He told the interrogators that he “began shooting students that he saw in the hallways and on school grounds” on Wednesday, and that he had “brought additional loaded magazines to the school campus and kept them hidden in a backpack until he got on campus to begin his assault,” according to the report.
As students began to flee the school, Cruz discarded his AR-15 rifle and the vest he was wearing, so he could blend in with the crowd. After successfully leaving the school grounds, Cruz headed to a Walmart, and stopped by a Subway and a McDonald’s, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said at a news conference on Thursday.
Officer Michael Leonard of the Coconut Creek Police Department encountered Cruz about 40 minutes after the suspect had left the McDonald’s, and decided to confront him.
“He complied with my commands and was taken into custody without any issues,” Leonard told reporters.
Cruz was reportedly expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas over disciplinary issues. Jordan Jereb, the leader of the “Republic of Florida” white identitarian militia, told AP on Thursday that Cruz took part in some activities with the group, but “acted on his own behalf” in the school attack.
Jereb also said Cruz had “trouble with a girl” and believes it wasn’t a coincidence the attack was carried out on Valentine’s Day.