As a shooter remains at large at a southern Florida high school, one mother recalls the chilling messages she received from her daughter, a student at the Parkland school.
The shooting broke out at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday afternoon close to dismissal. Students and staff heard the gunfire and at least 14 people have been injured from the incident, the Broward Sheriff’s Office has confirmed.
Videos by PopCulture.com
One mom was at the nail salon when she saw the breaking news alert on television, then she began receiving texts from her daughter who attends the school.
“She keeps telling me to stay away. Be safe mom, you stay away. And I’m telling her, no, Crystal, I’m your mother, I’m not staying away,” the parent told ABC News while standing near the scene.
Mother says daughter at high school keeps texting her, “telling me to stay away. Be safe mom, you stay away. And I’m telling her, no, Crystal, I’m your mother, I’m not staying away.” https://t.co/Luvyuv8GaA pic.twitter.com/6ReuUdE2AG
— ABC News (@ABC) February 14, 2018
Aerial footage from WSVN showed a number of people lying on the ground outside the school, being treated for injuries and moved to ambulances.
Some students were seen sprinting out of the building with their backpacks as authorities with guns drawn swarmed the school. Others were seen moments later exiting the school building one by one, leaving the area in an orderly fashion.
While the shooter remained at large during initial reports, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said around 4 p.m. ET that the shooter has been taken into custody. Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s name.
Broward Schools confirmed on social media that students at the school are being dismissed after a brief lockdown, but the scene remains active. Dozens of law enforcement vehicles are present at the school, including one tank and a team of heavily armed law enforcement officers.
