It is attainable Florida faculty shooter Nikolas Cruz has talked himself right into a loss of life sentence.
Prosecutors performed video final week at Cruz's penalty trial of jailhouse interviews he did this 12 months with two of their psychological well being specialists.
In frank and generally graphic element, he answered their questions on his bloodbath of 17 folks at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive Faculty on February 14, 2018 — his planning, his motivation, the shootings.
Whereas it may well't be recognized what the 12 jurors are pondering, if any are wavering between voting for loss of life or life with out parole, his statements to Dr Charles Scott, a forensic psychiatrist, and Robert Denney, a neuropsychologist, didn't assist his trigger.
"All of this made Cruz himself maybe one of many state's finest witnesses," mentioned David S Weinstein, a Miami defence lawyer and former prosecutor who has been monitoring the trial.
The jury will seemingly resolve Cruz's destiny this week. For the 24-year-old to get a loss of life sentence, the jury have to be unanimous on not less than one sufferer.
But when all 17 counts come again with not less than one vote in favor of life in jail, then that may be his sentence. Closing arguments are scheduled Tuesday, with deliberations starting Wednesday.
As a result of Cruz's protection is that his start mom's heavy consuming throughout being pregnant left him mind broken, prosecutors may have specialists study him for his or her rebuttal case.
Scott and Denney interviewed him individually for a number of hours. In every, Cruz sat throughout the desk, handcuffed, a sweater draped over his chest. He generally requested for a pen and paper so as to add diagrams and drawings to his explanations.
"The query is: What is going to the jury take away from the interviews? Chilly-blooded killer who was vengeful and excited in regards to the murders, or an individual so hopelessly deranged that he cannot be something however loopy?" mentioned Bob Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern College's legislation faculty.
Excerpts from these interviews, a few of that are graphic:
How lengthy had Cruz been considering a faculty taking pictures?
"A really very long time," Cruz informed Scott, beginning when he was 13 or 14, about 5 years earlier than he did it.
"It was only a thought. I used to be studying books," Cruz mentioned.
"It might come and go. It might pop up in my thoughts."
The ideas would return when he watched violent movies, notably documentaries about mass shootings at Colorado's Columbine Excessive Faculty, Virginia Tech and elsewhere, he mentioned.
How did Cruz plan the bloodbath?
"I did my very own analysis," Cruz informed Scott. "I studied mass murderers and the way they did it, their plans, what they acquired and what they used."
He detailed the teachings he realized: look ahead to would-be rescuers coming round corners, hold far out of your focused victims, assault as quick as attainable — and "the police did not do something".
"I've a small alternative to shoot folks for possibly 20 minutes," Cruz mentioned.
How did Cruz put together?
He informed Scott he put his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in a bag the evening earlier than and slipped its magazines right into a taking pictures vest. He adjusted the gun's sights and imagined what the recoil would really feel like.
"I did not get any sleep," Cruz mentioned.
He donned the burgundy polo shirt he acquired when he was a member of the Stoneman Douglas Junior Reserve Officer Coaching Corps program so he may escape by mingling with fleeing college students.
"If I had all my (taking pictures) gear on, they'd have known as the cops," Cruz mentioned.
When he set out at 2pm, he informed the Uber driver he was within the faculty orchestra and the bag carried his instrument.
What did Cruz do when he arrived?
"I walked by way of the gates. Hopefully, there could be no safety guards, however I used to be flawed," Cruz informed Scott.
"I used to be trying on the man and he was watching me."
When Cruz attended Stoneman Douglas, guards incessantly checked him for weapons due to his erratic and generally violent conduct. When he was expelled a 12 months earlier than the taking pictures, a guard predicted he would finally return and shoot folks.
Fearing he'd been found, Cruz sprinted right into a three-story classroom constructing and rapidly assembled his weapon. He informed a scholar who occurred upon him to flee as a result of one thing dangerous was about to occur.
He then went flooring to flooring, taking pictures down hallways and into school rooms, firing 140 photographs in all.
"I believed they'd scream," Cruz mentioned about his first three victims. He shot them point-blank exterior a locked classroom door.
"It was extra like they handed out and blood got here pouring out of their head. It was actually nasty and unhappy to see."
However he continued.
"I believe I confirmed mercy to 3 women. I used to be going to stroll away, however they confirmed nasty faces and I went again," Cruz mentioned.
"I believed they have been going to assault me."
Cruz shot a number of of his victims a second time after they fell, together with his closing one — a scholar writhing from a leg wound. He mentioned the boy "gave me a nasty look. A glance of anger."
"His head blew up like a water balloon," Cruz mentioned.
Why did Cruz cease taking pictures?
College students and academics fled the constructing or locked themselves in school rooms. The third-floor hallway was now empty apart from victims.
"I could not discover anybody to kill," he mentioned.
"I did not wish to do it anymore and I did not assume there was anybody else within the constructing."
He dropped his gun and vest on the stairwell and fled. He was captured an hour later — the police officer had been in search of a younger male in a Stoneman Douglas ROTC polo.
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Cruz's closing say
As Denney was ending the ultimate interview, he requested Cruz if there was the rest he ought to know. Cruz thought for 10 seconds earlier than responding: "Why I selected Valentine's Day."
"As a result of I believed nobody would love me," Cruz defined.
"I did not like Valentine's Day and I wished to wreck it for everybody."
"Do you imply for the relations of the youngsters that have been killed?" Denney requested.
"No, for the varsity," Cruz replied.
The vacation won't ever be celebrated there once more, he mentioned.