Teacher on Troubled Suspected Gunman Nikolas Cruz: 'We Failed Him'

A teacher from Marjory Stone Douglas High School spoke out after the deadly shooting in Parkland, [...]

By Jose Bastidas

A teacher from Marjory Stone Douglas High School spoke out after the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, blaming not just the shooter for the tragedy.

Kevin Siegelbaum took to Facebook to comment on the tragic events from Wednesday, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire in the high school, killing 17 people.

"I am a Teacher at Stoneman Douglas High School... IN light of yesterday's shooting... All the offered "Thoughts and Prayers... I appreciate your words... But, to be honest... I'd rather you all take to the streets, arm in arm, hand in hand... Protest the conditions we face that lead to this..." he wrote on the social media platform.

"...testing over teaching, scores over social consciousness. We don't put the money where it needs to be... expression over 'expenses.' It's logistics over lives," Siegelbaum added.

"Mental health starts in our schools. And we can't get our heads out of the grade books to connect in meaningful ways, this is only going to get worse... and the bureaucrats spin their agendas, overlooking the lives involved, throw in platitudes and consider it. 'Pay,'" he continued.

The teacher pointed his argument toward Cruz, blaming the system for not preventing the tragedy.

"Mental health starts in our schools but we don't fund special education so we can identify kids like Cruz, help them. This kid is going to wake up one day and realize what he did... and WE, teachers, Administrators, Parents, Politicians and the Community... WE FAILED HIM!" he wrote.

He continued with a call to action.

"We listen to the politicians as they separate us with spin points... Thank you for you kind words. What we need now is peaceful action, force the dialogue, real people taking over our school boards, running for office and changing the system so we don't fail lives..." he added.

Cruz entered the school wielding an AR-15 semi-automatic rife. He reportedly "brought additional loaded magazines to the school campus and kept them hidden in a backpack until he got on campus to begin his assault."

Once students began to evacuate the building, Cruz admitted he discarded his rifle and vest in order to blend in with the crowd. Video of Cruz being captured by police was released on Wednesday afternoon.

A police report indicated that Cruz purchased the rifle in February 2017.

Cruz was expelled from the school in Spring 2017 for threatening students. According to one teacher, he was not allowed on the school grounds after the expulsion.

"We were told last year that he wasn't allowed on campus with a backpack on him," Jim Gard told The Miami Herald. "There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus."

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