The teen was arraigned Wednesday in last month's massacre at a South Florida high school -- on the same day students across the country walked out of class to demand stricter gun laws because of the killings. A Broward County grand jury last week indicted the 19-year-old gunman on 17 counts of premeditated murder in the first degree and 17 counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
Wednesday's plea in a Fort Lauderdale court came after Cruz's defense attorney told the judge that the teen was standing mute to the charges -- meaning he was declining to enter a plea.
Cruz, wearing a red jail jumpsuit, largely kept his head down as he sat in a jury box with three law enforcement officers standing behind him.
Some relatives of the victims also sat in the courtroom, watching the proceedings. A few of them wiped tears after Cruz entered the room. Also watching was Cruz's younger brother, Zachary Cruz.
Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people -- both students and school staff -- at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on February 14, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. He confessed to being the gunman, according to a probable cause affidavit released shortly after his arrest.
Prosecutors announced in court filings Tuesday that they will seek the death penalty. They listed several factors, including that Cruz knowingly created a risk of death for many people and that the shooting was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel."
The head of the county's public defender's office, which is representing Cruz, said last month that there is no question Cruz is guilty, and that he was willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
Cruz is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail, where he's segregated from other inmates.
The teen was arrested shortly after committing the Valentine's Day killings and fleeing the high school campus among terrified students.
Poster Comment:
A strange announcement (and report) for several reasons.
This is a CNN "report," which means it is a skewed, editorialize report designed NOT to necessarily "report news" but to send subliminal messages.
The alleged MASS MURDERER (note CNN softening the tone by using "teen") editorialized/politicize the entire report. Their mention of "students across the nation walking out of class" was included in the very fist paragraph.
The mass murderer has already declared himself GUILTY.
Moreover, there is NO mention of the sloppy Broward County handling of the case, Scott Israel, the Sheriff's county cowardice and protocol, NO mention of the prior warnings of Cruz threats to murder students that were ignored by the school system, local LE, the Feebs.
CNN should be declared a co-conspirator along with the DNC in espionage, slander, propaganda, fake reporting and sued by the Feral Gummint for malpractice and have their press creds shredded.
