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The teen gunman who shot dead 17 people at a Florida high school is believed to have set off the fire alarms to draw people out into the halls before he opened fire - and then managed to evade police by pretending to be one of the terrified students running for cover.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, stormed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Wednesday afternoon armed with an assault rifle. He was taken into custody off the school campus about an hour after the shooting broke out. 
 
Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said Cruz was a former student at the school but had been expelled for unknown 'disciplinary reasons' last year.

Cruz was armed with at least one AR-15 rifle, had 'multiple magazines' and smoke grenades when he stormed the school wearing a gas mask and killed 17 students and staff. The first of the 17 victims has now been identified as 46-year-old athletic director Chris Hixon.