Former student indicted on 17 counts of murder in Florida school shooting

 

FILE PHOTO: Nikolas Cruz appears in a police booking photo after being charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder following a Parkland school shooting, at Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. February 15, 2018. Broward County Sheriff/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - A Florida grand jury formally indicted Nikolas Cruz on Wednesday on 17 counts of premeditated murder in the first degree and 17 counts of attempted murder in the first degree for last month's shooting spree at a high school in Parkland, prosecutors said.

 

No date was set for an arraignment, at which Cruz will be allowed to enter a plea, said Constance Simmons, a spokeswoman for the Broward County state attorney's office.

 

The 19-year-old former student is accused of using a semiautomatic assault rifle to kill 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14.

 

He faces a maximum sentence of either execution or life in prison without parole if convicted. The public defender's office in Broward County has said Cruz was willing to plead guilty if county prosecutors choose not to pursue the death penalty.

 

The prosecutors' office has said a decision on this has not yet been made, according to Simmons.

 

The attack, one of the deadliest at a school in a country where school shootings happen multiple times a year, has reignited a national debate about overhauling gun laws in Florida and beyond.

 

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-08

He should meet the same fate as those 17 he killed. No plea bargain. 

I know it isn't a popular thing to say, but the more I read about this poor soul the more I feel our society let him down. It's not like he didn't come to the attention of many civil servants who are paid to act on his and society's behalf to make the correct interventions. But none of them did. If they are like any of the civil servants I meet on a regular basis they were too busy working out their retirement benefits. It's not like there's any downside (for them) for their failure to act. If they force the sheriff to retire tomorrow, he'll probably get about $200k/yr in pension money. Absolutely no one cared enough about this kid, or the kids who would become his victims, to act. Yet THEIR lives go on as normal. That ain't right.

17 bullets on a one way target range seems fair.

I'm generally against the death penalty but in this case I would make an exception. Don't let his young face fool you. He's a cold blooded mass murderer. Already confessed.

I think the families of the deceased should decide if they want the death penalty or not and not the elected politicians.   The families are affected more than any of us and the politicians will use this to gain fame and votes for their careers.   I hope some day the families can forgive this man as forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Peace. 

I think the families of the deceased should decide if they want the death penalty or not and not the elected politicians.   The families are affected more than any of us and the politicians will use this to gain fame and votes for their careers.   I hope some day the families can forgive this man as forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Peace. 

There is usually an opportunity for families to make statements.

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58 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

I think the families of the deceased should decide if they want the death penalty or not and not the elected politicians.   The families are affected more than any of us and the politicians will use this to gain fame and votes for their careers.   I hope some day the families can forgive this man as forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Peace. 

I do not think that is prudent ultimately to have the most emotionally invested parties make that decision.

His only hope is sympathy for his youth and a potential insanity defense. But he had no mercy though for the youths he murdered and he was prepared to kill hundreds more if he could have. If he isn't a death penalty case then nobody is. There is a case for no death penalty of course but at least in this case we can be sure he isn't being falsely charged.

 

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2 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I think the families of the deceased should decide if they want the death penalty or not and not the elected politicians.   The families are affected more than any of us and the politicians will use this to gain fame and votes for their careers.   I hope some day the families can forgive this man as forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.  Peace. 

Is forgiving him with a bullet to the forehead, delivered from a weeping parents hand considered a gift?

Peace?  Wake up!

 

2 hours ago, HLover said:

Is forgiving him with a bullet to the forehead, delivered from a weeping parents hand considered a gift?

Peace?  Wake up!

 

No I would say not. But forgiveness is a blessing to the one that forgives.  Not saying it is easy or quick but it helps the forgiver more than the person forgiven.  Anger helps no one and can destroy the soul. Vengeance brings no peace only more misery and pain.  Many examples in the world of the power of forgiveness. Does not mean no punishment or consequences for the wrongdoer but anger will destroy you and forgiveness will help set you free.    Peace. 

1 hour ago, Wake Up said:

No I would say not. But forgiveness is a blessing to the one that forgives.  Not saying it is easy or quick but it helps the forgiver more than the person forgiven.  Anger helps no one and can destroy the soul. Vengeance brings no peace only more misery and pain.  Many examples in the world of the power of forgiveness. Does not mean no punishment or consequences for the wrongdoer but anger will destroy you and forgiveness will help set you free.    Peace. 

You sound like the priest who was inappropriate with my cousin....

I think the chances are 99.9999 percent that he'll get either the death penalty or life without parole. I mean, I doubt very much that he'll be given 15 years or 20 years etc.

 

By the way, it is interesting that his extreme right wing links haven't been talked about/written about much so far.

 

After Islamic extremists, the biggest terror danger is from the extreme right. I think that in the near future, throughout the world, we will see more and more terror attacks from these fascists.

14 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

I know it isn't a popular thing to say, but the more I read about this poor soul the more I feel our society let him down. It's not like he didn't come to the attention of many civil servants who are paid to act on his and society's behalf to make the correct interventions. But none of them did. If they are like any of the civil servants I meet on a regular basis they were too busy working out their retirement benefits. It's not like there's any downside (for them) for their failure to act. If they force the sheriff to retire tomorrow, he'll probably get about $200k/yr in pension money. Absolutely no one cared enough about this kid, or the kids who would become his victims, to act. Yet THEIR lives go on as normal. That ain't right.

It's no doubt that society has let him down, but it seems that he was pretty much damaged goods from the get-go, probably having more to do with genetics (and possible drug abuse while in vitro).   Regardless, it is extremely doubtful that he could be rehabilitated to the point where he would not be a threat to society. 

 

That people get to this point in their existence is troubling, but now it is the hands of the judicial system.  

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, HLover said:

You sound like the priest who was inappropriate with my cousin....

Think about why you feel the need to personally attack me. I feel for you man. We disagree that is all.Peace.

Edited March 9, 20188 yr by Wake Up

Just now, Wake Up said:

Thank about why you feel the need to personally attack me. I feel for you man. We disagree that is all.Peace.

Not an attack my sweet digital brother.  Just an observation drawn from your biblical words.

Allahu Akbar onto you. ?

I never said execute him. I said shoot him 17 times. So if he ever gets out he won't be able to do it again.

100 miles out,overboard.

I'm not actually sure that the death penalty is really worse than life in prison, especially for a young man.