Parkland killer’s life or death, Day 36: Killer’s internet searches; jail altercation with deputy

Victoria Ballard, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·2 min read
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Editor’s note: Daily coverage of the Parkland trial is being provided to all readers as a public service.

Here are updates from Day 36 in the sentencing trial of confessed Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, 23; a jury will decide if he will be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole. He pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

  • Search history: A Broward Sheriff’s detective testified about confessed Parkland killer Nikolas Cruz’s web searches and comments that showed his obsession with mass killings and desire to be a school shooter. The searches included information about mass shootings in Aurora, Colo.; Las Vegas; Virginia Tech; and Columbine, as well as some of the shooters. He also searched for how to become a school shooter; for a map of the school and its hours; and how long it would take to police to respond to a school shooting. The details left family members of the victims shaking their heads and scowling in the courtroom.

  • Jail incident: A Broward Sheriff’s sergeant testified about a jailhouse altercation with the confessed gunman. Surveillance video from the struggle in November 2018 was shown to the jury. The killer pleaded to guilty to battery.

  • Autopsy details: Former Broward Medical Examiner Craig Mallak detailed the autopsy of 14-year-old Cara Loughran, and the jury saw autopsy photos. Loughran died in the third floor hallway, side by side with 18-year-old Meadow Pollack.

  • Quote of the day: “It’s gonna be a biiiig event. When you see me on the news, you’ll know who I am,” Cruz said in a video recorded on his cellphone and shown in court Wednesday. Deputies testified about the recovery of the killer’s cellphone from the crime scene.

  • Looking ahead: The penalty trial will resume Monday morning.

Go to SunSentinel.com/parkland-shooting for complete coverage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy and ongoing coverage of the sentencing trial.

Sun Sentinel staff writers Rafael Olmeda, Scott Travis and Natalia Galicza contributed to this report.