'Please hurry, oh my God': Florida school shooting victims plead for help in 911 calls
As a gunman kills students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, 911 operators get a harrowing insight into the tragedy.
Thursday 15 March 2018 06:32, UK
Recordings have been released of phone calls made by terrified students and teachers as a gunman massacred their classmates.
Seventeen staff and students were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day.
The recordings were released as the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz appeared in court and had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf, as he refused to enter a plea to the 34 charges himself.
The calls show students and 911 operators were confused about where the attacker was and, therefore, where they could hide.
This is a selection of those calls:
:: Conversation between a 911 operator and unidentified student who is inside the school buildings during the shooting
OPERATOR: 911 what's your emergency?
STUDENT: Please help, please help, someone just...my school.
OPERATOR: What's the address m'am?
STUDENT: ...Pine Island Road.
OPERATOR: Pine Island Road? What school is it?
STUDENT: A shooter, a shooter.
OPERATOR: Okay is anyone injured?
STUDENT: Yes, yes, a lot of blood, please.
:: Pictured: 17 victims of Parkland school shooting
OPERATOR: Okay, we are already starting the paramedics...are you in a safe location?
STUDENT: I don't know.
OPERATOR: Hello? Okay, we are already calling the paramedics and the police, okay?
STUDENT: Yes, right now please.
OPERATOR: Do you know how many people are injured?
STUDENT: I don't know, it is a school, it is a school.
:: Conversation between a 911 operator and a second student inside the school
OPERATOR: Are you injured?
STUDENT: No, but there are a lot of people around us who are injured, people are bleeding, he's upstairs now, he's upstairs.
OPERATOR: Did you see him?
STUDENT: I beg your pardon?
OPERATOR: You are calling him a he, did you see him?
STUDENT: No. Please hurry, oh my God.
OPERATOR: Yes, please stay on the phone, I know you are very scared, please stay on the phone, I'm going to stay with you, okay?
STUDENT: Someone got shot in the head and someone got shot in the stomach and he came over...he can't breathe and there is blood coming out of...(crying)
OPERATOR: I'm on the phone with you, do not hang up, we have rescue coming and lots of help for you guys.
STUDENT: Room 1216 please.
OPERATOR: Room 1216, I have two people shot.
STUDENT: Three people, oh my God.
OPERATOR: Room 1216, she's trying to start CPR.
:: Call between a 911 operator and a school teacher
OPERATOR: You are in a classroom?
TEACHER: I'm in a class away from the door, it's locked, a student was shot, it went through the door, it went through the door, it went through the door.
OPERATOR: The bullet went through the door?
TEACHER: Yes, I have a student down.
OPERATOR: You have a student down in your classroom?
TEACHER: Yes.
OPERATOR: Okay. You are in the 12 building?
TEACHER: Yes.
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OPERATOR: Okay, and that student that is not breathing in your class, is it a male or a female?
TEACHER: It's a male student.
OPERATOR: What grade do you teach?
TEACHER: He's twitching on the floor.
OPERATOR: He's twitching right now? And do you know where he got shot?
TEACHER: In his back.
OPERATOR: And he was shot in his back?
TEACHER: No, I don't know, he's leaned over, should I try and check?
OPERATOR: He got shot in the chest?
TEACHER: Yes....there is smoke all in my room, my window and my door are shattered...I have to stay quiet.
OPERATOR: Stay quiet with me in case you hear any movement, okay. I know it's scary, but try to get them all to stay quiet because I know he is still in the building, okay.
TEACHER: (Speaking to student in class room) Are you hit? Are you hit? I have another student hit.
OPERATOR: I know...is there like any sweater or anything that you can wrap around and put pressure on the wound close by you that the students, if anyone has an extra sweater or anything they can wrap around the wound without making too much commotion. I don't want you guys to move because the shooter is still out there.