Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz had an additional 180 rounds of ammunition remaining in his gun when he stopped shooting and fled Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.
Cruz could have exacted a far deadlier toll at the school had he not stopped when he did, a law enforcement official told CNN.
The official said Cruz had etched swastikas into the side of the magazines that contained the left over ammunition.
It is still not clear to the public why Cruz put his gun down when he did.
Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz had an additional 180 rounds of ammunition remaining in his gun when he stopped shooting and fled Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14
Cruz cold have exacted a far deadlier toll at the school had he not stopped when he did, a law enforcement official told CNN. The official said Cruz had etched swastikas into the side of the magazines that contained the left over ammunition
Cruz also attempted to shatter a hurricane window on the third floor in the teacher’s lounge during the shooting. Had he succeeded in breaking the window he could have killed many more people, who likely wouldn’t’ have been able to pinpoint where the bullets were coming from
These new revelations about the capabilities of the shooter and the lengths he’d gone to before the massacre come as lawmakers were weighing a series of different proposals to how to respond to the tragic event.
It also comes after it was revealed that Cruz attempted to shatter a hurricane window on the third floor in the teacher’s lounge during the shooting.
He shot at the window, which refused to break, because it overlooked a courtyard where students and faculty members were running for their lives out of the school.
Had he succeeded in breaking the window he could have killed many more people, who likely wouldn’t’ have been able to pinpoint where the bullets were coming from.
Police have also wondered if he wanted to use that vantage point to kill first responders who arrived on the scene to help the victims.
Police have also wondered if he wanted to use that vantage point to kill first responders who arrived on the scene to help the victims. People are pictured visiting a memorial in front of the high school
One of Cruz’s former neighbors Joelle Guarino said she tried to warn authorities about Cruz as early as seven years ago
The massacre has called for tougher gun laws across the country at the state and national level. Pictured is a memorial which sees 17 stuffed animals for the lives lost in the shooting
One of Cruz’s former neighbors Joelle Guarino said she tried to warn authorities about Cruz as early as seven years ago.
She told CNN from age 12 he displayed troubling behavior and began stealing things from her. Guarino also said she was worried Nikolas would kill her dog.
Then two years ago when she saw his Instagram posts that said he couldn’t wait to buy a gun and talked about wanting to be a school shooter, Guarino said she contacted police but was told he didn’t represent an imminent threat.
The massacre has called for tougher gun laws across the country at the state and national level. In Florida, the calls are particularly strong and urgent, because the states’ last legislative session is set for March 9.
The state House Appropriations Committee has passed a stripped-down bill, but the more substantial Senate Bill will be taken up by the Senate Appropriations Committee in the coming days.
A provision to permanently ban the sale of assault-style rifles has been removed from the bills being considered.