Big Bang Theory Cast, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Stars From All Over The World React to Stephen Hawkings Death

Stephen Hawking has certainly made a name for himself in the universe! The renowned theoretical physicist passed away at the age of 76 , a spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday evening.

As the news broke, celebrities and personalities across the globe spoke out honoring the celebrated scientist.
The cast of The Big Bang Theory shared a group photo with Hawking, who appeared in seven episodes of the hit CBS comedy.
“In loving memory of Stephen Hawking. It was an honor to have him on The Big Bang Theory, ” the show’s official Instagram account wrote. “Thank you for inspiring us and the world.”

Bigbangtheory_cbs
In loving memory of Stephen Hawking. It was an honor to have him on The Big Bang Theory. Thank you for inspiring us and the world.

Star Kaley Cuoco shared the same image to her person account, writing , “It was truly such an honor getting to work with the incredible Stephen Hawking.. He made us laugh and we made him laugh. His life and career workings have been many a subject matter on @thebigbangtheory_ and we are all better for it. You will be missed but the world is grateful for the knowledge and courage you leave in your path. Thank you for being an inspiration to everyone. #stephenhawking.”

Cuoco’s co-star Johnny Galecki also posted to his Instagram, writing , “RIP #stephenhawking Not only your brilliance, but your sense of humor will be sorely missed by all.”

Mayim Bialik wrote , “As we near Pi day (3.14) I join the global community in mourning the loss of the greatest physicist of our era.

#StephenHawking is free from the physical constraints of this earthly condition we all exist in and he is soaring above us know marveling at it all. Thank you Dr. Hawking for enlightening us and blessing us with your wisdom and courage.”

Here are more celebrity reactions:

Neil deGrasse Tyson: His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake. But it's not empt Think of it as a kind of vacuum energ permeating the fabric of spacetime t defies measure. Stephen Hawking, RI 1942-2018.

Sharon Stone: Rest In Peace Stephen Hawking.

Kumail Nanjiani: RIP Stephen Hawking. Genuinely very sad to hear that. If you haven’t, read Brief History of Time. It’ll make the w feel more amazing and beautiful and strange. It’ll also make you feel smar and stupid all at once.

Boy George: Wow. Stephen Hawking. Nothing but respect. R.I.P.

Jaden Smith: RIP STEPHEN HAWKING I'm gonna cry

Mark Duplass: #RIP Stephen Hawking. I have failed three times in my attempts to finish BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME. Sorry. I'll tr again someday soon. When I'm smar Also it's incredibly inspiring what yo done with your time on this planet.

Foo Fighters: "Remember to look up at the stars an not down at your feet" - RIP Stephen Hawking you fucking legend.

Steven Tyler: YOU KNEW THIS UNIVERSE BETTER THAN THE REST OF US...AND NOW Y PLAY IN SOME FAR AWAY PART OF YOU CHANGED THE WORLD AND LEF AN IMPACT...A REMARKABLE GENIU WE WONT SOON FORGET.   ENDLESS THANK YOUS AND BLESSINGS TO T HAWKING FAMILY.  GOD BLESS STEPHEN HAWKING.

KATY PERRY: there’s a big black hole in my heart hours before Pi day. Rest In Peace
@Steven_Hawking ... See you in the next life.

Misha Collins: RIP #stephenhawking! Your passing leaves a gaping hole in the Universe. son wants to be like you when he gro up. theguardian.com/science/2018/

Courtney Love Cobain: "The greatest enemy of knowledge is ignorance, it is the illusion of knowle
RIP Stephen Hawking

Cambridge University: "Look up at the stars and not down a your feet" - Professor Stephen Hawki
1942-2018 cam.ac.uk/stephenhawki

David Walliams: Goodbye #StephenHawking Thank y for being - amongst everything else - great laugh.

Janelle Monáe, Cindi: He lives . Forever our most beautiful mind & hero . Long live
#StephenHawking twitter.com/warrenleighttv…

Nickelback: Sad to hear of Stephen Hawking’s passing but extremely grateful for his contributions. He was a first-rate example of what a curious mind can achieve and how it can also inspire. Equally important as his theories. Thh you for everything... -RiP

juicy j: Rest easy Stephen hawking

Piers Morgan: RIP Professor Stephen Hawking, 76.
The world’s most brilliant man, and someone who never stopped wonder ‘Why?’
This hangs on the wall outside his of at Cambridge University.
It says it all.
What a life, what a genius.

For more on Hawking's incredible life visit www.toooknow.blogspot.com

Everything You Need To Know About Stephen Hawking, Legendary Physicist, Dead at 76

British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking , author of the acclaimed best-selling book A Brief History of Time and the subject of the 2014 biopic The Theory of Everything , has died.

Hawking was 76.

A spokesperson for the celebrated scientist's family confirmed the news of his death to CBS News Tuesday evening.
Hawking was born in Oxford, England on Jan. 8, 1942. When he was 21, and studying to get his Ph.D from the University of Cambridge, Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Doctors told Hawking that he had only a year or two to live.

Hawking didn't let that deter him from his ambition and he continued on to become one of history's most famous minds, even as his body deteriorated due to his illness. Over the decades, he became paralyzed throughout his entire body, save for a muscle in his cheek, which was attached to a speech-generating device that allowed him to communicate.

In 1988, Hawking penned A Brief History of Time, which explained a number of scientific theories about the nature of the universe in accessible layman's terms which made the material understandable to those without prior knowledge of study of the topics the book explained.

The book became an international hit, selling over 10 million copies in 20 years and was translated into more than 35 languages. The book remained on the British Sunday Times best-seller list for a record 237 weeks, and it cemented Hawking's place in the public consciousness as a celebrity in the world of theoretical physics.

Hawking -- who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 – was an advocate of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and came up with a theory about radiation emitted by black holes, which became known as Hawking Radiation.
The acclaimed scientist was the subject of the 2014 biographical drama

The Theory of Everything , in which he was played by Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar for his performance.

During a press junket for the film, ET spoke with Redmayne and co-star Felicity Jones – who played Jane Hawking, his first wife and the mother of his three children – and the actor opened up about what it was like meeting the legendary scientist to do research for the role.
"I spent four months preparing to play him and then when I met him I got basically verbal diarrhea and spent half an hour telling him about himself," Redmayne recalled. "It got so bad that I was filling the air and I was reminding him that he was born on the 8th of January which is Galileo's birthday. I then said, 'I was actually born on the 6th of January, and so we're both Capricorns.' And the word Capricorn came out of my mouth and I don't think I've ever felt so horrific in my life."

"He spent like 10 minutes typing something out and then said, 'I'm an astronomer, not an astrologer,' Redmayne recalled, laughing.

We have reached out to a rep for Hawking.
For more on Hawking's life and legacy visit www.toooknow.blogspot.com

A middle school teacher led a double life as a white supremacist podcaster

HuffPost outed a Florida social studies teacher as a white supremacist podcaster. Here's what you need tooo know.

In her first year as a teacher , Dayanna Volitich taught under the watchful eye of more experienced educators .

The school sought to make sure the novice teacher met standards set by the state of Florida . But the school ’s surveillance , she said, also made it hard for her to expose her students to an array of white - nationalist views .

“ I’m pretty hyper aware that [administrators and colleagues ] will be watching. They’ll be listening , and so I’m getting a little more underhanded,” she said on the Unapologetic Podcast , a white -nationalist show she produced in her free time.
During monitoring sessions, she’d engage in a “ dog- and -pony show” for her bosses.

“ I knew when they were coming ,” she told one guest, Lana Lokteff, the host of an anti- Semitic media outlet that the Southern Poverty Law Center said spreads hate speech.

“ I was able to anticipate when they would be there to evaluate , and so I did what I was supposed to do . I danced like a little puppet, and I waited until they were gone ,” she said in the episode , which aired in late February .
For more than a year , Volitich has been leading a double life .

She is a popular white - nationalist podcaster known as Tiana Dalichov who espouses anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and believes that Muslims should be eradicated from the earth , according to HuffPost. She ’s defended and praised neo-Nazis and white nationalists such as Arthur Jones , Patrick Casey and former KKK grand wizard David Duke . She says she believes that science has proven that certain races are simply smarter than others and decried training about implicit bias in classrooms as “ bulls—.”
And she is also a social studies teacher at Crystal River Middle School about 80 miles north of Tampa — one who has said it’s her duty to expose her students to her version of the truth.

She said she hoped that other like-minded people would infiltrate public schools and do the same thing .
Her double life came crashing down this weekend after she was outed in a HuffPost piece . The news organization identified Volitich as the person behind the Dalichov pseudonym, with its 1,400 Twitter followers and podcast . She did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.

[An assistant principal wrote a children ’s book about alt-right mascot Pepe the frog . It cost him his job.]

Suddenly exposed , she was suspended after the Citrus County School District became “ aware of a concerning podcast ,” the district said

in a statement on Facebook .
Volitich could not be reached for comment. A message sent to her school email address was returned as undeliverable.

WFLA News Channel 8 published a statement reportedly from Volitich in which she claims that the words of her alter ego were satire meant to drum up listeners for her podcast and Twitter followers , and that she never injected her personal beliefs into the curriculum:
None of the statements released about my being a white nationalist or white supremacist have any truth to them , nor are my political beliefs injected into my teaching of social studies curriculum. While operating under the Russian pseudonym ‘Tiana Dalichov ’ on social media and the Unapologetic Podcast, I employed political satire and exaggeration, mainly to the end of attracting listeners and followers , and generating conversation about the content discussed between myself and my guests .

The Washington Post could not independently confirm the statement .

One of the last messages from the Dalichov Twitter handle came as HuffPost was about to publish its damning article. She tweeted that she “ might disappear for a while ,” and she set the account to private . Then she scrubbed her podcast from its site .
By Monday morning, the Twitter account was gone.
In the last year, emboldened white nationalists and neo-Nazis have marched through U .S . streets and grabbed national headlines.

The rest of the country has become acutely aware that the people who march with tiki torches on the weekend have day jobs like the rest of us . At times, strangers on Twitter have outed people who attended white - nationalist rallies . The campaigns have subjected white nationalists to public scorn and cost some their jobs , including one guy who was fired from his job as a hot dog cook.

But Volitich went further than attending a rally or merely identifying as a white nationalist , reports say: In audio clips , she painted herself as a proselytizer .

By her own admission , she was a subversive presence who sought to not -so -subtly indoctrinate students assigned to her classes with her world view . And she bragged about her ability to do so without her employers or colleagues finding out .
In Volitich ’s education-centered conversation with Lokteff, the women talked about how imperative it was for people who shared their views to become educators .

“ We need more people on our side who would be committed to being teachers — they don ’t need to be vocal about their views but get in there, be more covert and just start taking over those places,” Lokteff said. “ That ’s what the left did . … Well , we have to take those institutions back .”

Volitich said she agreed, although she conceded her double life had difficult moments .
“ As a teacher , it’s a tough place to be . It ’s not nearly as bloody as a battlefield, but it ’s pretty darn close,” she said. “ You ’re on a very steep hill and it ’s hard to work your way to the top of it when you’re virtually alone. It ’s still difficult to be fighting that battle .”

But she said she had some victories, at the school where 90 percent of students identify as white , according HuffPost. When alarmed parents approached the principal saying their students’ teacher was injecting political bias into a public school curriculum, Volitich said she had a simple solution : She lied and escaped with her job.

But the ruse would not endure, and Volitich became the latest educator to face accusations of being a white nationalist .

Last year an assistant principal at a Texas Middle School was fired when he wrote a children’s book that featured Pepe the frog , a character that has been adopted as a mascot of the alt - right — a small , far -right movement that seeks a whites -only state — and associated with white nationalism .

The book’s plot makes allusions to incendiary race and class struggles, political issues jammed into an innocuous - sounding story about two animals trying to save their farm. The antagonist is a bearded alligator named Alkah . Pepe’s sidekick is a cartoon centipede that also happens to share a name people on a Donald Trump -themed Reddit board use to refer to each other.

In June , a New Orleans principal was fired from his job after a video showed him at a protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee , according to the New Orleans Times- Picayune. He initially said he visited the protest as a student of history, but the video showed him wearing rings associated with the Nazi movement and white nationalism .

It ’s unclear if those educators tried to expose those beliefs to the children in their care .
According to HuffPost, Volitich made a game of it .

She wouldn’t tell inquiring students who she was voting for in the 2016 presidential election, for fear that she’d be fired , the news organization reported . But she turned their curiosity into a learning exercise , promising to reward the class if they could deduce her vote from statements she made in class.

Those students, she said, became de facto accomplices to her plans to convince her colleagues and bosses that she didn ’t have ulterior motives .

“ I told the kids, I said when ( observers ) are in there, I’m going to be different than how they are used to ,” she said on one podcast . “ The first time it happened they were like ‘What the hell is happening right now , because I totally turned into a different teacher . I put on my nice voice .”

Volitich is not the first person to claim white nationalist statements were satire .

Chris Cantwell , who gained national notoriety during the violent Charlottesville rallies , once described himself in a dating profile as not being a fascist but instead “ a podcaster ‘specializing in controversial political satire .’”

Hundreds Flood Court to Contest Speed Camera Tickets

More than 2.6K ticket appeals were on the docket in Providence, RI, Monday

Rhode Island's Providence Municipal Court has the joyful task Monday of addressing more than 2,600 speeding tickets. The tickets are just a fraction of the 12,000 that were generated within the first 33 days after speed cameras were installed in the city in January, WPRI reports. Outrage over the $95-a-pop tickets has ensued, with thousands contesting them. Typically, the court has just 300 people on the docket on any given day. Not everyone who is appealing their ticket is expected to actually appear in court, though the
AP reports hundreds of people did show up.

Per the AP, "many" of the tickets have been dismissed so far due to errors like signs that give conflicting information as to the actual speed limit. A state representative has introduced a bill to end the use of traffic cameras in the state, calling the system "a government cash grab," but it's not clear whether the bill will find success in the Democratic-controlled legislature. Also Monday, Providence is set to install six more speed cameras; the city currently has five.

US Has First New Gun Law Since Florida Shooting

Oregon bill bans domestic abusers from owning firearms

A bill prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms has become America's first new gun control law since the Feb. 14 Florida high school massacre. "Well done Oregon," Democratic Gov. Kate Brown exclaimed Monday after signing the law on the steps of the state Capitol as some 200 people, including victims of domestic abuse and high school students, applauded and cheered. State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, whose sister was fatally shot by her boyfriend, and Rep. Janeen Sollman, who fled her home as a child when her father was in a violent rage, hugged as they stood behind the governor, the AP reports.

Students from a high school in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego traveled 40 miles Monday morning to stage a gun-control rally in the state capital, Salem. "We are empowered youth," they chanted, while holding signs that read "End gun violence, our lives matter," and "Together we can end gun violence." The bill that Brown signed Monday closes a loophole in a 2015 law that excluded some abusers from the ban on buying or owning guns and ammunition, such as people who say they don't live with the partner they're abusing or threatening, and those under restraining orders. The measure was introduced before the Florida shooting, but Brown emphasized the bloodshed as she lobbied the Oregon Legislature for passage and signed the bill. (Major retailers are tightening rules on gun sales.)

Snow Buries Mom, Son Feet Away From Front Door

It was a tragic freak accident, police in California say

A massive block of snow fell from a roof and buried a mother and her 7-year-old son just feet from the front door of their Northern California mountain condo, authorities say. Olga Perkovic and her son Aaron Goodstein had been skiing in the Sierra Nevada near the Nevada state line, the Alpine County Sheriff's Department says. They were returning home Sunday when a chunk about the size of a trailer fell from the roof, burying them under about 3 feet of snow. "It was a freak accident," Undersheriff Spencer Pace tells the AP . He says warming temperatures often cause snow to slide off roofs, occasionally injuring people. But he said neither he nor the sheriff can recall sliding snow ever killing anyone in the three decades they've been there.

Pace said Perkovic's mother, who was staying in the condo with the family of five, reported the pair missing at about 6:40pm Sunday. Rescuers searched the nearby Kirkwood Ski Resort for hours because the pair's last known location was a ski lift where they had scanned their tickets at about 4pm. Pace said it appears the two skied an "alternate" route home from the slopes that took them between buildings on a path that is unpaved in the summer. At about 9pm, a neighbor spotted ski gloves next to the condo, realized they were beneath the snow and called 911. The mother, 50, and son from San Francisco were airlifted to a hospital, where they were declared dead, Pace says.

Man Fatally Poisons Himself During Police Chase

Police were attempting to pull over rape suspect

A rape suspect died after poisoning himself during a freeway chase in Southern California on Wednesday, authorities said. The pursuit began during the morning commute in Ventura County when officers tried to pull the man over and he sped away, the California Highway Patrol said. The car drove onto the right shoulder of US 101, drifted across all northbound lanes and then came to a stop after crashing into the center median, CHP Officer Kevin Denharder said. Officers found the man dead inside the car from an apparent self-inflicted poisoning, Denharder said. He was not identified.

Television news footage showed a Nissan Versa stopped against a barrier surrounded by fire and police vehicles, including an armored SWAT truck, the
AP reports. A firefighter wore a gas mask during an initial inspection of the suspect's vehicle. The suspect was described as a man who was being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for his possible involvement in a rape, Denharder said. The LAPD could not immediately provide additional details. Several freeway lanes were closed during the investigation near Oxnard, about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Future of Florida Shooter's Big Trust Fund in Judge's Hands - Nikolas Cruz reportedly due $800K inheritance

The 19-year-old man suspected of killing 17 people at a Florida high school last week is reportedly poised to inherit $800,000 being kept in a trust fund when he turns 22. At least that's what Nikolas Cruz told the family he was living with after his mother died of respiratory illness in November, the Miami Herald reports.

“The kid was not hurting for money at any point," a lawyer for the family says. “Everyone knows about [the trust fund]." Cruz's father Roger died of heart failure in 2004; a year later his estate was valued at more than $1 million. In 2008 Cruz's mother Lynda reached a medical malpractice settlement over Roger's death. Prior to her death she sold the family home for $575,000.

If Cruz is indeed in line for a massive inheritance, a judge could force him to use the money to hire a private lawyer to defend him. Cruz is currently being represented by the Public Defender's Office, which is funded by taxpayers. The Public Defender's Office asked a judge Tuesday to help figure out how much money Cruz may have. If Cruz comes into the money later, he could be forced to pay back the Public Defender's Office, reimbursing taxpayers, for what is certain to be an expensive trial. The Public Defender's Office has admitted Cruz's guilt and offered to plead guilty for the shooting at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.

Nikolas Cruz: First a Breakup, Then the Cutting - Florida school shooting.

Teen posted images of himself cutting his arms on Snapchat, and investigation began

The problems reportedly started over a girl. Nikolas Cruz's mother in 2016 told investigators that his girlfriend had cheated on him and that she and the girl's mother had encouraged the teens to "end the relationship because it was unhealthy for everyone." Why Lynda Cruz told investigators this in the first place: Sheriff’s deputies and Department of Children & Family Services investigators looked into the teen after he posted images of himself cutting his arms on Snapchat in September 2016 and said he wanted to buy a gun. Lynda Cruz said her son began cutting himself after the relationship's demise. She told them her son did not have a gun but did have an air gun, though she had taken it from him because he broke her rules regarding where he could shoot it.

The Sun Sentinel quotes from the DCF report: "Mr. Cruz has fresh cuts on both his arms. Mr. Cruz stated he plans to go out and buy a gun. It is unknown what he is buying the gun for." Cruz didn't purchase his AR-15 for another five months, but the investigation occurred four days after he turned 18 and was legally able to buy a gun. The report's conclusion: "[Cruz’s] final level of risk is low as [he] resides with his mother, attends school and receives counseling through Henderson [Mental Health in Broward County]," which had determined he was "stable enough not to be hospitalized." "Every single red flag was being thrown up by this kid," says Chief Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes. CNN reports Cruz's attorney on Friday said the 19-year-old would be willing to plead guilty if he could avoid the death penalty in doing so.

A video monitor shows school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, center, making an appearance before Judge Kim Theresa Mollica in Broward County Court, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cruz is accused of opening fire Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Here's How Likely It Is Tesla Comes Crashing Back to Earth - Elon Musk launched Roadster into space earlier this month

Scientists say there's a 6% chance Earth will having flying cars in the future. Specifically one flying car: the Tesla Roadster Elon Musk launched into space earlier this month. Researchers analyzing the car's orbit say there's a 6% chance it will crash into Earth at some point over 1 million years, Science reports. That chance goes up to 10% after 3 million years. The Tesla, which is being driven by a mannequin in a spacesuit, will have its first close call with Earth in 2091, when it could come closer than the moon, according to CBS News. Regardless, Hanno Rein at the University of Toronto says falling electric vehicles are nothing to worry about. “It will either burn up or maybe one component will reach the surface,” he tells Science. “There is no risk to health and safety whatsoever.”

Rein and his fellow researchers found the Roadster's orbit will have it repeatedly crossing the paths of Mars, Earth, and Venus until it's destroyed. They say the car has a 50% chance of orbiting the solar system for tens of millions of years before that happens. It will cross Mars' orbit in July before reaching its farthest distance from the sun—154.7 million miles—in November. However Rein warns these are all just educated guesses due to the Tesla's chaotic orbit. Meanwhile, a Hubble Fellow at the University of North Carolina
tweeted that measuring the brightness of the Roadster shows it's rotating every 4.8 minutes or so. And Space.com put together a cool 80-second video showing the Roadster from its launch to the moment it becomes just a tiny dot traveling across the sky 500,000 miles from Earth.

13 Killed in Helicopter Crash After Earthquake — All on Ground

The dead, including 3 children, were spending night in open field

A military helicopter carrying officials assessing damage from a powerful earthquake crashed Friday in Mexico, killing 13 people and injuring 15, all of them on the ground, the AP reports. The Oaxaca state prosecutor's office said five women, four men, and three children were killed at the crash site and another person died at the hospital. A state official said the chopper crashed into a group of people who had been spending the night in an open field after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the area. Aftershocks had caused people to flee their homes for fear they would collapse. The Defense Department said the Blackhawk helicopter suffered the mishap when it was preparing to land on a vacant lot in the city of Jamiltepec. The craft was carrying Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete and Oaxaca Gov. Alejandro Murat, neither of whom had serious injuries.

Jorge Morales, a local reporter who was aboard the helicopter when it crashed, described harrowing moments as the pilot lost control and the helicopter attempted to land in a swirl of dust. "The moment the helicopter touched down it lost control, it slid—like it skidded—and it hit some vehicles that were stationed in the area," he told a Mexican TV news program. "In that moment, you couldn't see anything, nothing else was heard beside the sound that iron makes when it scrapes the earth." Navarrete and Murat were evaluating reports of damage from the earthquake before their helicopter crashed. Both Navarrete and the defense department said they regretted the loss of life in Friday's accident. The US Geological Survey originally put the magnitude of Friday's quake at 7.5 but later lowered it to 7.2.

School Hid Sex Abuse for Decades - Now It's Paying Up Hawaiian school reaches massive $80M settlement with 32 victims

For 27 years, Dr. Robert Browne drugged, raped, and psychologically tortured students of Hawaii's Kamehameha Schools under the guise of psychiatric care, the
Washington Post reports. Now 32 of his victims and their families have been awarded what is believed to be the largest personal injury settlement in Hawaiian history, according to Hawaii News Now . Kamehameha Schools—"a towering symbol of Hawaiian pride" that uses its over $8 billion in assets to provide private educations for thousands of children of Hawaiian ancestry—will pay the plaintiffs $80 million. "It was an emotional journey for everyone involved on both sides of the table," says the chairperson of the Kamehameha Schools board. "While we brought closure, it's something we're going to carry for a long period of time." The school didn't deny accusations it failed to investigate and helped cover up Browne's actions.

Browne's abuse of mostly male students at the school dates back to 1958, and victims say they were abused weekly for years. The abuse was reported to school officials by a student as far back as at least 1966, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser , which has a timeline of events. Regardless Browne was still a psychiatrist for Kamehameha Schools in 1991 when he killed himself after being confronted by a former victim. Even then school officials failed to investigate accusations against Browne, some of whose victims killed themselves. "It's a lot of dollars, but there are a lot of people who wouldn't trade places with them," a lawyer for the victims says of the settlement, which will also create a hotline to report abuse and a recovery fund for sexual assault victims. "I'm excited that the men stood with me to do this," one of Browne's victims says. "We stood together and we were strong."

Florida school shooting: Who are the victims?

A beloved football coach. A swimmer who had just won a college scholarship. A freshman soccer player. A geography teacher got shot while trying to barricade the door.

They are among the victims of a mass shooting at a Florida high school on Wednesday.

Details of the 17 people who died are emerging.

Aaron Feis

Aaron Feis, assistant American football coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, is being hailed as a hero for shielding students from bullets. He was fatally injured after diving in front of a pupil.
The MS Douglas Eagles, the school football team, confirmed Mr Feis' death on Twitter. "He died a hero," they wrote.
"I coached with him. My two boys played for him," Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. "The kids in this community loved him, adored him."
Students led tributes to their former coach as news of his injuries first spread.

Can everyone please take a second to pray for my coach today he took serval bullets covering other students at Douglas .
pic.twitter.com/8AMG7t6tpH
— Charlie Rothkopf (@RothkopfCharlie)

"He was a great guy," football player Gage Gaynor told local newspaper the Sun-Sentinel .
"Everyone loved him. Shame he had to go like this. Always gave his all to making us better. Definitely learned a lot from him."

Mr Feis also worked as a school security guard.
He responded on walkie-talkies to chatter about the attack when it began, and was overheard saying "no, that is not firecrackers" as the gunshots rang out.

Former student Andrew Hoffman, who also recently worked at the high school as a swimming coach, said Mr Feis was "very well dedicated" to safety at the school in his capacity as a security guard.
He was married, with a baby daughter.

Jaime Guttenberg

Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg were among
those who took to social media to try to locate their missing children on Wednesday night.
While their son Jesse was able to return home safely, their daughter Jaime, 14, was fatally injured.

Her Facebook page has been turned into a memorial and her father has confirmed her death, thanking people for their messages of support.
My heart is broken. Yesterday, Jennifer Bloom Guttenberg and I lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school....

Posted by Fred Guttenberg on Thursday, 15 February 2018
Friends remember Jaime as a talented dancer with a mischievous sense of humour.
"Dance in Heaven, beautiful girl," wrote Michelle McGrath Gerlick.

Alyssa Alhadeff

This photograph of Alyssa Alhadeff and "pop pop" was widely shared on Facebook by her cousin, Melissa Dibble, who appealed for people to help find the missing teenager.
She later confirmed on her Facebook page that the freshman soccer player had lost her life.
Another cousin, Ariella Del Quaglio, said her "heart is broken" at the loss.
Many innocent souls were taken a few short hours ago. Among them we just got confirmation was my little cousin. My heart is broken 💔 not sure what i can even say I am at a loss for words 😢
Posted by Ariella Del Quaglio on Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Parkland Soccer Club urged Alyssa's teammates to honour her memory by striving for greatness in their future lives.
It is with great sadness that one of our beloved Parkland Soccer Club players was one of the victims of the shooting...
Posted by Parkland Travel Soccer on Thursday, 15 February 2018

Nicholas Dworet

Nicholas Dworet was confirmed dead by his swim team on Facebook, who posted: "It's with a heavy heart that I/We have to announce that our family member, teammate, TS Aquatics swimmer Nick Dworet has passed away."
The 17-year-old had secured a swimming scholarship to the University of Indianapolis just a week ago.
His partner Daria Chiarella changed her Facebook profile picture to a selfie Nicholas took, prompting an outpouring of support.
"I'm so sorry, we all love you so much and are here if you need anything," read one comment.
Hello TS Parents, It's with a heavy heart that I/We have to announce that our family member, teammate, TS Aquatics...
Posted by TS Aquatics on Thursday, 15 February 2018

Martin Duque

Martin Duque, aged 14, was confirmed dead by his brother Miguel Duque, who posted this photo of them together on Instagram.
"Words can not describe my pain," he wrote . "I know you're in a better place."
Chris Hixon

Just horrible.... #RIP Stoneman Douglas High School Athletic Director Chris Hixon.
You will be tremendously missed and our prayers are with your family, your coaching staff, and your students.
God bless you! pic.twitter.com/cRTZl5rNsu
— National Throws (@nationalthrows)

Chris Hixon, 49, was the athletic director at Stoneman Douglas and was reported dead by local media.
As well as being a wrestling coach, he led the school's baseball team to state and national championships in 2016.
He had two children of his own.
A photo was later shared of Mr Hixon at his US Navy retirement ceremony with his son,

Thomas Hixon.

Our sincerest condolences to the family of MM1 Chris Hixon, (USN RET). Pictured here at his Retirement Ceremony,...
Posted by Erin Crane - State Farm Agent on Thursday, 15 February 2018
Report

Scott Beigel

Geography teacher Scott Beigel, 35, let students into his classroom to shelter and was shot dead by the gunman while trying to lock the door, a student told Good Morning America .
His friend Matt Hipps took to Facebook to share his memories of Mr Beigel, calling him: "My friend, my brother, my family."
"He was so unselfish with his talents and gifts," he wrote. "He made others better."
"He made the ultimate sacrifice," said Mr Hipps. "I won't say goodbye. It just hurts too much. I will see you on the other side."
Mr Beigel also worked at a summer camp in Starlight, Pennsylvania.

Libby James Watt, a former colleague there, told the BBC: "We met in Summer 2016. The whole Camp Starlight family is broken.

"He was the most quirky humoured character with a fierce heart to craft strong and caring people. His passion was undeniable and infectious - he'd light up a room, he'd light up an entire state.
"Our Camp family has lost an icon, but for protecting his students - true to his heart to the end. A leader and protector."

Meadow Pollack

Meadow Pollack was a senior at the high school. Her father confirmed to local media that she had died.
A family friend had previously posted on Facebook looking for information, and the teenager's Facebook page has been
changed into a memorial.
Her friend Gii Lovito took to Facebook to share her thoughts.
Please say a prayer for the family of an amazing girl I got to call my bestfriend growing up Meadow Pollack ... her life...
Posted by Gii Lovito on Thursday, 15 February 2018

Cara Loughran

Update from my Aunt: (2/15/18 at 9am): Cara’s parents were given the news no parent ever wants to hear at 2am. Please...
Posted by Tara Bazinsky on Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Cara Loughran was confirmed dead by a family friend who wrote on Facebook: "Cara's parents were given the news no parent ever wants to hear at 2am.
"This is too horrible to even begin to process," she added.
"Our next-door neighbour's daughter was one of the lives taken too soon by a senseless act," Danny Vogel posted on social media.
"RIP Cara, and fly with the angels. You will be greatly missed, and we will always love you and celebrate your beautiful life."

Gina Montalto

This photo of Gina Montalto was widely shared on social media by her neighbour Michael Citron.
Her death was later confirmed as her mother changed her Facebook profile picture to waves crashing against rocks.
Gina, 14, was part of the school's Color Guard - a team of flag-bearers and dancers that accompanies the marching band. The squad were due to compete in Tampa this weekend.
Her former instructor Manny Miranda wrote on Wednesday night: "My heart is broken into pieces. I will forever remember you my sweet angel."

Joaquin Oliver

Joaquin Oliver was set to graduate in a few months' time.
He was confirmed dead by a Venezuelan journalist, who was with his family when they received the news.
His most recent photo on his Instagram page, with girlfriend Victoria Gonzalez, has seen an outpouring of support.
This includes comments from friends and strangers alike, many of whom simply wrote 'que en paz descances' - Spanish for 'rest in peace'.

Alaina Petty

The 14-year-old was confirmed dead by her aunt on Facebook.
"There are no hashtags for moments like this, only sadness," wrote Claudette McMahon Joshi, as she asked friends online to pray for her niece.
A local Mormon church leader confirmed in an email to his congregation that the teenager was confirmed dead at 0100e on Thursday.
"She was a valiant young member of the Coral Springs Ward," wrote Stephen Thompson.

Alex Schachter

The 14-year-old played trombone in the school marching band and was proud to have helped lead the squad to a state championship last year.
His father, Max Schachter, said he will be remembered as "a sweetheart of a kid".
Alex "just wanted to do well and make his parents happy," his father said, adding that he has a brother who also attends the school but was not injured.

Carmen Schentrup

Schentrup was a 2017 National Merit Scholar semi-finalist, according to the Broward County Public School system.
The 16-year-old's death was reported by several friends and family members on social media.
Carmen Schentrup Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Posted by The Angel Project on Thursday, 15 February 2018

Her cousin, Matt Brandow, called her "the smartest and most intelligible 16 year old I've ever met".
"You will be remembered forever," he added.

Luke Hoyer

The 15-year-old's aunt wrote on Facebook that the teenager had been discovered on the third floor of the school.
"This has devastated our family and we're all in shock and disbelief. Our hearts are broken," Toni Stroud Brownlee wrote in her post.
"Luke was a beautiful human being and greatly loved."

Helena Ramsey

Softly-spoken Helena, 17, was a "smart, kind-hearted, and thoughtful person," according to tributes.
"She was deeply loved and loved others even more so. Though she was somewhat reserved, she had a relentless motivation towards her academic studies, and her soft, warm demeanour brought the best out in all who knew her," said Curtis Page Jr., who described himself as a relative.
Her cousin Fena Cooper had shared a news article calling for blood donations on Facebook on Wednesday, adding that her family "still have no update on the location of my cousin".
At 04:28 Ms Cooper wrote: "Valentine's Day will never look the same for my family...
"Please continue to remember my Aunt Anne Ramsay, my cousin Ellis Ramsay, and their father Vincent Ramsay, who lost his only daughter on his birthday."
💔💔💔💔 Our beautiful cousin! We love you. RIP Helena. Say hi to Grandad. 💔
Posted by Fena Cooper on Thursday, 15 February 2018

Peter Wang

Peter's cousin Aaron Chen told First Coast News the 15-year-old spent his last moments trying to save lives.

He belonged to the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a school programme for potential US military officers.
Mr Chen said Peter was last seen in his grey ROTC uniform, holding a door open so others could flee.

More details about the victims will be added to this story as they emerge

Florida school shooting: How the attack happened

A 19-year-old gunman has killed 17 people and injured many more after opening fire at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Police say Nikolas Cruz, an expelled former student, was heavily armed when he began his Valentine's Day rampage. Here's what we know about what happened.

Attack begins: 14:30 local time (19:30 GMT)
Students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School reported hearing "what sounded like gunfire" shortly before the end of the school day on Wednesday.

The gunman entered the school premises - about an hour north of Miami - wearing a gas mask and carrying a rifle, ammunition cartridges and smoke grenades. He set off a fire alarm so people would leave the classrooms and pour into the corridors.

Many students thought it was a drill because a fire alarm practice had taken place earlier that day, but then they heard the sound of shooting.

"I heard about six gunshots and then some people started running," Student Jeiella Dodoo told CBS News. "And then everyone started running because we were like, 'If it's real, then just run.'"

Who are the victims?

Celebrities call for 'policy and change'

The gunman, firing multiple times at students and teachers, killed three people outside the school, before entering one of the school's teaching buildings and killing another 12, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said. Two others died of their injuries in local hospitals.
Witnesses described how students hid anywhere they could as the shots rang out in the building, which houses 30 classrooms.
Survivor Kyle Yeoward, 16, said he and about 15 other students and a teacher hid in a storeroom for about two hours until police arrived.

Police said the gunman had been carrying an AR-15 rifle, which he had bought legally, and several magazines of ammunition.

Police arrive
Police and Swat team members swarmed the campus and began clearing students from the school. Parents and ambulances also converged on the scene.
Students were led off the campus by heavily armed police officers.

The gunman, concealing himself in the crowd, was among the hundreds of people fleeing the building, authorities said.

Suspect arrested
Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled for "disciplinary reasons", was captured by police in the nearby town of Coral Springs, just a few miles from the school, about an hour after the attack.

He was taken to a nearby hospital before being released into police custody.
What we know about the suspect

How does the attack compare?
Wednesday's shooting is the worst school shooting since 2012, when gunman Adam Lanza shot dead 20 young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

It is also at least the 18th shooting in the US this year on or around school premises, according to research by Everytown for Gun Safety.

It is the sixth school shooting incident in 2018 that has either wounded or killed students, according to the advocacy website.

After His Girlfriend's Murder, He Texted the Wrong Man, A Detective When He Meant To Text His Wife

David Romig says he meant to text his wife, not a detective

After a Florida woman was shot dead on Jan. 30, her live-in boyfriend told police she was the victim of a home-invasion gone awry. Then, Marion County sheriff's officials say, David Romig twice texted his wife to say he feared he was going to be arrested for Sally Kaufmann-Ruff's death—or, he meant to text his wife. Instead, he texted Detective Damon Baxley, who had interviewed Romig after the incident. The Ocala Star-Banner reports authorities were called to the Dunnellon home just after 2am and found Kaufmann-Ruff, 64, had suffered a gunshot to the head. Romig, 52, described being awoken by a man wearing a head lamp and brandishing a revolver. Romig alleged the intruder had pried the front door open and fled after a struggle, leaving behind potential evidence: an L&M brand cigarette—not one Romig said he or his girlfriend used—and a piece of torn cloth on the door frame.

Except an analysis showed Romig's DNA was on the cigarette and cloth, whose straight edges suggested it was cut with scissors, rather than torn. And then there were the texts: "I think they are going to arrest mw [sic]," read one, and "Think they are going to arrest." Romig allegedly told police they were intended for his wife, and he did successfully text her the following, per officials: "I am afraid I did something I don’t remember. ... If I did this I will kill myself." A release from the sheriff's office says Romig "staged the scene ... after he had shot Kaufmann-Ruff during an 'out-of-body' experience." Detectives say he acknowledged Kaufmann-Ruff's daughter is excluded from her will, which benefits only him, reports Click Orlando . He has been charged with second-degree murder and will next appear in court March 20.

Pro Golfer, Luke Wilson Involved in Fatal Crash

PGA's Bill Haas is injured; he was in Ferrari whose driver was killed

Pro golfer Bill Haas is out of the hospital after the driver of the Ferrari he was riding in struck several vehicles and a utility pole Tuesday night near Los Angeles, reports the LA Times and KTLA. The driver, a 71-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. He wasn't related to Haas, but his family was hosting the golfer while he was in town for a tournament. One of the vehicles struck by the Ferrari was being driven by actor Luke Wilson, who was not injured. (A witness recounts that he and Wilson helped victims after the accident.) A 50-year-old woman in a BMW struck by the Ferrari was hospitalized.

"While Bill escaped serious injuries and has been released from the hospital, he is understandably shaken up and—more importantly—his deepest condolences go out to the host family during this tragic and difficult time," said a statement from the PGA tour. The 35-year-old has withdrawn from the Genesis Open in Pacific Palisades and was going home to South Carolina. His father says Haas had swelling in one leg but was otherwise "very fortunate," per USA Today .