Parkland Shooter Broke Multiple Laws: A Breakdown

On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. The Parkland high school shooting is the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in US history. Cruz, who was a former student at the school, fled the scene on foot and was arrested without incident approximately one hour and twenty minutes later in nearby Coral Springs.

Cruz was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced to 26 years in prison for assaulting a jail officer while awaiting trial.

Nikolas Cruz's purchase and use of firearms

Nikolas Cruz legally purchased an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle from a Coral Springs gun store in February 2017, three days after being expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He passed the required background check, despite his history of behavioural issues and threatening behaviour.

Cruz had previously obtained several other firearms, including at least one shotgun and several other rifles. At the time of the shooting, it was legal in Florida for people as young as 18 to purchase guns from federally licensed dealers, although the minimum age requirement has since been raised to 21.

Cruz's gun purchases and access to firearms were enabled by the PROMISE program, initiated by the Broward County School District in 2012 and signed into policy in 2013. The program aimed to prevent students from getting arrested and funnelled into the criminal justice system, but it also prevented Cruz from getting arrested and potentially blocked from purchasing firearms.

In addition to his legal firearm purchases, Cruz also practised shooting a BB gun in his backyard.

Cruz's history of behavioural issues

Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland school shooter, had a history of behavioural issues that dated back to his preschool years. He was described as a "peculiar child" by psychologist Frederick Kravitz, who treated him for 13 months starting from when he was in first grade. Cruz's mother, Lynda Cruz, sought treatment for her son, telling Kravitz that he suffered from anxiety and nervousness and had trouble controlling his temper. However, she was not consistent in bringing him to therapy sessions or in disciplining him.

Cruz's behavioural issues continued as he got older, and he was known for having anger management issues and often joking about guns and gun violence. He was also described as "super stressed out all the time" and was said to have "aspirations to join the military" and a fondness for hunting. He was transferred between schools six times in three years as educators attempted to deal with his problems. In 2014, he was transferred to a school for children with emotional or learning disabilities, and there were reports that he made threats against other students.

Cruz was eventually expelled from Stoneman Douglas High School in 2017 for disciplinary reasons and was transferred to alternative placement. Despite his history of behavioural issues and threats, he was still able to legally purchase an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in February 2017, which he used to carry out the Parkland school shooting in February 2018.

The police response to the shooting

The first armed police officer on the scene, Scot Peterson, a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy and the school resource officer, did not enter the school building during the shooting. Several other Broward deputies also remained outside, taking cover behind their vehicles, instead of confronting the gunman. In contrast, officers from the Coral Springs Police Department who responded to the scene described being trained to move towards gunfire in an active shooter situation. They also reported better-functioning radios and more recent and repeated training in how to address an active shooter compared to the Broward deputies.

A fact-finding commission set up by law found that seven additional Broward Sheriff's Office sworn personnel were at the school early enough to hear gunfire but did not enter the building. Two of these deputies were put on restricted duty while under internal investigation.

Cruz started shooting at 2:21 p.m. and no police officers entered the building until 11 minutes later, by which time Cruz had already fled the scene. The police response was further hampered by confusion over who had the authority to call a "Code Red" lockdown and by a delay in viewing surveillance footage, which led to radio broadcasts mistakenly stating that Cruz was still inside the school.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office received widespread criticism for its handling of the police response, and several officers who responded to the scene resigned in the aftermath. Sheriff Scott Israel was also removed from his role and replaced by Gregory Tony.

The role of the NRA in the shooting

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has long been a powerful force in American politics, dominating the conversation about gun rights and gun control. However, in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, a group of students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School embarked on a sustained gun control campaign, challenging the NRA's influence. This movement helped to usher in a new era where the NRA faced threats from all sides and came under scrutiny for its finances and leadership.

The NRA has traditionally mobilized its base around the fear that guns will be taken away, but the Parkland students' movement shifted the tide. The students' effective use of social media amplified their voices and brought about real-world change. They advocated for companies to sever ties with the NRA, leading to partnerships with brands like Hertz, Delta, United, and First National Bank being cut.

The NRA also faced internal challenges, with leaked documents in 2019 revealing lavish spending and allegations of financial misconduct by its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre. New York State Attorney General Letitia James led an investigation into the NRA's finances, issuing subpoenas to current and former employees.

The NRA's response to the Parkland shooting was heavily criticized. They advocated for arming teachers as a solution, which was met with ridicule. The organization's role in opposing gun control measures and its ties to politicians were also scrutinized.

The NRA sued to challenge the new age requirement for gun purchases enacted in Florida after the Parkland shooting, but they were unsuccessful. The NRA's political power seemed to wane as a result of the Parkland students' movement, with politicians becoming more willing to take on the organization.

The trial and sentencing of Cruz

The trial and sentencing of Nikolas Cruz:

The trial of Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland high school shooter, began on July 18, 2022, after suffering several delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial was expected to last four months and hear the testimony of nearly 2,000 witnesses. The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, was tasked with deciding whether to sentence Cruz to death or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The prosecution sought the death penalty and attempted to convince the jury that aggravating factors, such as the premeditated and cruel nature of the shooting, warranted its use in this case. They presented digital evidence, including Cruz's search history, which included queries such as "how to become a school shooter" and graphic crime scene and autopsy photos. The prosecution also showed videos Cruz made before the shooting, in which he spoke of his plans to carry out the massacre and kill at least 20 people.

The defense argued that Cruz suffered from behavioural and developmental issues, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and had a troubled upbringing. They contended that he did not receive the necessary intervention or treatment and presented testimony from psychologists and psychiatrists who had treated Cruz. The defense also highlighted Cruz's biological mother's alcohol and drug abuse during pregnancy, which they argued contributed to his violent behaviour.

On October 20, 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to all charges, including murder and attempted murder, and apologised for his crimes. On October 13, 2022, the jury recommended that Cruz be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. They found that the state had proven beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of aggravating factors but could not unanimously agree that these outweighed the mitigating factors presented by the defense.

On November 2, 2022, Cruz was sentenced to 34 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, one for each person murdered or wounded. The sentencing was in accordance with Florida law, which requires the court to follow the jury's recommendation. The requirement for jury unanimity to impose the death penalty has since been overturned in Florida, partly as a result of Cruz's sentencing.

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