Less than a month after a gunman opened fire at a high school in Kentucky, the nation is grappling with yet another school shooting. 
 
 Wednesday’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killed at least 17 people and wounded over a dozen others. The suspected gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, set off fire alarms to lure hundreds of students out of their classrooms so he could open fire with a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle. 
 
 Cruz was captured about an hour later in Coral Springs, roughly a mile away from the school. The following day, Cruz told authorities he shot "students that he saw in the hallways and on school grounds," according to an arrest affidavit. 
 
 “There really are no words,” Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said the day of the shooting. 
 
 But in wake of the tragedy, the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012, the Broward community has received an outpouring of support. 
 
 Read on to see what’s being done to help the shooting victims, their families, the local community and beyond. 
 
 Comfort dogs arrive in Broward County 
 
 At least 18 “comfort” dogs and 33 handlers arrived in Broward County from across the country, Tim Hetzner, the president and CEO of the nonprofit ministry Lutheran Church Charities (LCC), told Fox News. 
 
 Jacob, a doe-eyed Golden Retriever, was first on the scene. He spent the day comforting students and faculty at the high school. 
 
 “Dogs are good listeners and have a unique way of knowing when people are hurting,” he said. 
 
 Like Jacob, all dogs used in LCC’s comfort dog program are Golden Retrievers – a breed chosen by the organization because “goldens are lovers by nature,” Hetzner said. LCC trains the dogs for 16 to 18 months and then places them in affiliated churches, schools and other ministries across the country. 
 
 The dogs, which are trained to the level of a service dog, travel across the U.S. with their handlers whenever there is a crisis. 
 
 While the dogs are there to comfort the students and faculty at the high school, their services are also available to parents, first responders and anyone in the Broward community “struggling with what took place.” 
 
 “We go where we’re invited," Hetzner said. “We’re there to serve people and show mercy and compassion.” 
 
 To help offset transportation costs, you can donate here. 
 
 Donate to the victims' fund 
 
 The Broward Education Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for the public schools in Broward County, has set up an official GoFundMe donation page for the victims of the Stoneman Douglas shooting. 
 
 As of Monday morning, the fund received more than $1.5 million of its $2 million goal – a significant increase from its initial goal of $300,000. The foundation will continue to increase the goal each time it's met, PeJay Ryan, the director of marketing at the Broward Education Foundation, told Fox News. 
 
 All of the proceeds will go to those affected by the tragedy, Ryan said, as well as anyone who may need grief counseling. 
 
 “We’ve all cried a lot - first in horror, but then because of the outpouring generosity and compassion.” - PeJay Ryan 
 
 Memorial bracelets to honor the victims are also being created. And the foundation worked with Bank of America to set up a text-to-donate option as well, she said. To donate to the Stoneman Douglas fund, text PARKLAND to 20222. 
 
 “We are in a unique position here, no one expected this to happen,” said Ryan. “We’ve all cried a lot – first in horror, but then because of the outpouring generosity and compassion.” 
 
 You can donate to the GoFundMe campaign here. 
 
 Additionally, at least one scholarship fund has been set up in the name of one of Wednesday's shooting victims. 
 
 If you live in Florida, consider donating blood 
 
 If you live in Florida, a local blood center is asking for your help, especially if your blood type is O negative. 
 
 “While the immediate blood needs have been met, there is a need to replenish the area's O negative blood supply. O negative is the universal blood type and is used to treat trauma patients,” OneBlood said in a statement. 
 
 As of Feb. 19, at least four shooting victims were still being treated at local hospitals. 
 
 To donate, find a location here. 
 
 Florida attorney general vows to cover funeral expenses 
 
 Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Wednesday that her office would pay for the funeral expenses of the 17 victims who died as a result of the shooting. 
 
 "We will pay for the funeral expenses of these poor victims," Bondi said. "We will take care of it." 
 
 Free transportation for victims’ families 
 
 JetBlue Airways is providing free transportation for family members of victims who are traveling to Florida, the airline announced in a blog post. 
 
 “This week’s events are felt by all of our 21,000 crewmembers, many of whom live in, work from and travel through the Broward County area, home to our Focus City, Fort Lauderdale," JetBlue said. "We want to do our part to help the community, and support South Florida through this difficult time." 
 
 Volunteers in the Family Assistance Center will help people book the free travel, the airline said. 
 
 Once the families have arrived in Florida, ride-sharing service Lyft will provide free ground transportation in partnership with JetBlue, spokesperson Campbell Matthews confirmed to Fox News, adding the company is "heartbroken by the tragedy." 
 
 JetBlue is also partnering with the Florida Panthers hockey team to hold a blood drive on Feb. 22. 
 
 Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn and Shira Bush contributed to this report. ||||| PARKLAND, Florida — The U.S. Army has given medals to three Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets killed in the Parkland school shooting last week, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. 
 
 The Medal of Heroism was presented to the family of Alaina Petty at a memorial service on Monday, the Army said, and will be given to the family of Peter Wang during his memorial service today. Martin Duque’s family will be given the medal on Saturday, the Army added. The medal recognizes cadets whose performance “involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities.” 
 
 All three students were allegedly killed by a fellow JROTC member, Nikolas Cruz, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday. 
 
 During the shooting, Wang, 15, held open a door to allow his fellow classmates to escape to safety. Students told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “He is so funny, caring and selfless.’’ Wang’s older cousin added, “He is so brave.” 
 
 Petty, 14, was “excited to be part of the female color guard team and every day she would come home and tell me all the fun things she had learned,” Petty's mother told the Sun Sentinel. Duque, also 14, was remembered by family members as a football fan and a regular churchgoer, the Miami Herald reported. “He was sweet, affectionate and loved by his entire family. But above all else, he was my little brother,” Duque's brother Miguel wrote on a GoFundMe page to help cover additional funeral expenses. 
 
 Military veterans are expected to attend Wang’s funeral on Tuesday. 
 
 —Elisha Brown contributed to this report ||||| Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Peter Wang was one of 17 killed in February's mass school shooting 
 
 A junior cadet who died helping other students escape a Florida school shooting has been posthumously accepted into a prestigious US military school. 
 
 Peter Wang, 15, one of 17 killed in the 14 February attack, was admitted to the class of 2025 at his dream school, West Point Academy. 
 
 He was a member of the US Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC), a school programme for potential US military officers. 
 
 His funeral took place on Tuesday. 
 
 The school will confer a letter of admission and honorarium tokens to his family, local West Point alumnus Chad Maxey told the Sun Sentinel newspaper. 
 
 Florida Governor Rick Scott also reportedly directed the state's National Guard to honour Peter and two other members of the JROTC at their funerals. 
 
 Image copyright BBC (supplied) Image caption Peter Wang was reportedly wearing his JROTC uniform when he died 
 
 The US Army bestowed the Medal of Heroism on three students who were killed, including Peter, according to US media. 
 
 The Cadet Command also approved Junior ROTC Heroism Medals for 14-year-old cadets Alaina Petty and Martin Duque, an army spokesman told US media. 
 
 Peter was in uniform when he was fatally shot while holding the door for others fleeing a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, witnesses say. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Students staged an anti-gun 'lie-in' 
 
 The recognition comes after an online petition called for him to be laid to rest with military honours, saying he "deserves" to be buried as a hero, because "his selfless and heroic actions have led to the survival of dozens in the area". 
 
 Peter, who had spent part of his childhood in his parents' native China, had dreamed of attending the West Point military academy, friends say. 
 
 Jesse Pan, a neighbour and longstanding friend of Peter's family, told the BBC Chinese Service he had tried to support the teenager's parents as they struggled to cope with the loss. 
 
 "I was there with his parents, helping translating and finding a funeral home," he said. 
 
 "His parents fainted as soon as they saw his body. He had got multiple shots in front… So horrible." 
 
 Meanwhile, about 100 students from Stoneman Douglas have travelled by bus to the Florida state capitol, where they plan to hold a rally against gun violence on Wednesday. 
 
 Some of them arrived on Tuesday in time to see the Republican-controlled state legislature reject a proposed ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. 
 
 State lawmakers voted down the measure after opening their session with a prayer for the victims of the Parkland high school shooting. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption As a gunman opened fire in a Florida high school, students inside reached for their phones. 
 
 The students, whose school is shut until 27 February, are hoping their march inspires others across the US. 
 
 A larger protest is being planned for Washington DC on 24 March. 
 
 US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a ban on rapid-fire "bump stock" devices, which were used last October's Las Vegas massacre, but not in the Florida high school attack. 
 
 The Parkland school was the scene of a deadly rampage last week, when an ex-student allegedly opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle. 
 
 The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, had moved in with a friend, who also attended the school, after his adoptive mother died in 2017. 
 
 The parents who hosted Mr Cruz, James and Kimberly Snead, told CBS News the teenager was depressed but they did not realise how troubled he was. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Emma Gonzalez told a rally that the massacre was not only a mental health issue 
 
 "The Nik we knew was not the Nik that everybody else seemed to know," James Snead told CBS. 
 
 "He pulled one over on us. As well as a lot of people," Mrs Snead said. 
 
 Mr Snead, a US army veteran, said he knew Mr Cruz had guns but believed he had the only key to the safe where they were located. 
 
 He added that it was Mr Cruz's right to have guns. 
 
 Image copyright ABC Image caption James and Kimberly Snead told ABC about how they took in the troubled teenager after his adopted mum died 
 
 Law enforcement officials say that Mr Cruz legally purchased seven rifles in the last year, despite several mental health warnings. 
 
 The couple also told ABC News that Mr Cruz had texted their son only three minutes before the attack began in Parkland, Florida, to say he was "going to the movies". 
 
 When they first saw him at the police station after he was arrested, he "mumbled" an apology to the parents. 
 
 Documents obtained by CBS show that Mr Cruz and his late adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, were visited by Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) after allegations of medical neglect in September 2016. 
 
 The investigator reportedly determined that Mr Cruz suffered from depression, ADHD and autism, had cut his arms in a post on social media and once plastered a racist message on his school backpack. 
 
 Officials closed the investigation after deciding he was not being mistreated, according to CBS News. ||||| Update 6/30 - Broward Education Foundation's official Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund has stopped accepting donations to this GoFundMe as of Saturday, June 30 at 11:59PM EST. As we've mentioned before, this GoFundMe will remain open so we can update you on our progress and as a record of what thousands and thousands of caring people accomplished together in support of the victims' families, survivors and those impacted by the tragedy. Distribution of funds, as directed by the volunteer Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund Steering Committee, will commence in July. To view the Committee's Final Protocol for fund distribution, please visit http://stonemandouglasvictimsfund.org 
 
 
 
 From our hearts to yours, thank you. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Update 3/15 - The Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund Steering Committee was announced this afternoon. Led by former U.S. Senator George LeMieux, this group of volunteer community, business and civic leaders will work closely with the National Center for Victims of Crime to establish protocols, timelines and procedures for distributing funds. The complete list of steering committee members can be found at www.stonemandouglasvictimsfund.org 
 
 
 
 This is a very sensitive, complex and thoughtful process and one that the committee takes very seriously. The committee will create a draft protocol for distribution of funds and will host Town Hall meetings for public input. The goal is to help the victims’ families, survivors and those impacted by this horrific atrocity as much as possible, and as quickly, fairly and efficiently as possible. 
 
 
 
 In situations involving mass violence, the needs are great, so we will continue to accept donations for through June 30 with distributions taking place in July. 
 
 
 
 Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of our donors. While nothing can erase the memory of that day, nor the loss of a loved one, your compassion, generosity and support is a testament to the inherent goodness in our society. 
 
 
 
 If you or a loved one were affected by the event on February 14, 2018 and have questions about disbursements from Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund, please fill out this contact form on the National Center for Victim's of Crime website here: https:// nationalcompassionfund.org/ funds/parkland-contact/ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Original 2/15 - Broward County Public Schools district is dealing with the unimaginable tragedy that unfolded on February 14th at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. There are no words to express the sorrow that we are all feeling. 
 
 
 
 Donations raised here will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific shooting. 
 
 
 
 Together with Superintendent Robert Runcie, the School Board of Broward County, Broward County Mayor Beam Furr and Commissioners, Broward Legislative Delegation and Broward County Public Schools family, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the entire Marjory Stoneman Douglas community. 
 
 
 
 In response to the mass shooting, the Foundation, the National Center, and GoFundMe are collaborating to serve victims by maximizing resources and ensuring a victim-centered, transparent distribution process. Broward Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit direct support organization solely dedicated to raising funds for Broward County Public Schools, will serve as the central repository for the Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund and will organize a local steering committee responsible for setting the fund’s distribution policy. The National Center for Victims of Crime, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a leading authority on how victims are compensated for loss, will advise the committee, assist with ongoing fundraising efforts, administer victim application and vetting processes, and coordinate the distribution of proceeds from the Foundation’s official GoFundMe campaign, other fundraisers, and third-party donation sources. GoFundMe will advise the Foundation and support both ongoing fundraising and distribution of proceeds to victims and their families. 
 
 
 
 In consultation with the National Center, the Foundation will form the steering committee that includes local leaders, and victim representatives to ensure that the voices of the victims are heard, as they are integral to the distribution process. Experts with experience in mass crime victim compensation and the needs of crime victims will also be asked to serve in a volunteer capacity. The fund and committee are completely transparent, and the committee will inform the public of its deliberations in the distribution of funds. 
 
 
 
 There are no platform fees for using GoFundMe, so 100% of the funds collected after payment processing charges will go directly to the victims and families. GoFundMe has also donated $50,000 to the Fund to cover the committee’s and the National Center’s operating costs associated with developing and implementing the distribution plan so that 100% of the donations can be distributed directly to the victims and their families. 
 
 
 
 Thank you for your support. ||||| CNN will hold a town hall with the victims' classmates, parents and community members. "Stand Up: The Students of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action" will air live Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. 
 
 (CNN) As investigators track the gun purchases of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, dozens of students and staff from the site of the massacre will board buses late Tuesday, bound for the state capital. 
 
 In Tallahassee, they hope to talk to legislators about school safety and gun control on Wednesday, determined to ensure that the deaths of their 17 classmates and teachers last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland bring about change. 
 
 School walkouts and a march are scheduled in the coming weeks, and a CNN town hall with victims' classmates, parents and the community is set for Wednesday in Sunrise, Florida. 
 
 "They can change the world, and we can only go with them," Darren Levine, a Stoneman Douglas High teacher, said of the school's students at an anti-violence rally in Delray Beach, Florida -- one of at least three across the country on Monday. 
 
 Hours earlier Monday, Cruz made a brief appearance in court for a procedural matter. 
 
 A law enforcement source briefed on the investigation told CNN that Cruz had obtained at least 10 firearms, all of them rifles. Investigators are trying to track the purchases, which Cruz appears to have made in the past year or so, the source said. 
 
 Cruz bought two weapons from Gun World of South Florida in Deerfield Beach, said Kim Waltuch, the store's CEO. She would not provide details on the types of guns he purchased or on the time frame, but said the sales followed normal protocol for Florida firearms purchases. 
 
 Meanwhile, one of Cruz's victims, Anthony Borges, 15, continued his recovery. He's one of four patients who remain hospitalized after Wednesday's massacre in Parkland. He was shot five times, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office. 
 
 On Sunday, the teen remained in a bed, his face swollen and his body tethered to IV and oxygen tubes. 
 
 "Fortunately, he is recovering -- but has a long road ahead with more surgeries needed," according to a Broward County Sheriff's Office Facebook post. 
 
 Anthony helped protect his classmates, closing and locking a door to a classroom, according to a verified GoFundMe account that, as of late Monday morning, had raised more than $275,000 late Monday . As Anthony blocked the door, Cruz fired through it, hitting Anthony in the back and in both legs, shattering his thigh bone, according to the account's description. 
 
 Latest developments 
 
 Rallies against gun violence in Florida, California and Washington, D.C.: The names of victims were read out loud at a rally in Delray Beach. In Los Angeles, protesters, including many young children gathered in Pershing Park, chanted "throw them out," referring to politicians who support the National Rifle Association. "Apparently when a school shooting happens, it's just another day in America and nobody cares," said Sophie Peterson, a student. "Students and teachers are dying and that is not OK." In Washington, teen The names of victims were read out loud at a rally in Delray Beach.In Los Angeles, protesters, including many young children gathered in Pershing Park, chanted "throw them out," referring to politicians who support the National Rifle Association. "Apparently when a school shooting happens, it's just another day in America and nobody cares," said Sophie Peterson, a student. "Students and teachers are dying and that is not OK." In Washington, teen demonstrators lay on the ground in front of the White House in solidarity with the 17 victims. Others carried flags and posters. 
 
 Details on shooter's behavior: A 2016 Florida Department of Children and Families report says that after a breakup with a girlfriend, Cruz began cutting his arms. He also announced plans to buy a gun, put racial slurs and hate symbols on his backpack and suffered from depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, the report said. Despite Cruz's behavior, the report concluded the "final level of risk is low." 
 
 Cubs star speaks out: Marjory Stoneman Douglas alum and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said during a news conference that he had visited kids in the hospital after the shooting. He also issued a call for change, saying, "No one right now feels comfortable on a daily basis sending their kid to school not knowing if they're going to see them again." 
 
 Host family saw no clues: Kim and James Snead, who took in Cruz after his adoptive mother died in November, tell ABC's "Good Morning America" that : Kim and James Snead, who took in Cruz after his adoptive mother died in November, tell ABC's "Good Morning America" that Cruz was polite and "seemed normal." Despite reports of what authorities say was a disturbing social media footprint, James Snead said, "We knew he had one Instagram account. ... The other ones he had, we had no idea about." 
 
 Funerals scheduled for this week: Among those being laid to rest this week are Alaina Petty, 14, and Luke Hoyer, 15, whose services were held Monday morning, and Cara Loughran, 14, whose service is Tuesday. Cara's aunt, Lindsay Fontana, said on Facebook the day after the shooting that her niece was an "excellent student" who loved the beach. Alaina's family described her as a "vibrant and determined young woman" who volunteered in cleanup and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Irma. 
 
 Remembering the victims: Vigils were held Monday for the Parkland shooting victims in nearby Miramar and Coral Springs, Florida. 
 
 Alleged school threats elsewhere: A 14-year-old Norfolk, Virginia , middle school student was the latest person to be arrested Monday for threatening to harm classmates, according to Norfolk police. The student faces a felony charge and is accused of making threats of death or bodily injury to a person or persons on school property, police said. Since the massacre in Parkland, there have been at least a dozen reports of other incidents involving a threat to a school or a weapon on campus throughout the country. In some of these events, the schools have closed or gone into lockdown. 
 
 Students mobilize 
 
 JUST WATCHED The vicious cycle of school shootings Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The vicious cycle of school shootings 03:16 
 
 In the aftermath of the shooting, many students who survived the bloodshed say they can no longer endure inaction on the issue of gun control. Just days after surviving the ninth-deadliest shooting in modern US history , several students have given powerful speeches and compelling TV interviews, voicing their desire to break the loop of massacres. 
 
 Some have gone on social media, vocal about what they experienced and what action they want to see from those in power. They're demanding that state and federal lawmakers step up and do something. 
 
 They're also coming for the NRA and any politician who takes money from the powerful gun lobby. The NRA did not return CNN's call seeking comment. 
 
 "My message for the people in office is: You're either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around," said junior Cameron Kasky, announcing a March 24 demonstration in Washington. 
 
 They plan to converge at the nation's capital next month and have asked supporters who can't make it to stage marches in their own communities, according to a mission statement for March For Our Lives 
 
 JUST WATCHED Parkland students demand action on guns Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Parkland students demand action on guns 01:28 
 
 Marjory Stoneman Douglas remains closed through Wednesday, and officials said they hope to reopen the doors by week's end. It's not clear when students will return. 
 
 The school district has also proposed tearing down the building where the shooting happened, Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Student tells why she went off at rally Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Student tells why she went off at rally 01:06 
 
 Trump tweet angers students 
 
 JUST WATCHED Time to rethink how mass shootings are covered? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Time to rethink how mass shootings are covered? 08:20 
 
 Students who survived the shooting laid into President Donald Trump after he seemed to blame the FBI's failure to follow up on a report about the school shooter on the agency's attention and resources on the Russia investigation. 
 
 On Saturday, Trump tweeted, "Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!" 
 
 The President's tweet caused considerable outrage online, including among apparent survivors of the shooting. One wrote: "Oh my god. 17 OF MY CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS ARE GONE AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE THIS ABOUT RUSSIA???!! HAVE A DAMN HEART. You can keep all of your fake and meaningless 'thoughts and prayers'." 
 
 As the investigation continues, a review has been ordered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions into how a tip to the FBI about Cruz was missed and how the agency responds to indications of potential violence. 
 
 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Parents wait for news after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday, February 14. At least 17 people were killed at the school, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is in custody, the sheriff said. The sheriff said Cruz had been expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Police officers ride in the back of a pickup truck as they tend to a victim. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting People are brought out of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Police officers surveil the exterior of the school while the shooting was active. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Students and faculty are evacuated from the school. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting A father and daughter embrace after a mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Family members wait for word from students beneath an underpass just south of the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Lavinia Zapata embraces her son, Jorge, after he was evacuated from the school. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is taken into custody by authorities. Cruz was apprehended off of the campus. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Security instructs parents following the shooting. Parents were told they would be reunited with their children at a local Marriott Hotel. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Students released from lockdown console each other. While some students were evacuated, many remained in the school until authorities could come to their aid. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting Family members embrace after shooting. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: Deadly Florida school shooting People embrace while leaving the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel, which authorities designated as a staging point for witnesses to the shooting. Hide Caption 13 of 13 
 
 The FBI failed to act on a January 5 tip about "Cruz's gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting," the agency said. 
 
 The proper protocols weren't followed and the FBI's Miami office was not notified, the agency said. 
 
 A video blogger also said he warned the FBI in September about a possible school shooting threat from a YouTube user with the same name as Cruz. The FBI did not find information to identify the person, said Robert Lasky, FBI special agent in charge of the Miami division. 
 
 Report: Cruz cut himself after breakup, had 'hate signs' on backpack 
 
 CNN obtained a 2016 report from the Florida Department of Children and Families that said Cruz engaged in self-destructive behavior after a breakup with a girlfriend. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Shooter showed violence and mental instability Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Shooter showed violence and mental instability 03:01 
 
 DCF spoke with the teen's now-deceased mother, Lynda Cruz, who told them he suffered from depression, ADHD and autism. After the breakup, she said, he began cutting his arms and posting it to Snapchat. Previously, Cruz had put a Nazi symbol on his backpack, and "had hate signs on a book bag, stating, 'I hate n*****s,'" according to the report. 
 
 "(Lynda Cruz) stated (Nikolas) started cutting only after (Nikolas) and the girl broke up. She stated that there has never been any issues with other races or issues with racism in the family or (Nikolas)," the report states. "She stated that she even asked (Nikolas) why would he draw something like that and (he) claimed not knowing what it was." 
 
 The DCF report ultimately found that the "final level of risk is low" because Cruz was residing with his mother, receiving in-home mental health services and attending school. 
 
 In a statement Monday, DCF Secretary Mike Carroll said the agency "is absolutely heartbroken and disgusted by last week's tragedy." 
 
 "Once we learned that the shooter had involvement with the agency in 2016, we immediately began the process of asking a court to release these records detailing DCF's only involvement with this person. We also conducted a thorough review to confirm that all processes and procedures were followed. In these investigations, DCF relies on the expertise of mental health professionals and law enforcement and these records show that DCF took the steps to involve these partners in investigating this alleged abuse. Cruz was receiving mental health services before, during, and after our investigation was closed, he was living with his mother, and attending school," Carroll's statement said. 
 
 Cruz, who is facing charges of premeditated murder, is willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, according to the public defender's office representing him. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Victim's mom begs Trump: Do something! Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Victim's mom begs Trump: Do something! 02:41 
 
 State Attorney Michael J. Satz said Saturday this "certainly is the type of case the death penalty was designed for," but now is the time "to let the families grieve and bury their children and loved ones." 
 
 Cruz was being held without bond in Broward County. He wore a red jumpsuit, with his wrists shackled to his waist, when he appeared in court Monday for a hearing on the sealing of certain documents in the case. Cruz didn't speak publicly, answering only his public defender's questions, and looked down for most of the hearing. 
 
 Another court had sealed documents pertaining to the defense team's "access to their own client's person," Judge Elizabeth Scherer said, adding that she saw no reason prosecutors would oppose the move. Future such motions will be handled by her court, she said.
– He might not get a full military funeral, but Parkland school shooting victim Peter Wang will get a nod from the US Army. The 15-year-old old Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps member who held doors open for students and staff fleeing bullets at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week will be honored with a Medal of Heroism, presented to his family at a memorial service Tuesday, reports the Daily Beast, which notes the medal is given to those whose actions "involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities." A medal was presented to relatives of 14-year-old JROTC member Alaina Petty at a memorial service Monday—the Florida Attorney General's Office is covering funeral costs for all 17 shooting victims—and will be given to 14-year-old Martin Duque's family on Saturday, the Army says. Alex Schachter, another 14-year-old killed in the shooting, is being honored with a scholarship fund totaling more than $125,000 as of this writing. It's designed to "fund increased security at schools" and help students "experience the joys of music," according to a GoFundMe page. Another arranged by the Broward Education Foundation has raised $1.7 million to be used "to provide relief and financial support" to victims and family members, who've received free transportation from JetBlue Airways. "We've all cried a lot—first in horror, but then because of the outpouring (of) generosity and compassion," BEF marketing director PeJay Ryan tells Fox News. Some 18 comfort dogs trained by Lutheran Church Charities are also providing relief. They "are good listeners and have a unique way of knowing when people are hurting," says CEO Tim Hetzner.