PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Nearly two weeks after the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School, 7News is learning more about the deadly rampage and about police contact with accused shooter Nikolas Cruz in the years before the attack.
Law enforcement sources told CNN the shooter tried to break a window on the third floor of the freshman building, which, investigators said, would have given him a sniper position overlooking the parking lot.
According to CNN, sources also said the shooting ended earlier than planned because the AR-15 jammed while the gunman was reloading.
The shooter reportedly left behind nearly 180 rounds of ammunition, with swastikas carved into the magazines.
“He was using an AR-15, a 30-round magazine. The magazine comes out really fast,” said firearms instructor Walter Philbrick.
The number of people dead and injured could have been much higher, experts said.
“A lot worse because these magazines hold about 30 rounds,” said Philbrick, “and you could probably expand this magazine, shoot the magazine out in about four seconds.”
One of Cruz’s former neighbors recalled the time she called 911 about the teen after he’d posted threatening pictures on Instagram.
“Later, he posted something else about wanting to shoot up his school,” said former neighbor Joelle Guarino, “so I talked to people about it, and I finally came to the decision to call 911.”
The call was made two years ago, and Guarino said it was never followed up.
“I told my husband I wanted to move,” said Guarino. “I did not want to stay in this house when Nikolas turned 18. I did not want to be here.”
The FBI received a warning call just a month before the shooting as well.
“My husband and I both knew that it was not over,” said Guarino. “He would eventually be on the news, wearing and orange jumpsuit, being charged with murder. We both knew it.”
New details have also emerged about Cruz’s history with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, going back nearly 10 years.
According to BSO, the department received a “total of 40 calls for service to the Cruz home between November 2008 and November 2017,” but not all of those calls involved Cruz.
Seven other calls for service involved Cruz, but were “outside the home.”
“Since 2008, BSO has been involved in 23 type calls involving the killer in some way, shape or form,” said Broward Sheriff Scott Israel.
BSO officials said 18 of those calls directly involved Cruz.
On Friday, BSO tweeted, “In the interest of full transparency, we are making available the list of all 23 calls for service at the Cruz home. Eighteen involved Nikolas Cruz. None appeared arrestable under Florida law. However, two of the calls remain under internal investigation.”
In the interest of full transparency, we are making available the list of all 23 calls for service at the Cruz home. 18 involved Nikolas Cruz. None appeared arrestable under Florida law. However, two of the calls remain under internal investigation. https://t.co/JJANWVeo9q
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) February 23, 2018
While some people think Israel should shoulder the blame for the missed warnings, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is waiting for all of the details before he decides his course of action.
“The first thing you do is you do a thorough investigation, and that’s what I’m doing,” said Scott. “I want all the facts to come out, and then everybody needs to be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, BSO deputies have been standing by the sheriff.
7News obtained an email sent to staff. The memo reads in part, “[Sheriff Israel] stood with us, now we must stand with him.”
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