Several members of the US Congress have called for gun control in the wake of a South Florida high school shooting that killed 17 people, including students.
The mass killing was carried out by Nicolas Cruz, 19, who was expelled from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for disciplinary reasons. The teenager returned to the campus with an assault rifle Wednesday.
Teachers were reportedly warned last year about the behavior of Cruz, who was not allowed on campus with a backpack on him.
President Donald Trump said there were "So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem". Such instances should always be reported to authorities, he said on Twitter.
After the news of the Florida shooting broke, Sen. Chris Murphy took to the Senate floor to criticize congressional inaction on curbing the widespread use of gun. Congress has long stalled on such issues, even in the face of multiple deadly shootings year after year.
"This happens nowhere else other than the United States of America," said the Democratic Senator from Connecticut. "It only happens here not because of coincidence, not because of bad luck, but as a consequence of our inaction. We are responsible for a level of mass atrocity that happens in this country with zero parallel anywhere else."
It was the worst school shooting in Florida history, and the deadliest in the United States since 26 people were killed at Connecticut school Sandy Hook in 2012.
This is the 18th shooting incident in the country in just seven weeks into the year.
Florida's own senator Bill Nelson, Sen. Cortez Masto, Rep. Eliot Angel, Rep. Mak Pocan, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rep. Lloyd Doggett also called for gun control.
Meanwhile, lawmakers who are tweeting their condolences over the shooting were criticized on social media.
Screenwriter Bess Kalb, who writes for Jimmy Kimmel Live, singled out condoling senators by responding with the amount of money they have received from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.