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Trump suggests Fla. shooting suspect was ‘mentally disturbed’

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says it appears the suspect in Florida’s deadly school shooting was “mentally disturbed.”

Trump tweeted Thursday about the shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school. A former student opened fire Wednesday with an AR-15 rifle, killing 17 people. The 19-year-old was charged Thursday morning.

Trump says: “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

The president offered sympathy in a tweet Wednesday and said he spoke with Florida’s governor, but he has not addressed the nation.

Trump has cited mental health before as a cause for mass shootings, dismissing questions about gun control.