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Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to murder charges and apologizes for Parkland high school massacre
Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who carried out the massacre of students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, pleaded guilty in a Florida courtroom Wednesday to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.
Cruz, 23, faces a minimum of life in prison and maximum of the death penalty, which will be decided by a jury in the upcoming sentencing phase of the trial. The prosecution has said they plan to seek the death penalty.
See also:
Gunman Pleads Guilty in Parkland School Shooting
Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to all charges in 2018 Parkland massacre
5 things to know before Parkland school shooting change of plea hearing
It is good that the perpetrator of such a crime may be brought to justice.
I remember after the Columbine school shootings when it was promised that this would never be allowed to happen again. Unfortunately, our country strives to make it easy for children to access firearms unsupervised.
Second
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., mocked a Florida school shooting survivor as an "idiot" who "only talks when he is scripted" in a 2019 interview with a Georgia gun group, according to a previously unreported video obtained by NBC News.
"He is very trained. He's like a dog. He's completely trained," Greene said of the survivor, David Hogg, now 20, in an interview with Georgia Gun Owners Inc. in April 2019, less than two years before she was elected to Congress.
Videos of Greene, a freshman Republican, berating Hogg in Washington surfaced last week after she was appointed to the House Education and Labor Committee. House Democrats are pushing to bar her from serving on any committees, citing in part her previous statements suggesting that the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, were hoaxes.
How do people like this come to power? Where do they find voters who will vote for such people? Does this only happen in the USA? I feel confident that the good people of her voting district in Georgia will continue to re-elect her.
I like her "Trump Won" mask, now that it is abundantly clear he did not win after many lawsuits and audits later.
It is amazing to live in a time when people will believe the most ridiculous outlandish things without any critical thought. People can no longer tell fact from fantasy. Or facts simply do not matter.
Update: A prediction: Trump will win in 2024. Yes, really.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @07:51PM (37 children)
From what I hear, Runaway and a bunch of patriotic gun lovers are forming a "Teenaged Multiple Murderer Defense Fund" at Patreon, or GoFundMe, or at "BuildTheWall.scam". Mostly for Kyle.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @08:23PM (23 children)
That was such a perfect event to encapsulate conservative hypocrisy and hatred. Defending an underage bully who the broke the law and ended up murdering people, meanwhile the 1/6 insurrection was just "some tourists" in their minds. Unbelievable.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @08:46PM (9 children)
>> murdering people
What an odd way of framing an act of self defense in response to violent aggression from pedophiles and/or registered sex offenders.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @09:41PM (7 children)
He murdered someone with an illegal firearm as was his intention when he crossed state lines to engage with protesters and rioters. People rightfully tried to aprehend him for murdering someone. He should have put down his gun and surrendered saying it was self defense instead of murdering another person and maiming another that was trying to apprehend a criminal. As always the rightwingers try and use character attacks to justify their crimes. It would be such a shame if your guns exploded in your face.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:03PM
Crossing state lines? I do that routinely. I'm an American, not an Arkansan. Ditto for Kyle. He doesn't need or want any person's approval to cross state lines. Please stop with your meaningless drivel.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:10PM (1 child)
Not murder, not an illegal firearm, and he was employed in Kenosha. It's a shame Grosskreutz survived.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @02:04AM
Interesting, you celebrate a murderer and lament that he didn't finish off one of his victims that was trying to detain someone that just murdered another human. You think you are righteous while glorifying cold blooded murder, it is like conservatives have tossed out every shred of humanity and are H A P P Y about it. Murderous fuckers, you're lucky most of us retain our humanity.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @03:02AM (3 children)
[Citation Needed]
Firsthand witness accounts contradict your baseless allegations and provide supporting evidence that he was there to protect a local business. [dailycaller.com]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @03:32AM (2 children)
So you're saying damage to life or property can be defended against with lethal force? I guess the next asshole that rolls coal is gonna get a bullet from the person they try to give cancer to. Lets see, the McCloskeys should have been beaten to death for brandishing their firearms at protesters which threatened their lives. The Charlottesville nazi should get the electric chair for running over another protester. Trump should be shanked in a prison bathroom for, well, pick a crime! I'll go with assaulting people on the private property of a church so he could have a lame photo op, along with all the boots that carried it out.
Sounds like a really great future society you're supporting, no way it could go badly for the party of domestic terrorism. OH! Right, all the insurrectionists that entered the Capitol should be in front of a military firing squad!
Sure you want to go down the road of normalizing murder by civilians over petty crimes? Seems like a short road to Mad Max.
Since you're obviously a violence loving turd I'd like you to realize that Kyle Rittenhouse was recruited by white supremacists to do exactly what he did. A responsible citizen would have had a radio and called the police, not gone murderous vigilante over arson.
Finally, dailcaller?
LOL you assholes actually read a shitrag from the biggest douche in the US? Not to mention a trust fund baby that never worked a day in his life. The conservative shitfest of hypocrisy and betrayed ideals continues!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @04:43AM
Wisconsin is an open carry state and the act of holding a firearm in plain view, in itself, can deter rioters from committing property damage.
Video evidence clearly shows his use of force was for self defence in response to physical acts of aggresssion, including attempts to seize his firearm and to assault him. [youtube.com]
Where is your evidence that lethal force was used in response to property damage? Should be easy to provide a link to a video with timestamps showing him shooting the other people unprovoked. That is, if it actually happened that way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 22 2021, @06:47AM
>> conspicuous lack of evidence
>> genetic fallacy
Cool story bro.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @07:49AM
Yes. Pre-emptive self-defense describes what happened at Parkland to a tee. Or, it was mass murder. Hmm, hard to tell, when there are so many alternative truths, and guns involved.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:00PM (12 children)
Self defense is homicide, but self defense is not murder. You have to be truly fucked in the head to say that it is.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2, Informative) by fustakrakich on Wednesday October 20 2021, @11:30PM (11 children)
Self defense is justifiable homicide. Does it still go on your permanent record?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @11:44PM (10 children)
Records are fungible if you have money.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @08:03AM (9 children)
And since Kyle does not have enough money, murder sympathizing Runaway and friends are perfectly willing to help raise some! Build the Wall!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday October 21 2021, @08:47AM (8 children)
As a matter of fact, I donated early. The almost spammy followup emails are getting tiresome. Kyle raised enough money for his defense within ~4 or 5 months. He has been commoditized, and the emails soliciting donations keep on coming.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @10:43PM
Sucker you are
(Score: 2, Troll) by aristarchus on Friday October 22 2021, @11:20AM (6 children)
How much did you contribute to the Nicholas Cruz defense fund, Runaway? Need to be supportive of second Remberment rights, no matter what the case, right?
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 22 2021, @03:10PM (5 children)
You're an ignorant ass, and so is the person who modded you up. Cruz murdered defenseless people who had never done anything to him. Innocent kids for the most part, who haven't had an opportunity to offend anyone. Innocent people, chosen at random.
The people Kyle killed were rioting, and they assaulted him. The person Kyle wounded was another rioter, who first assaulted Kyle with a deadly weapon.
There is nothing similar about the cases.
Ignant moran. Try to pretend that you're a philosopher, so long as you strut around here wearing that nick.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Friday October 22 2021, @11:33PM (4 children)
Runaway! You are an ignorant moron, and nothing proves it like your support of teenaged murders! Both of these high school students brought a weapon into a situation looking to kill someone. That proves malum in mens, premeditated malicious intend, which is the defining element of murder. One of them has pled guilty, the other has become a cause célèbre for right-wing death-cult fascists, and idiot donors like yourself.
You can pretend you are an aged American delinquent runaway, strutting around with your nick, but we all know what evil lurks in the heart of covert Trump supporters.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 22 2021, @11:48PM (3 children)
You're an idiot. Every time to offer an opinion regarding Rittenhouse, you only prove yourself a bigger idiot. Rittenhouse killed a pair of convict idiot rioters, each of whom attacked him first. Funny how libruls don't like examining the past history of the rioters. Child molesters, burglars, thieves, con-men, deserters from the military, etc ad nauseum.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Saturday October 23 2021, @12:00AM (2 children)
NO, Runaway! You are the idiot. Murdering murders is still murder. Rittenhauser did not accidently kill, he went out armed with lethal intent. Funny how covert Trump supporters love themselves murderers, con men, wall-building swinders, "Gym" Jordan style pedofile enablers, Oath-braking Arkansas hillbilly ex-truckers, and Hucktser Carlsen. Kyle was of the same sort as Adam, just one of them went to an elementary school. Kyle should swing, or fry, or do some drugs. Fortunately, I am pro-life, and reject capital punishment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 23 2021, @03:50AM (1 child)
So ari, care to share the details of what you allegedly or not did to get a 6+ month mod ban?
(Score: 1, Troll) by Frigatebird on Saturday October 23 2021, @07:13AM
I don't know, but I am pretty sure that aristarchus did not kill multiple people with an AR-15 Insult riffle, in order to get mod-banned. On the other hand, we really know very little of how the Lords of Soylent dispense "justice", so maybe he did. But in any case, the equivalency seems farfetched.
#Freearistarchus!!!!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:04PM (12 children)
From what I hear, butt loads of anonymous cowards and libruls donated money to get rioters out of jail. You treasonous bastards!
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:29PM (11 children)
If that is treason then the 1/6 insurrection should result in the death penalty for all the criminals involved, starting with dear leader. If you want to declare his actions legal then it will be open season on any criminals.
1) Brandish weapon at people you don't like
2) Loudly yell "its coming right for us!"
3) Murder said person
4) PROFIT!
Rinse and repeat when someone tries to stop you from murdering people and loudly yell SELF DEFENSE! We see you violent domestic terrorists, no amount of cowardice will change your actions.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @11:33PM (10 children)
What? You're ready to be consistent? We can just execute ALL the criminals? Good - let's look at all the available video, and start grabbing every sumbitch who started a fire, or threw an explosive during the 2020 Summer of Love. There are literally hundreds of them for the taking - maybe thousands.
Your 1) 2) 3) and 4) are taken from some fantasy story you read. Kyle was threatened and assaulted when he extinguished a dumpster fire. Said dumpster fire was intended to be rolled through the glass front of the gas station. Kyle prevented an arson, and was assaulted. He killed a lowlife in self defense. Afterward, he was chased by a mob screaming for his blood. He was assaulted AND BATTERED by the second dead guy. Kyle was assaulted with a deadly weapon by the third guy, who survived.
Get your facts straight. You haven't complained about the rioters who were carrying weapons, have you? Why not? Only libruls should have guns?
Consistency. Try to get some - and not just on the toilet.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @01:02AM (4 children)
Liberals are fully consistent, but you like to pretend otherwise. You are a hypocrite that defends traitors. Do facts hurt your feefees? Maybe if you dealt with your problems instead of projecting them on to others we could have actual discussions. As for the incel / future wife beater / murderer kyle I would hope that you wouldn't support murdering someone because they try to burn down a building.
I will say thanks for acknoedging that 1/6 was an insurrection and the criminals should be punished ;^)
(Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Thursday October 21 2021, @04:28AM (3 children)
I wouldn't support calling it "murder". Here's the Wikipedia description [wikipedia.org] of the incident.
So first, pushing a burning dumpster towards a gas station with innocent people about? To me, that'd be a good case for self defense as far as I'm concerned, were it when the shooting occurred. It is after a classic example of callous disregard for human life - a common criteria for murder (when it results in someone's death). But as it turns out, this is not when the shootings occurred.
So a violent mob chasing a person around - who was trying to get away from them - and then one member of that mob trying to take his firearm away? That's self defense. Glancing at descriptions of the other two shootings indicates they were valid self defense as well.
The real solution is for these protesters to learn what triggers self defense kills, and then not do that. Since such shootings were rare that year, I gather most people figured that part out.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 23 2021, @03:52AM (2 children)
Well you're a willful idiot that can't even bring themselves to see the treason committed by GOP terrorists. Only the other rightwingers around here give your posts any shred of credibility.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday October 24 2021, @12:54PM (1 child)
Where's the evidence?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 24 2021, @04:49PM
You don't need evidence if you Follow the Science [econlib.org]. It's kind of like a religion where everyone wears knitted pink hats and a frown, and you're not allowed to question the dogma.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @03:41AM (4 children)
Consistent you say? I recall the discussions we had here on SN, every liberal user repeatedly said that any rioter destroying property should be arrested. Maybe you got confused by people also condemning the police for attacking protesters exercising their constitutional rights? You're old, confusion is to be expected, but not excused when you're trying to go full fascist.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday October 21 2021, @07:08AM (3 children)
Your memory is faulty. Some SN liberals suggested that it was alright to arrest rioters. Others have been full-blown Black Shirt Nazi supporters, defending the lasers being shined into police officer's eyes, setting buildings on fire, their use of incindiaries, and assaults on police as well as innocent bystanders. That old man who was beaten nearly to death in Kenosha got a number of comments from (mostly AC) lefties who seemed to think he deserved it. He probably would have died, if a more kind-hearted protester hadn't stepped in to save him.
If you support the Summer of Love rioters, you and I disagree, but maybe I can respect you if you draw the line at illegal acts. Others here deserve no respect, because they're perfectly happy to see cities burning.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @08:06AM (2 children)
Little River Sheriffs Department has the name, address, and all relevant postings to SN. The arc of history is long, but it tends towards Runway in the Hoosegow.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday October 21 2021, @08:45AM (1 child)
Keep wishing, aristapholococcus.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 22 2021, @10:49AM
No, seriously, they are watching you, Runaway, I saw it on the FBI feed from the Fusion network that passes through my workplace.