FLORIDA: 17 people were killed on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

"I'm saddened to say that 17 people lost their lives."- Sheriff Scott Israel #stonemanshooting," The Broward County Sheriff's Office posted on Twitter.

As per local media reports, the incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, northwest of Fort Lauderdale, was carried out by 19-year-old Nikolaus Cruz.

The suspect was a former student and was expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons.

19-year-old suspect in custody

A former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, aged 19, has been taken to custody in connection with the incident of Florida school shooting on Thursday.

The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, was earlier expelled from the school for unspecified disciplinary reasons, CNN quoted Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel as saying.

The report further said that the officials, who provided different spellings of Cruz's first name throughout the day, are examining the suspect's digital profile that contained what is described as "very, very disturbing" content.

According to a law enforcement source, the suspect is being investigated.

The incident took place shortly before 3 pm, when the suspect pulled out a false fire alarm to draw the people outside their classrooms.

Soon after, a relay of gunshots was fired across the campus, creating a panic across, forcing the victims to rush back to the classrooms.

According to the media reports, the suspect wore a face mask and was carrying smoke grenades.