Police now have a suspect in custody following a shooting at a Florida high school earlier today that left at least 17 dead according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting happened around 3 p.m. local time at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Parkland is approximately 50 miles north of Miami.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office said via Twitter that the suspect in custody was not a current student at the school.

According to Broward County Public Schools, the shooting occurred as students were being dismissed from class for the day. The school went on lockdown after reports of gunfire.

Students were dismissed from the school following the arrest of the suspect. Broward County Sheriff's Office announced via Twitter that a staging area for parents was set up at a Marriott hotel in nearby Coral Springs.

According to CNN, the incident today in Florida was the fourth reported shooting at a US middle or high school since the start of 2018.

Today also marks the 10th anniversary of a shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois that left six dead and several injured.

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