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Here’s how authorities say accused gunman Nikolas Cruz spent several minutes Wednesday in Parkland, Fla.

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Nikolas Cruz, 19, is accused of shooting several students and staff Wednesday afternoon at his former high school in Florida, killing at least 17 and injuring at least a dozen in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and other sources, here’s a timeline of events from the moment they say Cruz arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, until he was taken into police custody:

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2:19 p.m. An Uber driver dropped Cruz off at the high school.

2:21 p.m. Cruz entered the east stairwell of the school’s Building 12, wearing a backpack and carrying a rifle inside a black soft rifle case. He quickly removed the rifle from the case and left the stairwell. Cruz then started shooting. He first shot into Room 1215, then went to 1216 and then 1214. He returned to Room 1216, then went back to 1215 and then Room 1213. Cruz then took a west stairwell to the second floor of the school building and shot a victim in Room 1234.

2:24 p.m. Cruz took the east stairwell to the building’s third floor.

2:27 p.m. When he reached the third floor, he dropped the rifle and backpack inside the stairwell and ran back downstairs.

(Raoul Rañoa / Los Angeles Times )
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2:28 p.m. Cruz left the school building and ran west toward nearby tennis courts and then headed south.

2:29 p.m. He then crossed a field and ran west with others who were fleeing the school.

2:50 p.m. Cruz arrived at Walmart, then went to Subway, bought a drink and left on foot.

3:01 p.m. He then went to McDonald’s, where he sat for a short period of time and again left on foot.

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3:41 p.m. Officer Michael Leonard with the Coconut Creek Police Department detained Cruz at 4700 Wyndham Lakes Drive after noticing that Cruz’s clothing matched what the gunman was said to have been wearing. Homicide detectives with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office arrived and took Cruz into custody as the suspected gunman.

jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

@jaclyncosgrove

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