Students Considered Nikolas Cruz Most Likely to ‘Shoot up the School’

According to a student at a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Nikolas Cruz’s school shooting was something many students jokingly said could happen back when he attended the school.

“Honestly, a lot of people were saying that it was going to be him,” the student told WSBTV. “A lot of kids threw around jokes like that, saying ‘this is the one that’s going to shoot up the school,’ but it turns out everyone predicted it. That’s crazy.

“He was on the third floor. He knows the school layout. He know where everyone would be at as of right now. He’s been through fire drills. He’s been prepared for this stuff.

The Miami Herald reports that the 19-year-old was already suspected of potential foul play by the school administration prior to the shooting.

“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” teacher Jim Gard told the Herald. “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”

Cruz was in Gard’s math class during the previous school year. He was reportedly asked to leave late Spring 2017 after threatenting students.

However, according to Broward County School District Superintendent Robert Runcie, the school’s concerns towards Cruz never reached his office.

“We received no warnings,” Runcie told reporters outside the school after the shooting. “Potentially there could have been signs out there. But we didn’t have any warning or phone calls or threats that were made.”

County sheriff Scott Israel confirmed at least 17 are dead as a result of the shooting, where Cruz allegedly pulled the fire alarm minutes before dismissal on Wednesday and shot students as they exited their classrooms.

“I’m saddened to say that 17 people lost their lives,” Israel said in a press conference.

Cruz used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle for the shooting.

Israel confirmed Cruz was asked to leave due to “disciplinary issues.”