A timeline of the Parkland school shooting

2:19 PM Suspect arrives at school by Uber.
2:20 PM: Witness later tells police he saw Cruz "walking purposefully toward the 1200 Building," warned a colleague via radio, then reported a code red upon hearing gunshots.
2:21 PM: Suspect enters building 12 through east entrance, proceeds to east stairwell and makes weapon ready.
  • 2:21:18 "Chris McKenna steps out of his first-floor English class and heads up a flight of stairs to use the restroom. There, McKenna encounters Cruz, who had gone into the building’s east stairwell to load his gun. Cruz has a stark warning for the freshman: 'You’d better get out of here. Things are going to get messy.' McKenna flees the building."
  • 2:21:33 Suspect begins shooting on first floor. Cruz fires into four classrooms and shoots at others in the hallway, ultimately killing 11 all on the first floor (and wounding 13).
  • 2:21:33 - 2:21:38 FDLE: Cruz shoots four victims in the first-floor hallway, killing three.
  • 2:21:41 - 2:21:43 FDLE: Cruz shoots four victims in Room 1216, killing one.
  • SRD Peterson receives a call of possible firecrackers at Building 12.
2:22 PM: 2:22:20 - 2:22:26 FDLE: Cruz shoots six victims in Room 1214, killing two.
  • 2:22:30 Security video shows Peterson near Building 1.
  • 2:22:36 2:22:40 Video shows Peterson speaking into a radio, still outside 100 building.
  • 2:22:38 Fire alarm is activated (second of day) as a result of gunfire. Students begin to exit classrooms.
  • 2:22:39 2:22:49 FDLE: Cruz returns to the door of Room 1216 and shoots four more victims, killing two.
  • 2:22:41 Peterson & Greenleaf run toward 1200 Building & take a golf cart.
  • 2:22:41 First 911 call is received by CSPD (Coral Spring Police Department).
  • CPSD CALL #1:
    Operator: 911, What is your emergency? Female Caller: (speaking very fast) Please help! Please help! Someone just (inaudible) the school. Operator 911: Oh, all right. What's the address, ma'am? Female Caller: (inaudible) Pine Island Road Operator: Pine Island Road? But what school is it? Female Caller: Shooter. A shooter. Operator 911: OK. Is anybody injured? Female Caller: Yes! Yes! A lot of blood. Please help. Please! Operator: OK. We're already starting the paramedics. Are you in a safe location to keep talking? Female Caller: (crying) Operator 911: Hello, ma'am? Female Caller: (more crying) Operator 911: OK. Hello? All right, we already (inaudible) paramedics and police, OK? Female Caller: Yes, right now, please. Operator: OK, do you know how many people are injured? Female Caller: I don't ... the school, the school, the school (heavy breathing) (inaudible) ...it's real. (pause) Operator: Hello? Female Caller: It's real. (breathing) Hang up (whispered) (breathing) Hang up (whispered) Operator: Hello ma'am. Hello? DIALTONE
  • 2:22:51 CSPD receives second call, this time from Room 1214
  • CPSD CALL #2:
    FROM ROOM 1214: Operator: 911, What is your emergency? 911? // Female Caller: Yes, my name there's a school shooter // Operator: There's a school shooter at Douglas are you in the school, sweetheart? Are you in the school? Where are you in the school? All right sweety, where are you in the school? // Female Caller: We're on the first floor. // Operator: Where? Can you hear where the shots are coming from? // Female Caller: It was in the hallway, they were shooting into the classroom. 11;00;31;15 Operator: They're shooting into your classroom? // Caller: They were. // Operator: OK. Do you hear the shots now? // Caller: Well, we're in class 1214. // Operator: What is it? // Caller: 1214 Operator: 1214? // Caller: Yes // Operator: Is anyone shot? // C: I don't think so, there might be though. There might be. OK, alright. // C: There might be. // O: Stay on with me, we have a lot of people en route. Do you actively hear gunshots right now still? // C: (Inaudible) // O: I'm sorry? // C: Yeah // O: You still hear gunshots? // C: (whispers) yes
  • 2:22:52 FDLE: Cruz shoots and kills another victim in the first-floor hallway.
  • Bullets pierce the door’s glass [of social studies class / Holocaust lesson in Room 1214] and hit six students, killing Helena Ramsay and Nicholas Dworet, both 17.
  • 2:22:59 First CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) entry regarding possible active shooter incident.
2:22 PM - 3:35 PM: BSO (Broward County Sheriff’s Office) Regional Communications System received 71 incoming [911 landline] calls. (In total, BSO RCS received 81 calls to 911 that day.)
  • No calls were abandoned. No calls received a busy signal.
  • Only ONE inbound call was received from the school. Male heard whispering and disconnected. Remaining 70 calls were secondhand and thirdhand from individuals not on scene.
  • Coral Springs Communication System received 86 incoming [911 cellphone] calls.
  • Callers abandoned 21 of these calls.
  • A busy signal was received by one of these calls @ 2:27pm.
  • Three calls were relayed by CSPD to BSO for police response. Information relayed:
    • Initial call of shots fired at MSD.
    • Someone shot in the 1200 building.
    • Shooter in north student parking lot.
    • Thirdhand information that the shooter was wearing a vest.
2:23 PM: Cruz fires into Room 1213, where a psychology class is being held, killing student Carmen Schentrup and wounding several others.
  • 2:23:06 FDLE: Cruz proceeds to the door of Room 1213 and shoots four victims, killing one.
  • 2:23:13 Coral Springs Fire personnel dispatched in reference to an active shooter at MSD.
  • 2:23:16 Security video near Building 8 shows Peterson heading toward Building 12.
  • 2:23:22 BSO Dispatch 8A alert tone sounded for 17J3 (Peterson), 17B3 (Seward) and 17B4 (Hanks). Dispatcher will be interrupted by subsequent transmission by 17J3 (Peterson).
  • 2:23:26 FDLE: Cruz shoots and kills his 11th victim in the west stairwell (Feis).
  • "Aaron Feis ... raced into the west stairwell of the 1200 building. He was mowed down by Cruz’s bullets and died in a doorway.”
  • *In a total of 1 minute & 53 seconds, Cruz kills 11 and injures 13 on the first floor.
  • SRD Peterson arrives on scene and reports possible shots fired at 1200 building ... It is believed that these are rounds fired outward at west doorway when opened by a victim. Peterson’s first directions are for arriving units to shut down nearby intersections:
  • 2:23:26 *FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER REPORT OF SHOTS FIRED* 17J3 (Peterson) advises over channel “Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers, I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired - 1200 building.”
  • Suspect proceeds to the second floor using the west stairwell. Students on third floor are exiting classrooms for fire alarm and are filling hallway.
  • 2:23:36 - 2:24:16 FDLE: Cruz wanders through second floor looking into classrooms and firing into two. No one is injured.
  • 2:23:37 BSO Dispatcher: Alert tone. “Attentional all units. Possible shots fired at 5901 Pine Island Rd at Stoneman Douglas High School”. Units advise they are enroute 17T2 (Kratz), 15Y4(Goolsby).
  • 2:23:44 Security video shows SRD Peterson near the SE corner of building 12 and the north east corner of building 7. He appears to remain in this area for the duration of the incident.
  • 2:23:55 17J3 (Peterson) – “Make sure we get some units over here, I need to shut down Stoneman Douglas, the intersection.”
  • 2:23:55 BSO Dispatcher: 10-4. B49 (?) advises he is enroute and to bravo out his current call. 15Y4 (North Laud) asks for the address.
  • McKenna tells assistant football coach Aaron Feis about Cruz’s gun.
  • Students and teachers stay inside their classrooms despite the fire alarm. No one is killed on the second floor, possibly because they heard the gunshots below and took cover.
2:24 PM: 2:24:14 (Peterson) “We’re talking about the 1200 building, it’s going to be the building off Holmberg Road.”
  • 2:24:16 Unknown unit, “Any description? I’m coming up from Westglades Middle School.”
  • 2:24:17 Suspect proceeds to the third floor using the east stairwell.
  • 2:24:24 (Peterson) “We don’t have any description yet, we just hear shots, appears to be shots fired.”
  • Hearing the shots, geography teacher Scott Beigel unlocks the door to room 1256 to let students hide inside. Beigel is shot and killed outside the classroom.
  • 2:24:32 - 2:24:37 FDLE: Cruz shoots six victims in the third-floor hallway, killing one outside Room 1256. An injured victim escapes into Room 1255.
  • 2:24:35 (Peterson) “I’m over by the south side by the 700 building.”
  • Outside, Deputy Sheriff Michael Kratz shuts down traffic near Westglades Middle School, just to the west of Stoneman Douglas. Another deputy says he will shut down traffic moving west in front of the school:
  • 2:24:35 17T2 (Kratz) “T2, I’m shutting down eastbound Holmberg at the divide between Westglades (middle school) and the high school.”
  • 2:24:40 “17B1 (Eason), I’ll get the west side of Stoneman on Holmberg” Dispatch: “10-4, west side of Holmberg.”
  • 2:24:52 “17J4 (Perry) Responding.” “17J1 (Volpe) too.”
  • 2:24:57 - 2:25:00 FDLE: After reloading, Cruz shoots into the escaping hallway crowd again, killing two.
  • At some point during his third-floor rampage, freshman Jaime Guttenberg is killed.
  • Students on the third floor — farther from the sound of gunshots — made their way out of the classrooms because of the fire alarm, heading toward the same stairwell where Cruz was walking up.
2:25 PM: Deputy reports shots fired by the football field:
  • 2:25:08 “17T2 (Kratz) I hear shots by the football field, shots fired by the football field.” Dispatch: “Shots fired by the football field, heard.”
  • 2:25:14 - 2:25:21 FDLE: Cruz returns to injured victims in the hallway, shoots at them again and kills three of them.
  • Peterson confirms the 1200 building and announces for school to be locked:
  • 2:25:18 (Peterson) “17J3, We’re looking at the 1200 building, it’s going to be the 300 building, its right off Holmberg Road, by the senior lot.”
  • 2:25:37 FDLE: Cruz shoots his way into a locked teachers' lounge.
  • 2:25:38 (Peterson) “Get the school locked down, gentlemen.”
  • 2:25:42 Dispatch: “Attention all units not working signal 33 (shooting) go to bravo channel for regular traffic.” 17T2 (Kratz) “Some students thought it was firecrackers, but we’re not sure, by the football fields.”"
  • 2:25:56 (Peterson ) “All right, 26…We also heard it’s by, inside the 1200 building.”" (ACKNOWLEDGES SHOTS ARE INSIDE)
  • Coral Springs officer questions dispatch of active shooter call at MSD on talk around channel. She confirms.
  • Some of the students, locked out of classrooms, are able to flee the third floor as Cruz approaches, but the floor is soon filled with bullet shells, glass and blood. At some point during his third-floor rampage, senior Meadow Pollack and freshman Cara Loughran were killed. Senior Joaquin Oliver ended up "trapped in the hallway" trying to get into a locked bathroom door and was also killed when Cruz returned to shoot injured victims in the hallway. Six people die on the floor.
  • *In less than 50 seconds, Cruz kills six & injures four on the third floor.
2:26 PM: Cruz is inside the third-floor teachers' lounge, begins firing through windows.
  • 2:26:00 (Peterson) “We’re locking down the school right now, make sure there’s no pedestrian traffic anywhere on Holmberg Rd.”
  • 2:26:08 15E2 (O’Neill): “I’m 51.” Dispatch: “Unit advising 51?” 15E2: “And if we have any district 15 motor units, they can respond also.” Unknown Unit: “15B4(NL) is going to respond Lt.”
  • 2:26:31 Coral Springs dispatch confirms active shooter multiple calls and hearing gunshots in the background; advises their officers of an active shooter at MSD with lines “blowing up.”
  • 2:26:40 SRD Peterson advises “I hear shots fired, shots fired.”
  • 2:26:45 Dispatch: “All units on the shots fired, stay on main.”
  • 2:26:56 “15Y1, all Yankee units enroute.”
  • CSPD Channel 2 – M37: “I need info on an active shooter at Douglas.” Dispatch: “I have an active shooter at Douglas HS. Multiple gunshots…I can hear them through the phone. I think that I am landline with a teacher.”
2:27 PM: Deputies report shots fired by the football field.
  • 2:27:03 17Y4 (Goolsby): “We definitely have shots being fired.” Multiple units simultaneously transmitting (inaudible).” Dispatch: “All District 7 units go to bravo.” T2 (Kratz): “(inaudible), ….right by the football field.”
  • 2:27:06 First CSPD officer announces arrival at MSD (Ofc Burton).
  • 2:27:21 J38 (Officer) advises a bunch of kids outside west side of Douglas.
  • 2:27:30 SRD Peterson: “Make sure I have a unit over in the front of the school, make sure no one comes inside the school.” Dispatch: “I need a unit to the front, advise.”
  • 2:27:42 (Seward): “B3 we need somebody to shut down Holmberg, at Pine Island.” Dispatch: “Unit to shut down Holmberg, advise.”
  • 2:27:50 Unknown Unit (Possibly Perry): “Holmberg is shut down, we’re by the 900 or 1300 building, we’ve got shots fired, I’m trying to get the fence opened.” Dispatch: “Building 1300 and the 900 building.”
  • Cruz fires at least five rounds through windows in the teachers' lounge, targeting those running away from the school below him. The windows cause the bullets to fragment, likely saving more people from being killed or wounded.
  • Shooting ceases.
  • 2:27:35 Suspect discards weapon in third-floor west stairwell and flees building, per security video.
  • 2:27:55 Suspect observed in stairwell and exits the west side of the building. Leaves in a westbound direction.
2:28 PM: Suspect no longer in Bldg 12.
  • By the end of Cruz's rampage, 12 people are killed inside the building, two outside and one in the street. Two others die at the hospital.
  • 2:28:00 SRD Peterson advises units to stay away: “Broward, Do not approach the 12 or 1300 building, stay at least 500 feet away at this point.” Dispatch: “Stay away from 12 and 1300 building.”
  • CSPD units directed to the north side of the school. Ofc Burton broadcasts a BOLO for the suspect.
  • 2:28:00 Dispatch: "D28 want me to 10-3 the air for this?" // J39: “J30 (Burton), I need more details, I’m 97 the south side of the school.” (First announced CSPD Officer on scene)
  • 2:28:14 Dispatch: "Air is 10-3 for Douglas Active Shooter."
  • 2:28:14 17J4 (Perry): “I had a parent tell there is a child down, have Fire Rescue stage in the area until we make contact.…A parent told me there is a child down, have rescue stage.”
  • 2:28:18 Unknown CSPD Unit: “Units, go to the north side…Units go to the north side of the school.”
  • 2:28:23 Deputy Kratz advises of gunshot victim at the west end of the football field: “T2 I got a victim with gunshot to right leg, I got a gunshot to the right leg, show me the west end by the football field.” Dispatch: “GSW right leg, west end by the football field.”
  • 2:28:35 J39 (Burton): White male with ROTC Uniform Burgundy Shirt.
  • Advises no more shooting.
  • 2:28:39 (O’Neill): “15E2 to Yankee units, set up for active shooter when you go 97.”
  • 2:28:46 Deputy Marchese advises he is with a gunshot victim near the entrance to Westglades Middle School: “17J5, I have the gunshot victim, I have the gunshot victim, he’s by the entrance, by the entrance to Westglades, on the west side of the school.” Dispatch: “10-4, fire rescue being notified.”
2:29 PM: CPSD Officer Burton meets with BSO SRD Peterson near building 12.
  • 2:29:00 J39 (Burton): “J39, last seen in the three-story building (12), north parking lot.” D28: “D28, have him advise if he’s still shooting.” J39: “54, I’m with Douglas’ SRO, getting info.”
  • 2:29:02 Unknown Unit: “Gary, does he know where the shooter is?”
  • Deputies advise they do not know where the shooter is and attempt entry to Building 13.
  • 2:29:06 Unknown BSO Unit answering: “We don’t know, but we’re heading in the building, in front of the 13 building, building 13. 17K4 and myself are entering.” (Unable to gain access to building 13 was locked/secure and both deputies, Goolsby/Perry, joined CSPD officers) // (Marchese): “Does anybody have bolt cutters? I can get this kid out of the fence. He’s stuck in the fence, I need bolt cutters.” Unknown Unit: “The coach is with him; see if he can help him over the gate.”
  • 2:29:33 (Goolsby): “17K4, Lets get a command post set up on south side of the Sawgrass in Coral Springs off of Pine Island. The gate for the student entrance is unlocked. We need to get units in here so we can start trying to find this guy.”
  • 2:29:34 (Marchese) “Victim saying a male in a hoodie, he could not describe with a least an AR15 or AK47.” Dispatch: “10-4, all units be advised a male in a hoodie, possible AR15 or AK47.”
  • 2:29:47 CSPD Dispatch advises of three victims down in Room 1216 in the freshman building.
  • 2:29:51 Suspect observed on southwest part of campus, per security video.
2:30 PM: Captain asks of perimeter status and if kids are cleared out of school.
  • 2:30:00 (Marchese): “Hey Art, can I get this kid out down that way? I got the victim but we can get him over a fence.” Dispatch: “I need a unit with bolt cutters. To the west side of the football field.”
  • 2:30:00 (Sierra 2): "Going on SWAT for them."
  • 2:30:11 (Goolsby): “17Y4, I see a student down on the right next to the parking lot, of the senior lot.” 17J5: “Get me EMS code 3 by the entrance to Westglades Middle School. Are 48 on that? I need rescue code 3.”
  • CSPD officers moving with two BSO deputies. They advise of victim down outside building and unknown suspect location.
  • 2:30:18 “Y35, I’m at the north end of building 13 with two BSO guys, moving forward.”
  • K23: “Any information on what type of weapon system is being used out there?” Y35: “All right, he’s saying long gun. I see one, looks like a custodian down in front of the building. We’re trying to locate, we don’t know where he’s at.”
  • 2:30:46 17T2 (Kratz): “T2, I’m being advised possibly three more victims, shooter possible inside three-story building with an ROTC uniform, that was given by Coral Springs Dispatch. Check with them and verify.” // Dispatch: “You’re advising the suspect is in the three-story building?” 17T2 (Kratz): ”If you can hook up with Coral Springs Dispatch, I was advised by one of their officers, possibly three more victims in the three-story building, possible suspect with a ROTC uniform, if we can hook up with them and verify.” // Unknown Unit: “I’m 25 with Coral Springs supervisor, advise, he said also three additional.”
  • CSPD officers request traffic blocked into area.
  • 2:30:46 "K41 Start closing down all the streets surrounding the school." Unknown officer requesting POPA Unit (Aviation)
2:31 PM: Peterson is in contact with Ofc. Burton.
  • 2:31:30 17S1 (Capt. Jordan): “I know there’s a lot going on, do we have a perimeter set up right now and everyone cleared out of the school?” Dispatch: “That’s negative.”
  • 2:31:31 CSPD Officer Burton covering east side of building 12 with long gun: S12: “South side or north side? “ J39: "It’s the three-story building considered the Freshman Building."
  • 2:31:39 (Peterson): “17J3, We’re in total lockdown right now. Nobody’s leaving the school, everybody’s in lockdown.”
  • 2:31:49 Unknown Unit: “We might want to consider somebody up by the Sawgrass to the south of the school, 10-4?” Dispatch: “I’ll get someone.”
2:32 PM: 2:32:08 1521: "Description one more time for everybody." J39 (Burton): "White male with ROTC Uniform Burgundy Shirt."
  • CSPD Dispatch again advises of gunshots in room 1216.
  • 2:32:21 S12: "Do you hear gunshots?" J39: "54"(Negative).” S12: “Can we establish last location?” J39: "The three-story building?” Dispatch: "The Freshman Building, we heard shots in 1216, 1216."
  • 2:32:21 Coral Springs officers observed moving toward the west end of building 12 from the northwest parking lot.
  • CSPD Officer reports gunshots going into or out of third-floor window. Bullet holes on west side windows.
  • 2:32:42 Miller asks for police chopper and K-9 support, dispatch confirms both are en route.
  • 2:32:48 CSPD and BSO group make entry to Bldg 12 through the west entrance and begin to extricate victims. (BSO Deputy Volpe and Hanks assist with rescue effort.)
  • 2:32:54 BSO dispatch confirms SWAT units are en route.
2:33 PM: CSPD report of a victim at west side of building.
  • 2:33:04 (Jordan): "17S1, I want to make sure that we have a perimeter set up and the school (unintelligible), all the kids are getting out, but we need to shut down around this school. Does the Delta unit have an area for all the units coming into the area?” Dispatch “10-4, they advised that the school was on lockdown."
  • BSO team advises they make entry into Bldg 9:
  • 2:33:20 (Miller): “We have a command post set up, we have a perimeter around it. We have two, two teams going in, checking right now.” 17S1 (Jordan): “10-4, Which way are they going into the school?” 17D2 (Miller): “Entering from the north side through the parking lot where the students park.” Unknown unit: “We’ve had a team enter the 900 building on the first floor. West side of the 900 building on the first floor, they went in.”
2:34 PM: Captain directs command post to be established on Pine Island and Sawgrass.
2:35 PM: Victim is taken from building on golf cart by CSPD and BSO.
  • CSPD Officer advises there are plenty of officers in the 1200 building, starting to move up floors. “We don’t have an active scene.”
2:36 PM: Approx. 10 officers (believed to be 8 CSPD and 2 BSO) are observed entering the first floor through the east door of Bldg 12.
2:40 PM: K-9 on scene to assist with track of suspect.
2:41 PM: Deputy reports having problem transmitting over radio.
2:42 PM: Request is made to have deputy go to camera room.
2:44 PM: Det. Rossman, BSO puts out BOLO for suspect (be on the lookout).
  • CSPD advises of patch with 14 joint ops. Unsuccessful as CSPD personnel must turn to 14 joint ops.
  • CSPD officer requests perimeter to keep parents out who are “flooding the school.”
2:47 PM: Patch abandoned. Radio throttling becomes more pronounced. Captain unable to transmit
2:48 PM: Suspect enters Walmart parking lot.
2:50 PM: Suspect enters Walmart.
2:51 PM: BSO SWAT enters Bldg. 12
2:52 PM: Suspect leaves Walmart.
2:53 PM: Suspect departs southbound from Walmart.
3:01 PM: SSuspect enters McDonald’s
  • AR-15 and magazines found in stairwell of third floor.
3:01 PM: Officers and Deputies begin clearing third floor.
  • BSO dispatch advised by Det. Rossman of suspect leaving westbound from school with kids with approximately a 20-minute delay.
  • Suspect leaves McDonald’s.
3:05 PM: CSPD advises on its channel that suspect ran west then south from school.
3:09 PM: BSO dispatch advises of suspect identity, Nikolas Cruz.
3:13 PM: CSPD radio channel advises of suspect identity, Nikolas Cruz.
3:16 PM: Col. Polan advises he is now incident commander. Difficulty transmitting due to radio problems.
3:21 PM: Last civilian is evacuated from building.
3:25 PM: BSO Detective relays a possible address for suspect.
3:29 PM: BSO Detective advises he spoke with Cruz family member and that suspect was possible at the McDonald’s in Coral Springs.
3:33 PM: Officers and deputies continue to evacuate students and teachers in other buildings.
3:39 PM: Possible suspect detained.
3:40 PM: Suspect is taken into custody (79 minutes after firing first bullet.) Coconut Creek Officer Michael Leonard observes Cruz and coordinates his arrest without incident.

Source: Broward County Sheriff's Office, Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement, Sun Sentinel, New York Times

Interactive: Roque Ruiz / NBC News