Florida jury sworn in to determine school shooter's penalty
(Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool) (Amy Beth Bennett)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — (AP) — A jury for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz's penalty trial was finally sworn in Wednesday, completing a nearly three-month selection process that ended with two last-minute changes to the panel made by his attorneys. He said during jury selection he had no opinion on the case and only remembers the original headlines, but that “was not good data.”2. She said she is not opposed to the death penalty, but voting for it “would be difficult.”7. She said the death penalty is appropriate in the most serious cases, but it shouldn't be automatic. She said that if she were the ruler of an island, she would not have the death penalty but could vote for it.
wftv.comFlorida jury sworn in to determine school shooter's penalty
The jury that will decide whether Nikolas Cruz should get the death penalty for killing 17 people in the 2018 shooting rampage at a Parkland, Florida, high school was finally selected Wednesday, after a painstaking, stop-and-start process that took nearly three months. The defense wound up using all 10 of its peremptory challenges, eliminating candidates for any reason other than race or gender, while the prosecution used four. On Wednesday, the defense used its final strikes to eliminate a retired insurance company executive and a banking executive who had been tentatively on the panel when court adjourned Tuesday.
news.yahoo.comJury is chosen to decide Florida school shooter's sentence
APTOPIX School Shooting Florida Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. The jury that is seated will decide whether Cruz is sentenced to death or receives life without parole for murdering 17 people at the school on Feb. 14, 2018. The jury was chosen from a final pool of 53 candidates who survived three rounds of questioning that began April 4. Jury selection had been expected to take about a month, but was beset by numerous delays because of sickness and other factors. Jury selection had been expected to take about a month, but was beset by numerous delays because of sickness and other factors.
wftv.comFinal jury selection begins in Florida school massacre trial
Nikolas Cruz Trial Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Jury selection had been expected to take about a month, but was beset by numerous delays because of sickness and other factors. The suspect in the 2019 slaying of 23 at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, is awaiting trial. In the first phase of jury selection, the prospective panelists were simply asked if their employment and life circumstances would allow them to serve the four months the trial is expected to last. About 80% were eliminated because their employers wouldn't pay them, they are self-employed, or they had school obligations or vacations planned.
wftv.comFinal jury selection begins in Florida school massacre trial
The final phase in the selection of 12 jurors who will decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz should receive the death sentence got underway Tuesday, the conclusion of a nearly three-month effort that began with 1,800 candidates. Each side can try to persuade Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that a particular candidate is biased. The jury will decide whether Cruz, 23, receives the death sentence or life in prison without parole for the murders of 14 students and three staff members at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
news.yahoo.comSchool shooter's jury selection enters final stretch
School Shooting-Florida Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz stands as prospective jurors enter the courtroom for jury selection in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The jury selection process was expected to take only about a month, but turned into a slog because of attorneys' illnesses and controversies. Still undecided is a motion by the defense to delay the trial because of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead. During Tuesday's final selection, each side can try to convince Scherer that certain candidates are biased and ask her to dismiss them.
wftv.comDefense attorneys in Florida school shooting try to withdraw
The defense then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer said Secor could watch the proceedings on a video link and communicate with McNeill by phone or text message. Scherer accused McNeill of trying to intentionally provide ineffectual counsel to Cruz by saying her team would not participate without Secor. McNeill said that more than half of successful death penalty appeals are over issues that arise during jury selection. Jury selection, which originally had been scheduled to be concluded by mid-May, has slogged along, including a two-week delay when McNeill was sick with COVID-19.
wftv.comDefense attorneys in mass shooting at Florida school try to withdraw
The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team has COVID-19.
Defense attorneys in Florida school shooting try to withdraw
The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruz's lead attorney, Melisa McNeill, who said she might return Monday afternoon with a motion to dismiss the judge from the trial as being unfair. The defense also filed a motion to delay Cruz's trial indefinitely, saying the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead has reawakened emotions in Broward County over Cruz's murder of 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018.
news.yahoo.comShooter warning signs get lost in sea of social media posts
Texas School Shooting Social Media Crosses with the names of Tuesday's shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, May 26, 2022. It’s a tease: can you catch me?”The foreboding posts, however, are often lost in an endless grid of Instagram photos that feature semi-automatic rifles, handguns and ammunition. For law enforcement and social media companies, spotting a gun post from a potential mass shooter is like sifting through quicksand, Schweit said. That makes it difficult for platforms to separate people posting gun photos as part of a hobby from those with violent intent, said Sara Aniano, a social media and disinformation researcher, most recently at Monmouth University. ___More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings.
wftv.comShooter warning signs get lost in sea of social media posts
Texas School Shooting Social Media Crosses with the names of Tuesday's shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, May 26, 2022. It’s a tease: can you catch me?”The foreboding posts, however, are often lost in an endless grid of Instagram photos that feature semi-automatic rifles, handguns and ammunition. There’s even a popular hashtag devoted to encouraging Instagram users to upload daily photos of guns with more than 2 million posts attached to it. For law enforcement and social media companies, spotting a gun post from a potential mass shooter is like sifting through quicksand, Schweit said. That makes it difficult for platforms to separate people posting gun photos as part of a hobby from those with violent intent, said Sara Aniano, a social media and disinformation researcher, most recently at Monmouth University.
wftv.comTexas school shooting invades trial of Parkland murderer
Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 17 and wounding 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. The lawyers have pared 1,900 potential jurors to about 300 as they seek 12 panelists and eight alternates through a three-stage interview process. But prosecutor Carolyn McCann argued that Cruz’s case must be kept separate from other school shootings and that Texas should not be mentioned. She pointed out that 27 other school shootings have happened in the U.S. just this year — more than one per week. Even when McCann originally erred and repeatedly said there had been 127 school shootings, no one questioned it.
wftv.comJury selection in school shooter's trial upended by T-shirt
The already slow slog of picking jurors in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz hit a new stumbling block Monday when a potential juror's T-shirt honoring those killed and traumatized in the 2018 massacre resulted in the dismissal of her entire group of 10. The woman, a 58-year-old high school teacher, was wearing a T-shirt in the burgundy and silver colors of Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that read “Teacher Strong.” Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 17 and wounding 17 others.
news.yahoo.comFlorida judge was assigned to school shooter case at random
School Shooting Florida Judge Judge Elizabeth Scherer is shown during jury pre-selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, May 2, 2022. The judge presiding over Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz's death penalty trial was assigned the case despite never having overseen a major trial. “The Cruz case shows what happens when you have an inexperienced judge handling a high-profile death penalty case,” said Bob Jarvis, a Nova Southeastern University law professor. “Judge Scherer has already demonstrated sensitivity to the juror nuances that are critical in such proceedings," Rogow said. An assistant public defender for two decades, McNeill has represented 17 murder suspects at trial, including in two death penalty cases.
wftv.comFlorida judge was assigned to school shooter case at random
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer was assigned the case of a former Florida student who gunned down 17 people in 2018 despite never having overseen a death penalty trial or one with much publicity. The random selection process is used throughout much of Florida, but not by some other states. Jury selection is now underway in Cruz's penalty trial for the massacre of 14 students and three adults at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
news.yahoo.comFlorida school shooting judge reverses; confusion follows
In the latest confusing turn since jury selection began three weeks ago, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer overturned her Monday decision to start jury selection anew because of a possible mistake she made. She had said then that she would throw out 243 potential jurors who said they could serve from June to September, the expected length of the trial. Referring to the 243 potential jurors that had faced dismissal, she said, the first 40 would now be brought back for the start of the second round. Scherer has been a judge for 10 years, but is overseeing her first death penalty case. For Cruz to receive the death penalty, the jury must vote unanimously for that option.
wftv.comDeputies protect school killer after potential juror threat
“The sheriff’s office observed all of that and determined they needed to protect Mr. Cruz,” Scherer said. But she wondered if the deputies could simply stand between Cruz and the threat if something similar happens again. At this point, the potential jurors are only being asked if they could serve from June through September, the trial's expected length. A few potential jurors had been quietly taken out for crying. The juror who started it all told the deputies that they — or perhaps the system — had traumatized the potential jurors, according to the reporter.
wftv.comDeputies protect school killer after potential juror threat
“The sheriff’s office observed all of that and determined they needed to protect Mr. Cruz,” Scherer said. But she wondered if the deputies could simply stand between Cruz and the threat if something similar happens again. At this point, the potential jurors are only being asked if they could serve from June through September, the trial's expected length. A few potential jurors had been quietly taken out for crying. The juror who started it all told the deputies that they — or perhaps the system — had traumatized the potential jurors, according to the reporter.
wftv.comParkland shooter's jury search restarts due to judge's error
As a result, almost 250 potential jurors who had said they could sit for a four-month trial will not be called back next month for further questioning. Scherer said they would be brought in next week, but McCann argued that more time would be wasted if it turned out the potential jurors had to be struck anyway. She said the prosecution has just as much right to question potential jurors and to an untainted final panel as the defense. Scherer, realizing her error, tried to have the jurors returned, but all except one had left the courthouse. Jurors who pass the first stage by saying they can serve four months complete questionnaires about their backgrounds and their beliefs on the death penalty.
wftv.comError forces redo of Florida school shooter's jury selection
As a result, almost 250 potential jurors who had said they could sit for a four-month trial will not be called back next month for further questioning. She said the prosecution has just as much right to question potential jurors and to an untainted final panel as the defense. Melisa McNeill, Cruz’s lead public defender, strongly disagreed with the decision to strike the potential jurors now. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to murdering 17 and wounding 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. Florida jury candidates who say they can’t serve are almost always questioned, regardless of the reasons they give.
wftv.comFlorida school shooter’s jury selection to start over
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — (AP) — The judge overseeing jury selection for a man who murdered 17 people at a Florida high school declared that the process will start over Monday, conceding that she should have questioned 11 potential jurors who said they would not follow the law before she dismissed them. In granting the motion filed by Nikolas Cruz's prosecutors over the strong objection of his attorneys, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer nullified two weeks of work by prosecution and defense lawyers, forcing them to begin the entire process anew Monday. As a result, almost 250 potential jurors who had said they could sit for a four-month trial will not be called back next month for further questioning. More than 1,200 candidates had been screened. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comFlorida school shooter’s jury selection to start over
The judge overseeing jury selection for a man who murdered 17 people at a Florida high school declared that the process will start over Monday, conceding that she should have questioned 11 potential jurors who said they would not follow the law before she dismissed them. In granting the motion filed by Nikolas Cruz's prosecutors over the strong objection of his attorneys, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer nullified two weeks of work by prosecution and defense lawyers, forcing them to begin the entire process anew Monday. As a result, almost 250 potential jurors who had said they could sit for a four-month trial will not be called back next month for further questioning.
news.yahoo.comConfusion reigns as school shooter's jury selection moves on
Melisa McNeill, Cruz's lead public defender, told Scherer: “If we do it right, we do it once.” Prosecutors made similar statements. More than 1,200 potential jurors have been screened since April 4, with about 250 passing the first hurdle: Can they serve from June through September? Potential jurors who can serve fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their backgrounds, knowledge of the case and views on the death penalty. Both prosecutors and the defense thought that meant that at the next session, the potential jurors would be asked about the questionnaire. “It cannot be done quickly if it is done correctly,” prosecutor Carolyn McCann told Scherer.
wftv.comParkland trial: Potential juror in sentencing seeks dismissal over ‘sugar daddy’
Long process: Judge Elizabeth Scherer listened to several potential jurors give reasons why they should not serve in the Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial. It will be difficult to find jurors without an opinion,” retired Miami-Dade County senior prosecutor Gail Levine, who is not involved in the case, told the newspaper. Scherer told the potential juror that she was “not exactly sure” what she was talking about. “I’m married, and I have my sugar daddy,” the woman said for the third time. About 1,000 potential jurors have been called for the first round of screening, according to the newspaper.
wftv.comParkland, Florida, school shooter's jury selection begins
School Shooting Florida Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz enters the courtroom before jury pre-selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Monday, April 4, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. The 18 will be brought back in several weeks for questioning about whether they could judge Cruz fairly and their views on the death penalty. They also will be asked if they can vote for the death penalty if the evidence supports that verdict, but don’t believe it should be mandatory for murder. Death penalty trials in Florida and much of the country often take two years to start because of their complexity, but Cruz's was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive legal wrangling.
wftv.comParkland, Florida, school shooter's jury selection to begin
Cruz Trial Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz speaks to his attorney Assistant Public Defender Nawal Bashimam, not shown, during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, March 29, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, meaning the jury will only decide if he receives a death sentence or life without parole. Death penalty trials in Florida and much of the country often take two years to start because of their complexity, but Cruz's was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive legal wrangling. To qualify for the jury, they must say they can vote for the death penalty if the evidence supports that verdict, but also don't believe it should be mandatory for murder.
wftv.comParkland shooter’s lawyers face tough task in jury selection
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — (AP) — Attorneys for Parkland, Florida, school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, will have one goal when jury selection starts Monday: to identify candidates who might give Cruz the single vote he needs to get a life sentence instead of death for the 2018 murders of 17 students and staff members. The process will involve a lot of educated guesses. Those chosen must say they can put aside their animosity toward Cruz for the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and judge the case fairly. Commission highlights safety issues, delayed response during Parkland shootingThe potential jurors must also be available through September. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.
wftv.comFlorida massacre families to get $127.5 million for FBI’s inaction
Federal officials have confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the families of most of those killed and wounded in a 2018 Florida high school massacre over the FBI’s failure to stop the gunman even though it had received information he intended to attack.
Florida school massacre families to get $127.5 million for inaction of FBI
Federal officials have confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the families of most of those killed and wounded in a 2018 Florida high school massacre over the FBI’s failure to stop the gunman even though it had received information he intended to attack.
Manuel Oliver, father of Parkland shooting victim, climbed D.C. crane to call for federal action on gun violence
Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin was killed four years ago in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, dropped a banner with a message for President Joe Biden.
cbsnews.comMonday marks four years since 17 people were killed in Parkland high school shooting
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida Parkland, Florida, USA - April 25, 2018: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The school was the site of a school shooting in 2018 which set off mass protests against gun violence. (wellesenterprises/Getty Images)PARKLAND, Fla. — Monday marks four years since 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. READ: Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty in Parkland school shootingCruz was 19 years old on Feb. 14, 2018 when he brought an AR-15 rifle into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and began shooting in the school’s hallways. READ: On Parkland anniversary, Biden urges Congress on gun controlDeSantis is also asking all Floridians to pause for a moment of silence in remembrance of those victims.
wftv.comJustice Department to pay $130 million to families of victims, survivors of Parkland shooting
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida Parkland, Florida, USA - April 25, 2018: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The school was the site of a school shooting in 2018 which set off mass protests against gun violence. (wellesenterprises/Getty Images)Family members of those killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, will be receiving $130 million from the U.S. Justice Department over the FBI’s failure to properly investigate the teenager who shot and killed 17 people there. One woman called the FBI to tell them that Cruz was posting threatening messages on Instagram. Attorneys for the families and the department said in a joint court filing Monday, they’ve reached an agreement to settle all the claims at issue in the case.
wftv.comIs burgundy maroon? Gunman's lawyers argue they're different
The detectives wrote Medina heard gunshots after Cruz entered the building. They wrote Medina called a “code red,” but he never did. Bashimam pointed out that both detectives wrote that Medina said Cruz was wearing a maroon shirt, but he actually said the suspect's shirt was burgundy. At one point, Scherer stopped Bashimam, saying she thought burgundy and maroon were the same color. Bashimam argued that they are different but in any case, the detectives didn't use the word Medina used.
wftv.comIs burgundy maroon? Gunman's lawyers argue they're different
Attorneys for Florida high school shooter Nikolas Cruz told a judge Monday that detectives made false statements to get the search warrants allowing them to seize evidence from his cellphone and bedroom, including an argument over whether burgundy and maroon are the same color. The attorneys want Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer to bar prosecutors from showing jurors the videos, photos and messages found on his phone and guns, ammunition and other items seized from the friend's home where he was living when he murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland. Cruz, 23, faces trial starting in January to determine if he will be executed or receive a life sentence without parole for the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre.
news.yahoo.comActivist dad of school shooting victim joins anti-gun group
(Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool (Mike Stocker)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The father of a 14-year-old girl killed in the 2018 Florida high school shooting massacre announced Thursday that he's joining the top ranks of a progressive anti-gun group to promote like-minded political candidates around the country ahead of next year's midterm elections. Fred Guttenberg will be a senior advisor to Brady PAC. His daughter Jamie, an aspiring dancer and gymnast, died with 16 others during the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty Wednesday to 17 counts of first-degree murder for that shooting and could face the death penalty during sentencing in January. Guttenberg, who has become a nationally known activist in the years since the shooting, said he visited his daughter's grave this week and "asked her for guidance.
wftv.comActivist dad of school shooting victim joins anti-gun group
The father of a 14-year-old girl killed in the 2018 Florida high school shooting massacre is joining the top ranks of a progressive anti-gun group to promote like-minded political candidates around the country ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
On Parkland anniversary, Biden calls for tougher gun laws
President Joe Biden used the the occasion to call on Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons. The president used the occasion to call on Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons. "For those of us who lost loved ones that day, it's pretty much like any other day. Even before the Parkland tragedy, there was already plenty of anguish in Florida over gun violence. “Today, as we mourn with the Parkland community, we mourn for all who have lost loved ones to gun violence,” he said.
3 years later, Parkland school shooting trial still in limbo
Yet, with Valentine's Day on Sunday marking the three-year milestone, the trial of 22-year-old Nikolas Cruz is in limbo. Another is the sheer magnitude of the case, with hundreds of witnesses from Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. But prosecutors won't budge on seeking the death penalty at trial. Ad“Going for the death penalty will not bring our loved ones back to us. His defense isn't focused on his guilt or innocence; it's more about sparing him from the death penalty, his lawyers have said in court.
3 years later, Parkland school shooting trial still in limbo
And yet, with Valentines Day on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, marking the three-year milestone, Cruzs death penalty is in limbo. Yet, with Valentine's Day on Sunday marking the three-year milestone, the trial of 22-year-old Nikolas Cruz is in limbo. But prosecutors won't budge on seeking the death penalty at trial. Ad“Going for the death penalty will not bring our loved ones back to us. His defense isn't focused on his guilt or innocence; it's more about sparing him from the death penalty, his lawyers have said in court.
Florida school district had no duty to predict student danger, judge rules
In this frame grab from video provided by WPLG-TV, students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., evacuate the school following a shooting there on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (WPLG-TV via AP)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Florida judge has ruled that a local school district had no responsibility to warn students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School of the danger posed by a former student who would later be accused of a mass shooting that killed 17 people. Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning said Monday that the Broward County school district cannot be held liable for failing to predict actions that were beyond its control, the South Florida SunSentinel reported. AdFamilies of the victims have sued Cruz, who was 19 at the time, as well as the school district, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and on-duty deputies who failed to stop the massacre. “The District had no control over Cruz,” the judge ruled.
Florida school district seeks social media posts from parents in 2018 massacre
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Florida school district wants the families of students and staff slain in a 2018 high school massacre to turn over their social media posts from that period, saying it needs them as part of its defense against the families’ lawsuits accusing it of negligence. The district cited multiple lawsuits in which judges found social media postings were relevant for the defense, including lawsuits against local governments. “Such postings are clearly relevant,” school district attorney Eugene Pettis wrote in a motion demanding the posts, according to the South Florida SunSentine l. “Defendants are entitled to discover whether the plaintiffs have made any comments on social media regarding” the shooting. Cruz had a long history of emotional and behavioral problems and his social media posts have been presented as evidence. In addition to the school district, Cruz, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and its former deputy, Scot Peterson, who was stationed at the school, and others are facing multiple lawsuits.
Couple apologizes for sheltering accused school shooter
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A Florida couple regrets ever taking in a disturbed teenager in the months before he was accused of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We thought we could handle this troubled young man, unfortunately, we were wrong, the Sneads said in a public apology revealed Tuesday. The families of those killed in the Parkland high school shooting released the letter Tuesday during a conference call with the newspaper. Cruz had spent several years at a special school for students with serious behavioral disorders and had been labeled emotionally disturbed." The couple still say they thought Cruzs guns were secure in a locked cabinet and only they had the key.