Florida High School Shooting: Meet The Suspect, Nicholas Cruz.

The teen arrested in connection to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has been identified by authorities as Nikolas Cruz.

Cruz, a 19-year-old former student, was expelled from the school last year for disciplinary reasons Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters although he could not provide details as to why.

According to a former schoolmate ,Victoria Olvera ,Cruz was expelled last school year after a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. She said Cruz had been abusive to his girlfriend.


A motive in the shooting remains unclear, but students who encountered Cruz said he talked a lot about having fun with firearms, so much so that some joked that if anyone were to attack the school, it would probably be him.

Cruz "threatened to bring the guns to school multiple times," senior Eddie Bonilla said. Other students, he said, "threw jokes around that he'd be the one to shoot up the school."

Students and teachers said Cruz had been a member of the U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Julien Decoste, also a senior, said Cruz sometimes posted pictures on his Instagram feed of "dead lizards and stuff that he shot."

That Instagram page also has pictures of a figure, face obscured by bandannas and holding knives. Another shows a young man, presumably Cruz, holding a pistol, although it's not clear whether the gun is real.



Nikolas Cruz poses in a picture posted to his Instagram account which was verified by the Miami Herald. via Instagram

Cruz, who was ordered held in jail Thursday without bond, also may have posted something of a warning on YouTube. A Mississippi bail bondsman said he notified the FBI last year about a comment under a video by someone named "nikolas cruz" that said, "Im going to be a professional school shooter."

An FBI official in Florida confirmed the basics of that account, saying agents followed up but were unable to confirm the identification of who made the comment.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said investigators were reviewing social media postings that he described as "very disturbing."

Other pieces of Cruz's troubled life are becoming clear.


More details coming up.