Nikolas Cruz, the man who is accused of killing 17 people during a shooting spree at Douglas High School, was quiet during his first circuit court appearance in Broward County. Cruz entered the courtroom shackled and wearing a red prison uniform.
His appearance comes five days after the Douglas High School shooting. Cruz avoided the cameras, which were recording his appearance in the courtroom. In the presence of his lawyers, Nikolas Cruz was signing some type of document. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer ordered Cruz be present. His lawyers claimed that his appearance would just create a media circus.
Defense team seeks to keep documents sealed
Nearly 30 different reporters, cameramen and photographers were present in the courtroom. Judge Scherer is presiding over a motion filed by Cruz's legal defense team. The document in question has something to do with the lawyers' access to their client.
The defense requested the motion to remain sealed, which Scherer agreed to keep sealed. The defense is now working to keep any future documents under seal. Nikolas Cruz skipped a second hearing, where a different judge decided that Florida's Department of Children and Families could publicly release all records it has relating to Cruz, however, they were allowed to redact names of any workers who handled Cruz's case.
Neither side objected because most of the records were previously released by news outlets such as NBC News. Records that were made a public show that Cruz released a Snapchat video showing him cut his arm, wanting to buy a gun, suffered from depression and ADHD.
.@JesseBWatters: "Do I think that Congress is going to fix this? Absolutely not. Congress has been talking about immigration for 30 years. Congress can't even pass a budget." #TheFive pic.twitter.com/OpYUbMCS8Z
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 16, 2018
Cruz is one of the few mass shooters to live
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Cruz's appearance is one that will stand out in the history books, because he is the only mass shooter in modern history to survive.
The shooters in Orlando, Virginia Tech, Las Vegas and Sandy Hook killed by police or they ended up shooting themselves.
As a result of him living, officials placed Cruz on suicide watch. In less than one hour, Cruz kills 17 people, injures 16 others, escapes with fleeing students, flees to a Subway where he buys a drink, then goes to a McDonald's and sits.
Law enforcement arrests him as he leaves the McDonald's.
Cruz's lawyers say he will plead guilty if prosecutors agree to not seek the death penalty. Prosecutors have not made a decision on that yet. Many people, especially those strongly impacted by the school shooting are screaming for the prosecutors to seek the death penalty. As Cruz sat in the courtroom, students from Douglas High School are beginning to organize a massive rally in DC.
