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Just before school shooting, Parkland ranked as 1 of Florida's safest cities

PARKLAND, Fla. — In a national survey released this week, Parkland, Florida, was ranked as the 15th-safest city in America, and one of the safest cities in Florida.

NeighborhoodScout ranked the Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. with a population of 25,000 or more, based on property and violent crime data.

Parkland ranked 15th on NeighborhoodScout's list due to its low rate of violent crime.

On Wednesday, a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland left numerous people dead and injured.

The suspect has been identified as Nikolas Cruz, a former student.

"It is a horrific situation," said Robert Runcie, superintendent of Broward County Public Schools. "It is a horrible day for us."

Cruz was taken into custody without a fight about an hour after he left the scene, authorities said.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said Cruz, who was previously expelled for disciplinary reasons, had at least one rifle and multiple magazines.

"It's catastrophic. There really are no words," Israel said on Twitter.

Most of the fatalities were inside the building, though some victims were found fatally shot outside, the sheriff said.