He doesn’t want it
Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz wants to donate his inheritance to the bereaved families and survivors of his attack.
MIAMI: Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz wants to donate his inheritance – which could run to hundreds of thousands of dollars – to the bereaved families and survivors of his attack, his lawyers said.
Cruz, 19, walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the south Florida city of Parkland on Feb 14 and opened fire at students and staff with an AR-15-style semi-automatic weapon.
He stands accused of 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
At a court hearing on Wednesday, Broward County judge Elizabeth Scherer sought to determine whether Cruz – who has so far been represented by public defenders – is able to pay for his own defence.
His lawyers said they have not yet been able to determine the value of the inheritance left to him following the death of his mother Lynda Cruz last November – though local reports quoting the family which took him in following his mother’s death have said he could have a trust fund worth US$800,000 (RM3mil).
But his legal team suggested any wealth that may be discovered should go to Cruz’s victims rather than expensive lawyers.
“Mr Cruz does not want those funds, whatever money that he is entitled to,” said lawyer Melissa McNeill.
“He does not want that money. He would like that money donated to an organisation that the victims’ families believe would be able to facilitate healing in our community or an opportunity to educate our community about the issues that have ripened over the last four or five months.”
“Let it go to those who have been hurt, period,” another member of his legal team, Howard Finkelstein, asked the judge.
Cruz’s wealth currently consists of 24 Microsoft stocks worth about US$2,200 (RM8,511) from which he receives dividends, and he is enti- tled to US$25,000 (RM96,727) from his mother’s life insurance, which he has not yet obtained.
Scherer said she would decide on the matter of Cruz’s indigence before April 27, when a hearing is scheduled to set the trial’s schedule. — AFP