School killer visited by police 39 times in 8 years
POLICE were called to the home of Florida school killer Nikolas Cruz 39 times since 2010, it emerged yesterday.
Police records show that Broward Sheriff ’s Office received emergency calls to Cruz’s family home in Parkland. They were recorded as “mentally ill person”, “child/elderly abuse”, “domestic disturbance” and “missing person” among several others.
The disclosure comes as the FBI admitted yesterday that a person close to Cruz had warned them last month of his desire to kill people and investigators had mishandled the tip-off.
Cruz, 19, killed 17 pupils and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday.
The troubled loner and former pupil, who was obsessed with guns, has admitted the shooting.
He told police he heard “demon” voices in his head giving him instructions for the attack.
He has since appeared in court charged with the murders.
Cruz had moved in with a friend’s family after his adoptive mother, 68-year-old Lynda, died in November from pneumonia.
The FBI said yesterday that a caller on January 5 warned the bureau that Cruz owned guns, had made disturbing social media posts and had the potential to conduct a school shooting.
“Under established protocols, the information should have been assessed as a potential threat to life,” the FBI said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a British-born teenager told yesterday how he was forced to hide in a storage cupboard while the horror of the school shooting unfolded.
Nightmare
Coventry-born Lewis Mizen, 17, initially dived under a desk before barricading himself inside the cupboard after a teacher raised the alarm by shouting: “Code Red, Code Red.”
He told the BBC yesterday: “It’s a nightmare come to life. We thought it was a drill.
“This is the school I go to. I’m watching video footage and it’s my friends with their hands up.
“I have friends who have been killed, I have friends who have been shot. How can this be real?”
Lewis, who moved to the US with his family several years ago, but still speaks with an English accent, said all those hiding were finally freed by police. “I remember our teacher turning to me and she said, ‘What do we do?’ That’s terrifying,” he said.
“She opened the door and the relief when you realise it’s guys in military get-up, holding pistols and assault rifles.”
As well as 14 students, Cruz killed three teachers – geography teacher Scott Beigel, football coach Aaron Feis and athletics director Chris Hixon.
Pupil victims included Jaime Guttenberg, 14, whose younger brother Jesse survived, and Nicolas Dworet, 17, a gifted swimmer who was hoping to compete in the next Olympics in Tokyo.
Jaime’s father Fred tweeted: “We lost our daughter and my son Jesse lost his sister. I am broken as I write, trying to figure out how my family gets through this.”
New pupil Martin Duque, 14, and Meadow Pollack, 18, died, along with Gina Montalto, 15, and Alaina Petty, 14, Carmen Schentrup, 16, and Peter Wang, 15.
Martin’s brother Miguel posted a picture of them with the tribute: “Words cannot describe my pain. You’re in a better place.”