Parkland School Shooting: Florida Shooter Nikolas Cruz Had 'Irrational Thoughts' About Getting Out of Prison
The suspect in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, Nikolas Cruz, reportedly has irrational thoughts about getting out of prison, despite killing over a dozen of people during the tragedy in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Texas Counselor Wesley Center confirmed on Monday that a transcript showed how Cruz began chatting about his future outside the prison when he was interviewed last year, per Fox News.
Center told prosecutors during a pre-trial interview this year that Cruz detailed that the purpose of his life is helping people.
"He had some sort of epiphany while he was in (jail) that would focus his thoughts on being able to help people," Cruz said, citing the transcripts.
Prosecutors rested their case on August 4 after they presented emotional evidence. Lawmakers argued that the death penalty must be vested on Cruz, following the deaths of the 17 people when he wreaked havoc in the Florida school.
The argument was made to the seven-men and five-women jury and 10 alternates in three weeks. The argument was reportedly presented after a panel toured the classroom building where the shooting occurred.
2018 Florida School Shooting Case: Will a Brain Scan Be Admissible for the Shooter's Trial?
Nikolas Cruz's trial resumed on Monday with a hearing focusing on whether brain scans and other tests will be admitted as part of the defense case.
The defense camp argues that Cruz suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, making him not have a "neurotypical brain." The said premise is a mitigating factor in the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Court filings argued that Cruz's late mom abused alcohol and cocaine when she was pregnant with him.
Center conducted an electroencephalogram, or EEG, which measures a patient's brainwaves, which will then be compared to a database of brainwaves from normal people.
The qEEG finding cannot be used to make a diagnosis on a person, but reports claim that it can support finding based on the patient's history, examinations, and behavior.
However, Emory University Neurology professor, Dr. Charles Epstein, noted that the qEEGs are not precise, calling the move "worthless."
What Happened During the 2018 Florida School Shooting?
The Parkland school shooting occurred near the dismissal time of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.
Cruz reportedly entered the said school through a pedestrian gate, while carrying a rifle bag stuffed with a semi-automatic rifle and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.
Cruz reportedly walked to Building 12 of the school, which is known as the freshmen building.
Before Cruz opened fire in the hallway of the building, the shooter reportedly warned a student he met saying: "You better get out of here... Something bad is about to happen."
Cruz then opened fire from the hallway, shooting 34 victims without entering the classrooms. Seventeen people, composed of 14 students and three faculty members, were dead in the aftermath of his rampage. The New York Times underscored Cruz returned to people he already wounded several times and shoot them dead.
Last fall, Cruz pleaded guilty to the premeditated murder of 17 people and attempted murder of 17 others.
The Parkland school shooting gunman's fate now rests with the jury who will decide whether he deserves the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
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Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Parkland victim still suffers nerve damage from Nikolas Cruz gunshot - From LiveNOW from FOX