Shooting suspect indicted on 17 counts of murder
MIAMI — The 19-year-old shooting suspect accused of attacking his former high school in Florida was charged Wednesday in a 34-count indictment handed up by a grand jury.
The grand jury in Broward County charged the suspect, Nikolas Cruz, with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., one of the deadliest school shootings in American history.
The indictment of Cruz, who has confessed to the killings, was essentially a formality, and the primary legal debate now centers on whether prosecutors should seek the death penalty. Cruz’s lawyers have offered a plea bargain — consecutive life sentences without parole — in a bid to avoid a trial and the threat of execution.
“The only question is does he live or does he die?” said Howard Finkelstein, the Broward County public defender, whose office is representing Cruz. “The question for the community, and specifically the victims’ families — is it worth what will be a three-year trial odyssey followed by a 15-year appellate odyssey?”
State attorney Michael Satz, who will try Cruz himself, has said the rampage at Stoneman Douglas High “certainly is the type of case the death penalty was designed for,” though he has not yet said if he will seek capital punishment.
The indictment came as the Florida House passed a school safety bill that includes new restrictions on rifle sales and a program to arm some teachers, sending the measure to the governor for his signature. Gov. Rick Scott declined to say Wednesday whether he would sign the legislation.
The vote of 67-50 reflected a mix of Republicans and Democrats in support and opposition.
The bill would raise the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and create a waiting period on sales of the weapons. It would also create a so-called guardian program that would let school employees and many teachers carry handguns if they go through law enforcement training and if the school district decides to participate in the program.
The provision to voluntarily arm trained school “guardians,” including librarians and school counselors, threatened to derail the legislation. But the families of all 17 people killed in Parkland sent House members a letter urging them to vote yes.
Other provisions would create new mental health programs for schools; establish an anonymous tip line where students and others could report threats to schools, ban bump stocks and improve communication between schools, law enforcement and state agencies.
On Monday, the state Senate narrowly approved the proposal, which faces opposition from the powerful National Rifle Association.