Students at Stone Douglas say they weren't surprised to find out Nikolas Cruz was the suspected shooter. Many described the 19-year-old suspected gunman as a "broken child" who struggled with depression and mental illness.
Today, many say the warning signs are obvious. But what systems are in place in schools for troubled teens?
The director of counseling at Northside ISD says that they have almost 300 fulltime counselors for their more than 106,000 students. In many cases, counselors can refer parents to outside resources for extra help, but if the parents choose not to pursue those options, the only other option is to get state authorities involved.
"Oftentimes, CPS has to get involved,” said Dr. Kimberly Ridgley, director of counseling at Northside ISD. “If there are mental health concerns that parents aren't treating, then that's neglect.”
While funding for mental health services in Texas has increased in the past two years, most of that money has gone to state hospitals. State Senator Jose Menendez says that while Texas' counselor-to-student ratio is higher than the national average, it needs to be even better.
"Of course, not every child is suffering from some sort of mental health crisis, but you have to be able to identify who is and who isn't so that they can get the help that they need," Menendez said.
Both Menendez and Dr. Ridgley agree that removing the stigma surrounding mental health will also allow more students to seek help.