Nikolas Cruz kills 17 at Parkland; student survivors launch March for Our Lives

Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student, fatally shot 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, using a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle. Survivors Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, and Cameron Kasky organized the #NeverAgain movement within days, mobilizing a nationwide March for Our Lives protest on March 24, 2018, that drew approximately 800,000 participants in Washington and two million across 800 cities globally. Florida Governor Rick Scott, despite NRA opposition, signed legislation raising the minimum firearm purchase age from 18 to 21 and banning bump stocks within weeks. Virginia advocates cited Parkland as a catalyst for the 2019 state elections that flipped both legislative chambers to Democratic control.