident, it added.

The nuclear football bag, aluminum-framed and weighing 45 pounds (20 kilograms) goes everywhere the president goes, carried by a military aide.

The football has been omnipresent with the leader of the world’s most powerful nation since around 1963, according to Smithsonian magazine.

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