Report: Florida Shooting Suspect Nikolas Cruz Passed Background Check for AR-15

The 19-year-old man charged with of gunning down 17 people in a Florida high school on Wednesday passed a background check to purchase an AR-15-style rifle. A special agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Miami confirmed to The New York Times that “No laws were violated in the procurement of this weapon.” The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, reportedly legally obtained the weapon at some point in the last year, though no further details were given. A lawyer representing the suspect said the weapon was stored in the gun safe at the home of one of his school friends where he lived. Authorities have determined that Cruz was previously expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for disciplinary issues.