An ongoing search takes place currently at Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida. Broward Sherriff’s Office already accounted 20 victims who were injured by the shooter, which is claimed to be still at large. Authorities urged people to stay away from the area and tweeted the teachers to remain with their students inside the school, barricaded, until police reached them.
Forces attending the issue include the Coral Springs Police Department, the FBI, which is also assisting local law enforcement. The White House Deputy Press Secretary, Lindsay Walters stated:
“The president has been made aware of the school shooting in Florida. We are monitoring the situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected.”
Ongoing evacuation
Video footage from the crime scene shows how small groups of students are evacuated, alongside armed police, which is currently patrolling the school’s perimeters. The parents of the children who attend Stoneman Douglas High School are gathered outside the boundary marked by the police.
The local Fox News affiliate reported to the Associated Press that the people that were injured are being treated outside the school. The shooter, unfortunately, remains at large, and the children, according to some of the worrying and awaiting parents are terrified, they heard gunshots, and some of them are still locked inside their classrooms.
As expected, while some of the students were lined up, calmly walking outside the perimeter and lead by the police, others were hysterical, running out of the building with their bookbags as authorities carrying guns crowded the school.
Parents can only wait
One of the students texted her mother to stay away from the area since it was dangerous. Still, her mother told the press she ‘obviously’ would not stay away, considering it is her daughter who is in danger being inside the school attacked by a shooter.
Live updates are written by CBS News as the press tries to keep the situation reported, they claim that the number of victims actually goes up to 50 and the magnitude of their wounds is unknown. They search for a male shooter so far.
Parents are trying to communicate with their kids since most of them are afraid to even to talk on the phone so they text, just like Cesar Figueroa’s daughter, who hid in a closet with a friend after hearing the gunshots. She then texted her father about the situation, but minutes later stopped, Figueroa said:
“It’s the worst nightmare not hearing from my daughter for 20 minutes, it was the longest 20 minutes of my life.”
According to CBS:
“Emergency medical personnel pulled stretchers from the backs of ambulances as police cars surrounded the parking lot. At least one person was seen being wheeled to the ambulance on a gurney.”
Still, as parents feel frustrated since all they can do is wait, authorities are also dealing with them, explaining that they understand that as parents they are worried for their children, however, the school needs to remain lockdown as a precaution.
Source: ABC News