Hearing set abruptly in 2018 Florida school massacre case

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A last-minute tribunal proceeding is acceptable Friday successful Florida for Nikolas Cruz, the antheral constabulary said has confessed to the 2018 massacre of 17 radical astatine a suburban precocious school.

The proceeding successful Broward County Circuit Court was scheduled abruptly Thursday and does not picture the purpose. But WSVN-TV reported without citing sources by sanction that Cruz volition plead blameworthy to each 17 execution counts against him. Cruz's attorneys did not respond to calls, texts and emails from The Associated Press.

Cruz besides would plead blameworthy to 17 counts of attempted execution astatine Marjory Stoneman Douglas High successful Parkland, according to the report. The proceeding is earlier Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, tribunal records show. No proceedings day had been set.

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Cruz would inactive look a assemblage to find whether helium gets the decease punishment oregon beingness successful prison, the study said. Prosecutors person ever insisted that Cruz deserves decease for the slayings.

The Broward County authorities attorney’s bureau issued a connection Thursday nighttime saying Cruz's lawyers would person to remark connected immoderate imaginable blameworthy plea.

“We person to notation each of your questions to the defense,” the authorities attorney’s connection said. “There person been nary plea negotiations with the prosecution. If helium pleads guilty, determination would inactive beryllium a punishment phase.”

Preparations person been ongoing for what would beryllium the biggest execution proceedings successful Broward County history, and 1 of the astir infamous crimes ever successful Florida.

Cruz, 23, was arrested astir an hr aft the onslaught with an AR-15 semiautomatic firearm connected Valentine’s Day 2018.

His lawyers person repeatedly offered to plead blameworthy successful instrumentality for a guaranteed condemnation of beingness successful prison, but prosecutors person refused to driblet their pursuit of the decease penalty. A blameworthy plea would some debar a traumatic, lengthy proceedings and inactive let a assemblage to determine Cruz’s fate.

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Much of the punishment signifier would apt absorption connected Cruz’s intelligence information astatine the clip of the slayings, with prosecutors emphasizing their horrific quality and Cruz’s intensive readying beforehand.

Tony Montalto, president of the Stand With Parkland radical that represents the families of the victims, said Thursday nighttime that neither helium nor immoderate genitor helium has spoken to has been informed that Cruz would plead guilty, but helium is not surprised. Montalto’s 14-year-old girl died successful the shooting.

“There is precise small uncertainty helium murdered my beauteous daughter, Gina, oregon the 16 different victims. There is precise small uncertainty helium changeable the different 17 radical and terrorized each the different students astatine the school. We conscionable anticipation the strategy gives him justice,” Montalto said.

When asked if helium believes Cruz deserves the decease penalty, Montalto said, “As a society, we request to disincentivize to the maximum grade imaginable anyone from attacking our schools, immoderate signifier that takes.”

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Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida

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