Where are Nikolas Cruz’s parents, Linda and Roger Cruz? What happened to his brother Zachary Cruz?
On Monday, Nikolas Cruz’s defense team was found guilty of killing 17 people and injuring 17 others in a fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, and began to submit his case. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first degree murder and 17 counts of attempted 17th degree murder in connection with the shooting.
It ended up being one of the deadliest shootings in the annals of United States history. Cruz went on a shooting spree when he was 19 and shot several people. In October, he pleaded guilty to 17 charges of first degree murder as well as 17 charges of attempted murder.
He was a school student with a tendency for behavioral problems until February 2017 when he was transferred to an adult learning center. Before that, he was a student at the school.
Apart from that, the ongoing lawsuit sheds light on the specifics of his mental health, which is said to have been damaged by his mother’s drinking problems.
Nicholas Cruz
Where exactly are Linda and Roger Cruz, the adoptive parents of Nikolas Cruz?
Nikolas Cruz was raised by his adoptive family in Parkland, Florida, known for its wealth. Shortly after Nikolas was born, his biological parents, Linda and Roger, adopted him with the help of a private attorney.
Roger and Lynda died before the boys reached adulthood; Roger died when the boys were still young and Lynda died in November 2017, just two months before the tragedy.
The short version is that she died in November 2017 at the age of 68 from pneumonia. The previous year, her son had turned 18. She was left alone to raise Nikolas and his brother, who were both adopted, for a significant part of their childhood after her marriage died when Nikolas was a small child.
According to Paul Gold, a longtime neighbor of the Cruz family, Linda Cruz was a kind mother whose life was made difficult by the presence of her two children who exhibited problematic behaviors.
Gold made the observation that “Nikolas had significant emotional turmoil and had difficulty moderating his anger”. He said Nikolas had a wonderful side to him, but when he “freaked out” Nikolas “started throwing things, breaking things, grabbing his ears and screaming”.
The Sun-Sentinel said, based on testimony from Lynda Cruz’s cousin, that Nikolas knocked out some of her mother’s teeth and she was still covering the $2,000 dental bill at the time of her death. This information was obtained from the testimony of Lynda Cruz’s cousin.
Nikolas Cruz’s father and mother
His biological mother, Brenda Woodard, has a heavy record of criminal activity.
The legal team representing Nikolas Cruz claimed that the “irreparably broken” state of their client’s brain was caused by his birth mother’s drug and alcohol use while she was pregnant with Nikolas Cruz.
Melissa McNeill, the lead public defender, said in her opening statements that any “choices” the defendant made on the day in question were ultimately influenced by Brenda Woodard, his birth mother. This despite the fact that the accused is the one who “violently murdered 17 people”.
She went on to explain that when her mother became pregnant, not only did she not have a job, but she was also an alcoholic, a drug addict, and worked as a prostitute.
The attorney said the jury will hear from witnesses, including Cruz’s biological sister as well as a former friend and co-defendant, regarding Woodard’s continued use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco during her pregnancy. The attorney also clarified that Cruz’s biological sister would be one of the witnesses.
According to the Independent, McNeil said he used smoke, crack and alcohol during her pregnancy as a form of prenatal care. In contrast, as a result of this, he now has brain damage that cannot be repaired.
According to Ms. McNeill, the jury must “understand the person behind the crime” before they can make a decision on whether Cruz “lives or dies”. She claimed that Cruz suffered from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disease (FASD).
Parkland shooter’s half-brother Zachary Cruz is now in his 20s
Brenda, who is Cruz’s real mother, got pregnant a second time, but this time she was carrying a child for another man. In 1999, she gave birth to her half-brother, Zachary, who was their common brother.
The same adoptive parents, Linda and Roger, also adopted his half-brother, and both brothers have the same half-sister, Daniella Woodard, now 31. In the same way, his adoptive parents also adopted his half-brother.
According to court documents, Daniella, who currently resides in Miami, has a history of criminal activity. Convictions for offenses such as assault, evasion of arrest, and credit card fraud are included here.
An attorney for Nikolas Cruz’s biological sister raised concerns with the judge just before the jury was brought into the courtroom, as was recently reported in the news.
On Monday, it is likely that Danielle Woodard, who is Cruz’s biological sister, would be questioned under oath by the prosecution.
Zach Rosenberg, the attorney who claimed to represent Woodard, said he was unaware she would be appearing today and in fact represented her. He asked the judge to issue a protective order to prevent him from testifying, and the judge granted his request.
Nikolas Cruz’s brother
Nikolas Cruz’s defense claims his brain was “poisoned” by his biological mother’s addictions during a death penalty trial:
A lawyer for Nikolas Cruz on Monday asked the jury to consider the alleged Parkland school shooter’s troubled family history and major mental health issues when deciding whether to sentence him to death.
When we tell you Nik’s story, when we tell you the chapters of his life, we will give you reasons to live,” a public defender named Melisa McNeill said Monday in a state courtroom. from Florida. “It’s called attenuation. Any consideration that leads you to believe that the death penalty should not be applied in this case constitutes a mitigating circumstance.
Cruz reportedly showed symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and antisocial personality disorder from an early age, according to McNeill, who pointed to Cruz’s birth mother’s use of illicit substances and alcohol during that she wore it.
“Because Nikolas was exposed to all these substances while he was still in the womb, he contracted a disease. Because of this, the connections in his brain were irreparably broken, and it was in no way case of his fault,” McNeill said.
The remarks were made as part of the defense’s opening arguments in the trial of Nikolas Cruz, who faces the death penalty for the shooting that took place in February 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed and 17 others. have been hurt. This was the very first time the jury had the opportunity to hear from Cruz’s defense team. His legal team postponed his initial opening comments, did not cross-examine any children or teachers who had survived the massacre, and simply questioned other witnesses on the most basic aspects of their testimony.
The defense also presented its first two witnesses, a lady who testified that Cruz’s biological mother used drugs and alcohol during her pregnancy and Cruz’s sister, who described life with a “terrible mother.” “. These two witnesses were called as part of the defense opening statement.
Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder; the current phase of his criminal trial is to decide what sentence he would receive for these charges. State prosecutors are asking that Cruz be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while the prosecution is asking that he be executed for his crime.
Prosecutors argued that Cruz was “cold, calculating, manipulative and murderous” in carrying out his attack over the course of three weeks during the months of July and August. During this time, they called a number of students, teachers, police officers and family members of the victims to the stand as witnesses to the horrific details of that day. Additionally, prosecutors took jury members to tour the un-enacted scene of the mass shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.
It is necessary that all members of the jury agree for the death penalty to be recommended for Cruz.
Students Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, Martin Duque Anguiano, 14, Jaime Guttenberg, 14, Luke Hoyer, 15, Cara Loughran, 14, Gina Montalto, 14, Joaquin Oliver, 17, Alaina Petty, 14, Meadow Pollack, 18, Helena Ramsay, 17, Alex Schachter, 14, Carmen Schentrup, 16, and Peter Wang, 14, were among those who lost their lives in the shooting.
Additionally, geography teacher Scott Beigel, 35, wrestling coach Chris Hixon, 49, and assistant football coach Aaron Feis, 37, were all killed as they ran towards the threat or were trying to help the children flee to safety.
