Analyzing Nikolas Cruz's Biography and Anti-Social Behavior
The saying that an apple does not fall far from the tree, is interesting so for Nikolas Cruz, although he was adopted and raised at birth by the gentle, loving Cruz family (Roger and Lynda Cruz), who had no criminal record to their name, he still exhibited violence tendencies, right from a young age - a trait, he most probably got from his 62 years old criminal biological mother - Brenda Woodard, who has been arrested severally on different charges ranging from battery, Bulgary, possessions of weapon and hard drugs.
The Florida shooting is one too many in the past year, the gun restriction law probably should be amended, in order, reduce the number of incidence and unbelievable rampages of trigger-happy people. Nikolas Cruz shooting is one f such murder cases where students and staff, were murdered in cold blood and is rated as one of the greatest massacres ever witnessed in the history of Florida. Seventeen souls were slain in the pool of their own blood, from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland. It was indeed a bloody Valentine gift on 14th February 2018. The reason for this bad blood and a poor choice is largely unknown, could it be a revenge mission due to his expulsion from the same school? but one thing is clear, the traces of his anti-social behavior, was there all along through his formative years.
Biography Of Nikolas Cruz
Nikolas Jacob Cruz was born to Brenda Norma Woodward, on the 24th of September, 1998 in Florida, United States but was immediately adopted along with his younger half-brother, by the comfortable couple, Roger and Lynda Cruz. He has as 2 half siblings; Danielle Woodard and Zachary Cruz. He and Zachary were raised entirely, by Lynda after her husband kicked the bucket when Nikolas was just about 5 years old. He is said to have a Hispanic background but he does not identify as a Spanish. They were both loved and were well provided for by the late foster parents, despite all the care and attention he got, he still had anger issues and penchants for violence right from his young age, He was alleged to have pulled out a gun on Lynda Cruz's head, when an argument ensued between them and he was also said to have threatened his own younger half-brother with gun over a jar of Nutella. Some neighbors said he was violent toward their domestic animals and lizards when he was young. But, his condition took a turn for the worst, after the death of his known mother Lynda Cruz, the loss shook his foundation. He moved in with the Deschamps, after the demise of his mother in a trailer house in Lantana. Nikolas was diagnosed with autism as a child and he had a difficult childhood. He was registered to a mental facility for treatment, though he did not follow through his treatment as he stopped taking his medications and quit counseling sessions- the result saw, the young chap acting up, leading to numerous and the frequent calls made to the law enforcement officers on his account about 23 times.
Nikolas was once a student of the Douglas High School, Parkland, but he was expelled from the school. There are different accounts of why he was really expelled. One of the accounts says, he fought with the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend, the fight led to his expulsion while another account said he was found in possession of a knife, bullets on his backpack, on which premise, he was sent packing out of the school; but whichever account is right, one fact is true, Nikolas loved to play with weapons like knives and guns- his late mother indulged him along with several video games in a bid to calm him and keep him busy. After his expulsion, he was enrolled in a Class where he was taking some courses, in a bid to get his high school certification, the name of the school center is not known, while he also, worked on a part-time basis in a variety store. He assumed the names like; Nikolas Cruz, Nick Cruz, Nicolas Cruz etc. on his social pages. A video of Nikolas Cruz was reported to have surfaced on Youtube, in 2017, and an Instagram post, where he declared his desire to be a school shooter, targeting especially his former school, Douglas High School. He also often showed off his guns and knives in his social media page. Jonathan Guimaraes confirmed that Nikolas Cruz was in the in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) with him way back. Though he kept to himself mostly as some of his conversations were said to be weird. The FBI and law enforcement agents got several calls and intels about erratic behaviors and posts of the trouble Teenager but nor were totally followed through perhaps if help had come earlier the murder would have been aborted and souls saved from senseless death.
Unfortunately, on 14th February 2018, the erratic and impulsive Nick struck, carrying out his evil design; he opened fire on students and staff with the AR- 15 Rifle he bought a year before, at Coral Springs, Florida- a place known as Sunrise Tactical, spraying bullets, along the hallways and on the school grounds wasting 14 students and 3 teachers in one fell swoop, while he left many others, severely wounded from the dastard act. He quickly slipped away, abandoning his gun and remaining machines at the school grounds, melting into the crowd of students, before the long arm of the law finally caught up with him, around Coral Springs. The event was widely condemned by the Senator representing Florida, Macron Rubio, Governor Rick Scott also swag into action and reviewed the gun possession laws of the state, President Donald Trump also asked people who know trouble people to report them immediately for mental health treatment to forestall this kind of occurrence.
Parents
Nikolas Cruz has two different parents; his birth and adopted. Brenda Norma Woodward is his birth parent, his father is not known, Brenda was born in 1956 and she has been at loggerheads with the law as a teenager and has been incarcerated not less than 28 times for various crimes. His adopted parents, Roger Cruz, and Lynda Cruz. Both parents showed loved to their adopted kids although Roger died of Heart Attack an early stage of Nicho’s life when he was six years. He and Lynda adopted Nikolas from the hospital after three months of birth, for $50, 000. She later died of Pneumonia on the 1st of November 2017, leaving her sons without a caregiver in the world. Brother, Zach and Nikolas Image Source Nikolas has only one half-brother whom he was adopted along with, named Zachary Cruz and he is 18 years old. He was born to the same biological mother Woodard but to a different father and like his older brother, he was diagnosed at an early age with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and have behavioral problems (ADHD), he has had his own fair share of emotional and relationship breakdown with his older brother in the past. His escape from it all is his skateboard. The aftermath of the shooting placed Zachary under intense scrutiny and ban from the Douglas High School, his former school before his eventually expulsion, a probation he recently broke twice when drove his late mother's KIA SUV car without a driver's license to the High school to see the scene of the past horrific event perpetrated by his older brother. He was subsequently arrested by the Broward County Sheriff’s thereafter he was subjected to involuntary psychiatric examinations and an outrageous bail bond of $500, 000 instead of the normal $25 bond was set for him after he broke his 6 months probation and he had to spend 10 days in jail for it. A deed his lawyer Joseph Kimok condemned as a miscarriage of justice. Zachary appealed to the judge Melinda Brown to be removed from the present state to Virginia, where luck smiled on him, from a non-profit organization for a fresh start - Nexus Derechos Humanos - a news, the judge was glad to receive and has since given her ruling to that effect. Before the arrest of Zac, he was being housed by the Deschamps in their trailer. Zachary will be getting free housing, feeding and along with 13-hour paying job. He expressed the desire to enroll back to school to get his high school diploma and setting up the anti-bully campaign especially for people with special needs. Girlfriend Nikolas had a girlfriend named Emily, whom he was obsessed with, that he could do anything for her. However, along with the line, their relationship became abusive and she had to call it, quit with him, which irked him a great deal that made him issue her and new boyfriend, death threats even on her social media handle. The threat he also extended to the girl's family.
His Sentencing
Nikolas was arrested and interrogated by the police. A clip of the confessory interview was released by the police, the interview lasted about 6 hours, 30 minutes, where he confessed to the crime and stated he heard voices in his head telling him what to do. After routine medical examinations, he was finally committed to the jail on the 15th of February 2018. The appointed defense lawyer, Melisa McNeill, the Broward County Assistant Public Defender, said that Nikolas regrets his actions terribly after the 17 count charges were read out to him. He needs at least a jury member to pity him and buy into his argument so as to escape the death penalty. We wait to see how they argue out his case in the next hearing selected for September 2019.
