A Florida high school student captured the sounds of gunfire erupting nearby while hiding in a classroom.

Students in Broward County, Florida, locked inside their high school during an active shooting situation took to social media Wednesday to document the frightening situation.

A tweet posted by a user named Heather read: "I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF EVERYONE IS SAFE CAUSE IM SHAKING THERE WAS LIKE PEOPLE IVE SEEN BEFORE JUST DEAD IN THE HALLS I CANT CALM DOWN AT ALL THIS WAS THE MOST TERRYFYING THIS IVE EVER SEEN"

Another student, self described as a freshman, live-tweeted from the scene. 

Under the Twitter handle @TheCaptainAidan, the freshman tweeted photos of classmates crouched under tables in a classroom. One student could be seen checking a mobile phone. 

The tweet was captioned: "My school is being shot up and I am locked inside. I’m ----ing scared right now."

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel described the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland as "catastrophic." 

The shooting suspect, Nicholas Cruz, was taken into custody less than a mile from the scene. 

Heather tweeted again to share she was safe.

"THE SWAT EVACUATED US AND LIKE 3 PEOPLE I KNOW WERE SHOT IN OUR BUILDING AND THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE I CANT BREATH RIGHT NOW BUT IM SAFE"

Students in Bloomfield are getting ready for a mission trip to Puerto Rico nearly five months after Hurricane Maria destroyed most of the island. 

"We’re going to be helping rebuild homes, specifically roofs,” one student, Isabella Tawfik, said.

Images of the destruction struck a chord with students at the CREC Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC) for Global and International Studies and they decided to help. 

On Feb. 25, three staff members and 13 MLC students will be heading to Isabella, Puerto Rico for five days.  

“We want to go there, bring hope to them and let them know that they’ve not been forgotten. We are here together and MLC is there with them,” counselor Antonella Maccarone said. 

Emily Godeck, one of the students going to Puerto Rico, said there is a lot to do before they leave.

“We’re going through all the stuff that we’re getting – like all of the shampoos, all the products – and making sure they’re new and putting them into suitcases,” Godeck said.

The group plans to bring 22 suitcases filled with donations the students collected.

Local organizations have also collected donations, like the Excelsior Lodge No.3 in Hartford. The organization and brought everything from baby diapers and toiletries to the school on Wednesday morning. 

In addition to collecting donations, the students have been selling socks online. All the money raised will be to buy gift cards when they get to Puerto Rico and then given to families who need the help.

Everyone going on the mission trip is paying their own way.

“It’s going to help me open my eyes to see something that other people are going through that I’m not going through,” Trinitee Williams, another student, said. 

HOW TO HELP:

Until Feb. 25, students will be selling socks as part of their Rock Some Socks for Puerto Rico campaign. The money raised will be used to buy gift cards in Puerto Rico, which will be given to families in need on the island.

Socks are $12 and come in bright colors and fun patterns in sizes for women, men and children.

To order a pair of socks, head to the website.

American luger Emily Sweeney, of Suffield, Connecticut, is stiff, sore and has a severely sprained left ankle after a horrific crash during her final run of the singles competition of the 2018 Winter Olympics Tuesday, but she is otherwise OK.

NBC Connecticut anchor Kevin Nathan spoke with Sweeney’s mother, Sue, who she said her 24-year-old daughter did not break any bones and does not have a concussion.

The crowd fell silent Tuesday when Sweeney lost control of her speeding sled and crashed. Somehow, the local athlete was able to get up and walk on her own.

Sweeney is a sergeant in the U.S. Army National Guard and part of the Army World Class Athlete Program. When she conducted interviews soon after the crash, Nathan asked if the military background contributed to why she walked off the track, but Sweeney said that is just who she is.

“I think that’s just who I have been raised to be and you just you have to,” Sweeney said.

USA Luge medical staff told the “Today” show that Sweeney is doing "very well" and will be monitored for the next few days and further steps will be taken, if necessary.

She was not expected to attend Wednesday's Olympic doubles luge race, according to the "Today" show.

Sweeney expressed thanks Tuesday those who have supported her.

“It’s been a long journey. I know that the people who know me are supportive, no matter what I do on the track. They’re happy with the person I am off the track, so that’s what I am going to focus on walking away from here,” she said.

And on Wednesday, she tweeted her thanks to everyone who has been giving her support.

More from the Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang:

• Yuto Totsuka of Japan Crashed and It Will Make You Gasp
  
• Alexa and Chris Knierim Sealed Their Skate on Valentine's Day with a Kiss 
• In Case You Missed It, Shaun White Wins Historic Gold Medal
  

A former student accused of killing 17 students at a Florida high school showed signs of erratic behavior, according to students who spoke to NBC 6.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, was arrested about three-quarters of a mile from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly after he opened fire. 

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Cruz carried out the attack with at least one AR-15 rifle as well as multiple magazines.

There were signs of trouble in Cruz, students said, with some guessing he was responsible for the attack before his identity was confirmed.

“He was just erratic," senior Sebastian Toala told NBC 6. "He was always talking about doing crazy things. He was just never right in the head.”

Senior Eddie Bonilla said he met Cruz his sophomore year and described him as "a little bit off" and "troubled."

Cruz used to show off his guns, brag about shooting them "for fun" and "threatened to bring the guns to school multiple times," Bonilla said.

"I never really got close to him because I always had a feeling there was something wrong." Toala said. 

Students "threw jokes around that he'd be the one to shoot up the school," Bonilla said. 

Israel said Cruz was expelled for disciplinary reasons, but was unsure of the specifics. Bonilla said that he Cruz often got in trouble for threatening other students. 

Toala said Cruz was teased and bullied for his "erratic behavior," but would also laugh and go along with it. Bonilla said it wasn't teasing, but Cruz pushed people to comment on his unusual behavior.

Third-party administrators are companies that act as a middleman for the state’s two electric utilities, United Illuminating and Eversource. The companies sell electricity at reduced or promotional rates and customers contract with them rather than the utilities themselves.

Some consumers, like Larry Trine in Wethersfield, are more astute than most when it comes to his electric bill. He researches and checks rates on a regular basis and changes his rate plan and sometimes the third-party supplier every six months to keep his rate low.

Trine’s bill showed a different rate for the next billing cycle than he signed up for and that was different from the previous month.

“I don’t think the public realizes that this is misleading because that is not what the next billing rate is,” Trine said.

The issue came to the attention of Sen. Len Suzio because he selected a third party supplier, Spark Energy, based in Houston, Texas.

State Senator Len Suzio had a similar issue with the next billing cycle being listed as a lower rate but he was then charged at the higher rate from the month prior.

Suzio said the blame is on multiple parties. He said the supplier has blame because it is the one he’s contracted with and Eversource is to blame because the utility is responsible for delivery of the electricity.

"They are responsible for billing information and to convey complete and correct information and they’re not doing that. That’s my beef with them," Suzio said. 

Eversource responded with a statement, both blasting Suzio and saying the responsibility lies with energy suppliers, adding they are the ones charged with providing accurate information to Eversource for when the utility generates bills.

Mitch Gross, a spokesman for Eversource, said Suzio is “perpetuating misinformation,” and added, “Our customers deserve accurate and timely information on the supply rate they’re paying and we always encourage customers to check with their supplier so they know what their current rate is. We support any state action to ensure customers receive clear and accurate rate information from their third-party supplier.”

NBC Connecticut reached out to Spark Energy and a company spokesman refused to comment on the issue with Suzio’s bill.

Connecticut's Consumer Counsel Elin Katz is involved and told NBC Connecticut that there appears to be issues from both the energy provider and the supplier. She said it’s critical that information on those bills be accurate.

Trine said he thinks the entire system is confusing and thinks the companies need to make their bills and methods more clear.

“Since Eversource is the one who is putting it on here either they are not updating it or the supplier is not updating it, which one, I don’t know," Trine said.

Pfizer and Eli Lilly and Company are working on a non-opioid drug to treat chronic pain in patients with osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. 

The medication, Tanezumab, would selectively target, bind to and prevent nerve growth factor. Pfizer said the drug acts differently than opioids.

"Tanezumab has the potential to be a new, non-opioid treatment with sustained efficacy for moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain, chronic low back pain and cancer pain patients who do not receive adequate relief or cannot tolerate or take other analgesics," Pfizer said in a statement to NBC Connecticut.

Tanezumab is currently in the third phase of a global clinical development program that includes six studies "in approximately 7,000 patients with osteoarthritis pain (OA), chronic low back pain (CLBP) or cancer pain (due to bone metastases) who did not experience adequate pain relief with approved therapies."

"If ultimately approved, Tanezumab would be the first in a new class of non-opioid chronic pain medications," according to Pfizer.

In June, Tanezumab received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The designation facilitates "the development, and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need," according to the FDA website.

Dr. Sudhir Kadian of Shoreline Pain Center and Anesthesia Associates of New London said opioids could be used on appropriate patients, but non-opioid treatments are underutilized.

"Other alternative models of pain management is as effective as the opioids if used properly and in combinations with opioids or without opioids," Kadian said.

Kadian said more opioid-free optoins are needed. 

The shooting at a high school in South Florida is one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. At least 17 people were killed and 17 people were taken to the hospital, according to authorities.

Here is a list of some of the worst mass shootings in recent years:

58 Killed - Las Vegas, Nevada (Oct. 1, 2017) - A gunman on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas strip casino fired down on a country music festival below, killing at least 58 people and wounding 515, according to authorities. The suspected gunman, Stephen Paddock, killed himself at the scene, police said. 

49 Killed - Orlando, Florida (June 12, 2016) - Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded in a shooting at the Pulse nightclub. Gunman Omar Mateen was killed after taking hostages.

32 Killed - Blacksburg, Virginia (April 16, 2007) - Thirty-two people were killed and 17 wounded in a shooting on the Virginia Tech campus by gunman Seung-Hui Cho, who also fatally shot himself.

26 Killed - Newtown, Connecticut (Dec. 14, 2012) - Twenty-six people, including 20 children, were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Gunman Adam Lanza killed his mother before the shooting and later fatally shot himself.

23 Killed - Killeen, Texas (Oct. 16, 1991) - Twenty-three people were killed and 20 injured when George Hennard crashed his pickup into Luby's Cafeteria then opened fire on customers before fatally shooting himself.

21 Killed - San Ysidro, California (July 18, 1984) - Twenty-one people were killed and 19 injured at a San Diego McDonald's. James Huberty was killed by police.

17 Killed - Austin, Texas (Aug. 1, 1966) - Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 others wounded when student Charles Whitman opened fire from the 28th floor of the University of Texas campus tower then was killed by police. Seventeen deaths were ultimately attributed to the shooting.

14 Killed - San Bernardino, California (Dec. 2, 2015) - Fourteen people were killed and 22 wounded at a gathering of San Bernardino County employees. Husband-and-wife suspects Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were killed in a gunfight with police.

14 Killed - Edmond, Oklahoma (Aug. 20, 1986) - Postal worker Patrick Sherrill killed 14 co-workers and wounded six others before fatally shooting himself.

13 Killed - Fort Hood, Texas (Nov. 9, 2009) - Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 wounded by Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist. Hasan was sentenced to death.

13 Killed - Binghamton, New York (April 3, 2009) - Thirteen people killed and four wounded at a citizenship class by gunman Jiverly Antares Wong, who then killed himself.

13 Killed - Littleton, Colorado (April 20, 1999) - Twelve students and one teacher were killed and 20 wounded at Columbine High School. Attackers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed themselves.

12 Killed - Aurora, Colorado (July 20, 2012) - Twelve people were killed and 70 wounded at a movie theater during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises." Gunman James Holmes, arrested outside the theater, had booby-trapped his home with explosives. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

12 Killed - Washington, D.C. (Sept. 16, 2013) - Twelve people were killed and eight injured at the Washington Navy Yard. Gunman Aaron Alexis, of Texas, was killed.

9 Killed - Charleston, South Carolina, (June 18, 2015) - Nine people were killed at a prayer meeting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic African-American church. Gunman Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, was sentenced to death.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency has broken months of silence about his frequent premium-class flights at taxpayer expense, saying he needs to fly first class because of unpleasant interactions with other travelers.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt spoke about his flight costs on Tuesday in a pair of interviews in New Hampshire, following a first-class flight to meet with the state's Republican governor and tour a toxic waste site.

Pruitt told the New Hampshire Union Leader he had some "incidents" on flights shortly after his appointment by President Donald Trump last year.

"We live in a very toxic environment politically, particularly around issues of the environment," said Pruitt, who confirmed to the newspaper that he had flown first class from Washington to Boston before continuing on to New Hampshire. "We've reached the point where there's not much civility in the marketplace and it's created, you know, it's created some issues and the (security) detail, the level of protection is determined by the level of threat."

Pruitt is the first EPA administrator to have a 24-hour security detail that accompanies him at all times, even at the agency's headquarters in Washington. He has also taken other security precautions, including the addition of a $25,000 soundproof "privacy booth" to prevent eavesdropping on his phone calls and spending $3,000 to have his office swept for hidden listening devices.

Pruitt said he was not involved in the decision for him to fly first class.

"There have been instances, unfortunately, during my time as an administrator, as I've flown and spent time, of interaction that's not been the best," Pruitt told WMUR TV in Manchester, New Hampshire. "And, so, ingress and egress off the plane ... that's all decisions all made by our (security) detail team, by the chief of staff, by the administration. I don't make any of those decisions. They place me on the plane where they think is best from a safety perspective."

Pruitt was asked about the issue following a Washington Post report on Sunday that detailed some of his travel expenses, including a $1,641.43 first-class seat for a short flight in June from Washington to New York City. Pruitt's ticket cost six times what EPA paid for his aides seated in coach.

The Associated Press reported in July and again in December that spending on commercial airline tickets purchased for Pruitt indicated he was flying in premium-class seats. EPA's press office has repeatedly refused to comment on whether Pruitt was flying first class.

Federal regulations allow government travelers to fly business class or first class when no cheaper options are "reasonably available" or if there are exceptional security circumstances. However, past federal audits have found that those rules have been routinely violated by high-ranking government officials under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The use of luxury air travel by members of Trump's Cabinet has been under scrutiny for months, after the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in September following media reports he spent at least $400,000 in taxpayer funds on private jets for himself and his staff.

A report released Wednesday by the inspector general at the Department of Veterans Affairs found that Secretary David Shulkin and his staff made "false representations" to justify his wife accompanying him at taxpayer expense on an 11-day European trip that mixed business and sightseeing.

Records show Pruitt has taken at least four flights on non-commercial aircraft, costing more than $58,000. EPA has said all of those flights were necessary and pre-approved by ethics lawyers.

EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox did not immediately respond Wednesday to questions about whether Pruitt had been granted similar waivers allowing him to fly premium class or about the past security incidents to which Pruitt referred.

Pruitt's frequent government-funded travel, which records show has often included weekend layovers in his home state of Oklahoma, is currently under review by EPA's internal watchdog. The office of EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins said Wednesday it expects to release the results of its investigation by summer.

Meanwhile, the White House's budget proposal for EPA released earlier this week seeks to cut $3.7 million, or 9 percent, in funding for Elkins' office. His spokeswoman, Jennifer Kaplan, said that would impair the ability of the inspector general to perform investigations like the one into Pruitt's spending.

"Without sufficient resources, we would not be able to take on many discretionary audits and investigations that the OIG believes yield considerable value and return on investment," Kaplan said.

A silver alert has been issued for a 3-year-old from New London.

Police said Zaniyah Bullette was last seen with his biological mother, India Quinones, who may be operating a newer Honda Civic in a dark color with a faded front hood. 

The child was wearing a fuzzy pink coat, blue jeans and white sneakers. Her hair is tied in a bun and she's wearing diamond earrings.

No other information was immediately available. 

With the White House still reeling from the Rob Porter scandal, President Trump finally addressed his stance on domestic violence on camera saying he's "totally opposed to domestic violence and everyone knows it."

A paraprofessional and student at the Global Communications Academy in Hartford are being questioned after a teacher said a batch of brownies smelled a little odd on Wednesday. 

Police said the incident happened during school hours and they suspect either the student or paraprofessional involved sold brownies possibly infused with marijuana.

Several students between the age of 13 and 16 got hold of the brownies before a teacher stepped in.

"In total, 17 students were believed to be potentially exposed and were reviewed or examined by the school nurse as well as the [paramedic]," Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley said.

None of those students needed to go to the hospital.

Police are still trying to determine where the brownies came from and how so many people were affected.

"We believe that some were sold within the school, specifically for nefarious reasons," Foley said. "It wasn’t [for] a bake sale or anything like that."

Hartford police said it will make any necessary arrests after it receives the brownies test results.

NBC Connecticut also reached out to school and CREC officials for comment.

Qualcomm Inc top executives met with Broadcom Ltd Wednesday for the first time to confer the revised $121 billion bid as a possible deal, CNBC reported. 

The meeting was attended by Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf, Chief Financial Officer George Davis and Chairman Paul Jacobs, among others, according to Qualcomm, CNBC reported. 

It is the first meeting since Qualcomm rejected Broadcom's revised cash-and-stock bid of $82 per share last week, CNBC reported. 

Quallcom said the new offer still undervalues it and falls short on firm commitments on regulatory issues, CNBC reported

The entire country, including Connecticut, was stunned when the news broke about a deadly school shooting in Florida. 

"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," U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said on the Senate floor in response to reports of an active shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The shooting left at least 17 people dead and several others injured after a 19-year-old student who had been expelled opened fire at the high school. 

“Let me just note once again for my colleagues: this happens nowhere else other than the United States of America. We are responsible for a level of mass atrocity that happens in this country with zero parallel anywhere else," Murphy said. 

Murphy sentiments were echoed by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Representative Elizabeth Esty, who said the shooting in Parkland is "hitting far too close to home."

"We think of America as an exceptional country. We are - we are the exception to the rule that mass shootings do not occur in schools, churches, concerts, and other public locations on an alarmingly regular basis," Esty wrote.

Blumenthal said he was closely following the developments, before tweeting about America's "national epidemic."

"Haunting, harrowing images from Parkland provoke an all too familiar stomach-churning feeling – a gut punch – as our national epidemic infects yet another school," Blumenthal tweeted.

Retired Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance, who was the face of law enforcement during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, said he found himself following heartbreaking developments on Wednesday. 

"It's beyond comprehension that anyone has to go through something like this," Vance told NBC Connecticut over the phone. "It's absolutely eerie to be this close to this type of tragedy again. It certainly is something you should never get used to, you never forget."

The scenes playing out on television showed students running in fear and law enforcement responding in force. They're images, Vance said, that have become familiar to far too many.

"This community is going through exactly what Newtown went through. There are reunification of survivors with families and there will be tears of joy and tears of sadness," Vance said.

Vance praised local law enforcement in South Florida and said what first responders learn from past school shootings can help their response to future ones.

Later on Wednesday evening, Murphy tweeted that it's never too soon to debate gun violence in the United States.

"Don't tell me tomorrow isn't the appropriate time to debate gun violence. If you're a political leader doing nothing about this slaughter, you're an accomplice," he wrote. 

South Africa's acting President Cyril Ramaphosa was poised to become the country's new leader in a parliament vote Thursday following the resignation of Jacob Zuma, whose scandals brought the ruling party to its weakest point since taking power at the end of apartheid.

With the African National Congress nominating Zuma's former deputy Ramaphosa as the country's leader, the 400-member parliament dominated by the ANC is expected to select him to finish his predecessor's term, which ends with elections in 2019. Ramaphosa will be South Africa's fifth president since majority rule.

Zuma resigned in a nationally televised address late Wednesday after the ANC instructed him to step down or face a parliamentary motion of no confidence that he would almost certainly lose.

The office of parliament speaker Baleka Mbete said Thursday that she had received Zuma's resignation letter making his departure final after nine years in office, and that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng would be available to swear in the new president in parliament later in the day.

"The newly elected president will then address the sitting thereafter," the ANC said in a statement.

The new president also on Friday evening will deliver the state of the nation address that had been postponed during the ruling party's days of closed-door negotiations to persuade Zuma to resign.

The South African currency, the rand, strengthened against the dollar in early trading Thursday after Zuma's resignation, which ended political turmoil that had stalled some government business.

Ramaphosa has promised to fight the corruption that turned some supporters against the ANC during the months of growing public anger over the scandals surrounding Zuma, who has denied wrongdoing.

The new president is challenged with reviving the reputation of Africa's most prominent liberation movement, which fought the former system of white minority rule known as apartheid and took power in 1994 in the first all-race elections.

On Thursday the foundation of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, welcomed Zuma's departure but said the state must act against "networks of criminality" that have hurt the country's democracy.

As the country marks the centenary of Mandela's 1918 birth, "there is a need to reckon with the failures of the democratic era," the foundation said. "We believe that we are at a critical moment in our history, one which offers us the unique opportunity to reflect, to rebuild, and to transform."

A community began mourning after a former student went on a deadly rampage and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, at a Florida high school, NBC New reported. 

For many parents explaining a tragedy such as school shooting to their own child can be daunting experience, mental health experts told NBC News self care is the first step to having this important conversation with children. 

Experts also say it is important to allow children to take the lead in these conversations so that they are not overwhelmed, NBC News reported.  

The United States women’s curling team is set to take on Switzerland Thursday, hours after defeating Great Britain. 

The U.S. won 7-4 Thursday morning in their second game of the Olympic round robin tournament at Gangneung Curling Centre.

It was a low scoring affair throughout, as the U.S. scored two points each in the third and sixth ends to take a 4-3 lead. Great Britain then tied it with a single point in eighth. With the hammer in the ninth end, the United States was able to grab the decisive point before stealing two in the final end.

Team USA began round robin play with a 10-5 loss to Japan Wednesday. The women’s curling team faces off against Switzerland at 8:05 p.m. (6:05 a.m. EST). Switzerland comes into the match following a loss to China. 

The U.S. finished in last place at each of the last two Olympics, however all five players on this year’s women’s team are making their Olympic debuts.

Less than 24 hours after Nikolas Cruz allegedly entered South Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire in what would become one of the deadliest mass school shootings in U.S. history, the 19-year-old was booked into jail and charged with murder.

NBC 6 cameras captured Cruz being taken into the Broward County Jail just before 6 a.m., where he was later charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

Cruz was captured by officers less than an hour after he allegedly brought a weapon — believed to be an AR-15 — into the Parkland school he once attended and started shooting. Officials say Cruz was expelled from the school last year for unknown disciplinary reasons.

He was wearing what appeared to be a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps shirt from the school with an eagle logo on the arm. Students told NBC 6 that Cruz was a part of the JROTC when he attended the school.

Officials say he was equipped with a gas mask and smoke grenades, set off a fire alarm to draw students out of classrooms shortly before the day ended at one of the state's largest schools, officials said. Twelve of the victims were found dead inside the school.

In addition to the 17 fatalities, more patients remain at hospitals across Broward County – including five in critical condition according to officials at Broward Health North Hospital.

Officials are expected to give more information, including the possible release of those victims' names, at a 10:30 a.m. ET press conference.

Multiple students confirmed that there was a fire drill early in the morning, and when the fire alarm rang again later in the afternoon, "no one expected anything that was gonna happen," one student told NBC 6.

School board officials said staff and students heard what sounded like gunfire shortly before dismissal and the school went on an immediate lockdown.

Footage posted on social media showed students cowering under desks in one classroom as gunshots rang out.

NBC 6 spoke to the older brother of one student, who said his sister, a sophomore, was safe but “trembling in shock” at the scene unfolding at her high school.

“It’s just complete chaos out there,” he said a short distance from the school. “She was numb.”

The school will remain closed for the rest of the week, and all school activities have been canceled, Broward City Public Schools tweeted.

Broward School Superintendent Robert Runcie said Wednesday night that grief counselors will be available at locations across the area for students, staff and families.

"As we rise this morning let us pray for the victims and families of this horrific tragedy that has fallen on our community," Runcie tweeted Thursday morning. "Let us find the courage to transcend fear, greed, hatred & divisions and collaborate to achieve a new level of consciousness to find real solutions that include investments in mental health services for our youth and common sense gun control for this nation."

A prayer vigil will be held on Thursday at 2:35 p.m. at Pine Trails Park. All are invited to attend. Another vigil is being held at noon on Thursday at the Parkridge Church.

NBC 6 also spoke with a father who was able to communicate with his child inside the school. "I'm relieved that [the suspect] has been captured, at least that part of its over. The stress from this is too much." He said his child is safe.

"This is just the worst kind of tragedy," said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who represents the district that includes parts of Parkland. "It's a great community and it's just so awful to see the images coming out of there."

The high winds relented and allowed Mikaela Shiffrin to make her much anticipated debut at the Pyeongchang Games on Thursday (Wednesday night in the U.S.) Longtime women's hockey rivals, Canada and the U.S., faced off and the Florida high school shooting left pairs skaters distraught. Here are the Pyeongchang Games by the numbers.

Finally on the Slopes, Shiffrin Takes Gold

1 Mikaela Shiffrin finally got her chance to compete and came in first in the giant slalom, winning her second career Olympic gold medal. Shiffrin, 22, captured the gold with a combined time of 2 minutes, 20.02 seconds. Noway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel earned silver and Italy’s Federica Brignone took bronze. Shiffrin could be going for gold in as many as five events at these Games. She was a favorite in the giant slalom and will be in the slalom, scheduled for Friday (Thursday night in the U.S.) But skiing two races in two days shouldn’t be a problem for Shiffrin — World Cup races are often held on consecutive days.

Age No Handicap for this Norwegian Skier

35 At 35 years old, Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal is the oldest-ever Olympic gold medalist in Alpine skiing after winning the men’s downhill at the Pyeongchang Games on Thursday. Svindal, one of Norway’s “Attacking Vikings,” bested the defending champion, Austria’s Matthias Mayer, who came in ninth. Svindal’s winning time was 1 minute, 40.25 seconds, 0.12 seconds faster than Norwegian teammate Kjetil Jansrud, who took silver. Beat Feuz of Switzerland took bronze. Svindal is three months older than Austrian Mario Matt was in 2014 when he won the Olympic slalom. The oldest Olympic medalist in Alpine skiing is Bode Miller, who won a bronze in the super-G at age 36 at the Sochi Games. Svindal said afterward that this was likely his last Olympics.

Florida School Shooting Shakes Up Skaters

15 Married pairs figure skaters Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim skated with heavy hearts after learning of the school shooting in Florida and finished 15th in the final. Germany won gold, China took silver and Canada earned bronze. Although the Knierims became the first Americans to land a quad twist in an Olympic competition, the rest of their program did not go as well. They were out of synch on their combination spin and shaky on their throw triple flip. The couple said they found it difficult to focus after hearing of the deadly Florida high school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, northwest of Miami. Seventeen were killed, and the death toll could rise. and it made it hard for them to focus. Alexa said she was “emotionally drained” as she broke down in tears after the performance.

Hockey Rivals Offer Probable Preview of Gold Medal Game

2-1 The women’s hockey team from Canada beat the U.S. team 2-1 by scoring twice in the second period. The rivalry between the two teams is fierce. Four of the five women’s hockey finals in Olympic history were played between the U.S. and Canada. Both teams are guaranteed a spot in the semifinals of these games and so this match was about pride. It was also likely a preview of the gold medal game, because both teams are heavily favored in the semifinals.

Samantha Grady was in her Holocaust class with her best friend Wednesday afternoon when they heard two shots fired outside the door of their classroom in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

Soon, the gunman would approach, and that friend would become one of at least 17 people to die in the massacre at the high school in Parkland, Florida, one of the deadliest in U.S. history. Grady was wounded but escaped, she said in an emotional interview on the "Today" show Thursday morning, crediting something her friend told her with helping her survive the harrowing ordeal.

When they heard the first gunshots, the students in Grady's class ran for cover, the high school junior said.

"There was a big bookshelf and we all kind of huddled there together," Grady said. "We clamped really close tightly together."

The class stayed behind the bookshelf, pushing a cabinet in front of them as well to block some of the bullets. But soon the gunman came "came for our classroom," Grady said.

The door was locked, but he shot "quite a few bullets into the glass," according to Grady, hitting some people behind her. 

The students ran, but before they did, Grady's best friend — who she didn't name — told her, "'Grab a book. Grab a book.' It was a tiny book, but I took it and held it up."

Grady was hit by some of the gunfire but was able to escape alive, passing two people who were shot as she ran through the school hallway.

"The book kind of deterred some of the bullets so they didn't hit me so badly," Grady explained.

But her best friend, "unfortunately, she didn't make it."

"She was the one who gave me the idea. She helped me a lot," Grady said.

Grady sought refuge behind a truck outside the school and called her parents to tell them she was safe.

"I made sure I was calm because I didn't want them to go crazy," she said, adding that she eventually reunited with her mom and dad at the local hospital.

"My dad was really worried. It was etched all over his face. My mom, she was bawling. As you can imagine, it was pretty scary for both of them," Grady said.

Despite the death of her best friend, and her own wounds that must now heal, Samantha said she doesn't want that day to control her. She said the concern and support from her family is "nice" and has even formed a stronger bond between them.

"My whole family, we came together," she said.

A 19-year-old former student at the school is accused of carrying out the deadly shooting. He has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.