Hugs, tears and police: High school in Parkland, Florida reopens after shooting

PARKLAND, Florida -- Students and teachers hugged and cried Wednesday as they returned under heavy police guard to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the first time since a teenager with an assault rifle killed 17 people and thrust the huge Florida school into the center of a renewed national gun debate.The half-day began with fourth period so that the nearly 3,300 students could first be with the people they were with during the shooting."In the beginning, everyone was super serious, but then everyone cheered up and it started being the same vibes we had before the shooting.

Gun proposals percolate, but Congress isn't eager

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Speaker Paul Ryan showed little interest Tuesday in some of the stricter gun proposals being floated by President Donald Trump or bipartisan coalitions in Congress, as Senate Republicans pushed a more modest measure to boost the existing background check system with new penalties and incentives.As student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting roamed the Capitol for a second day, promoting tougher gun laws in meetings with top lawmakers, Ryan acknowledged "system failures" in Florida that he said Congress should review.

With Florida shooting victims 'pleading for help,' Legislature debates school safety bill

PARKLAND, Fla. — Family members of people killed in a South Florida school shooting gave emotional testimony Tuesday during a legislative hearing to discuss passing a bill that would allow for armed teachers and raise the age limit to buy rifles.Max Schachter, father of 14-year-old victim Alex Schachter who died Feb. 14 at his high school, said the bill the House committee eventually approved doesn't go far enough — but could have saved his son."If we would have had these measures in place, I would not have had to bury my son next to his mother a week and a half ago.

Attorney: Deputy Scot Peterson thought gunfire was from outside Florida school

PARKLAND, Fla. — The sheriff's deputy assigned to guard the Florida high school that was the scene of a mass shooting never entered the building to confront the suspect because he believed the gunfire was coming from outside, his attorney said Monday.Scot Peterson has been called a coward and worse for failing to stop the massacre that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Pres. Trump to discuss Florida school shooting with governors at White House Monday

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.Under pressure to act to stem gun violence on school grounds, President Trump planned to solicit input from the state chief executives during meetings Monday at the White House.

'Seeing the building was scary:' Students return to school in Florida; classes resume Wednesday

PARKLAND, Fla. -- Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and staff members were killed returned Sunday to gather their belongings thrown down in panic during the school shooting nearly two weeks ago.Thousands of students joined their parents in walking past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the Feb. 14 massacre took place.

Broward Co. sheriff says only 1 deputy was on scene during Florida school shooting

PARKLAND, Fla. — The Florida sheriff whose department responded to this month's high school massacre defended his leadership Sunday while insisting that only one of his deputies was on the scene as the gunman killed 14 students and three staff members.Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told CNN that investigators are looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed.

Caller told FBI Florida shooting suspect 'going to explode'

WASHINGTON — A woman close to the man charged with killing 17 people at a Florida high school warned the FBI in chilling detail that he had a growing collection of guns and a temper so uncontrollable she worried about him "getting into a school and just shooting the place up."The Associated Press on Friday obtained a transcript of the Jan. 5 tip to the FBI's call center.