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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 25 augustus 2022

Psychologist: School shooter didn’t get consistent treatment

education counselor have
testified were not true. That would set off their
mother, something both boys
Kravitz said that while he seemed to enjoy.
suggested weekly sessions
for Cruz, his mother only “She lost her cool frequently
brought him 15 times over a and backed down to the boys
13-month span, a decade be- frequently, which only made
fore he murdered 17 people the problems worse,” he said.
at Parkland’s Marjory Stone- He said he tried to work with
man Douglas High School her, but she felt embarrassed
on Feb. 14, 2018. by her sons’ behavior and felt
people were judging her.
He said that was a major issue
— Lynda Cruz would agree Cruz’s attorneys are in Day
that her son needed more 3 of their defense, hoping to
consistent treatment and she persuade his jury to sentence
needed to be more consis- him to life without parole
tent in her discipline of him instead of death. Cruz, 23,
and his younger half-brother, pleaded guilty in October
Zachary, but did not follow to 17 counts of first-degree
through. She was 57, de- murder and the trial, which
pressed from her husband’s began July 18, is only to de-
sudden 2003 death and deal- termine his sentence.
ing with two “tumultuous”
young children, he said. The defense is trying to
overcome the prosecution’s
They would yell, throw tan- case, which featured surveil-
(AP) — A psycholo- mother seemed over- telling him her adopted son trums and break furnishings, lance video of Cruz, then
gist who treated Florida whelmed and wasn’t con- suffered from anxiety and he said. 19, mowing down students
school shooter Nikolas sistent in her discipline or nervousness and had trouble and staff with an AR-15-style
Cruz when he was 8 years in getting him treatment. controlling his temper. But “They raised it to an art semiautomatic rifle as he
old testified Wednesday she also said he was friendly form,” Kravitz said. “Nikolas stalked a three-story building
that Cruz was a “peculiar Frederick Kravitz said he be- and got along fine with his was easily set off and Zachary for seven minutes, photos of
child” who had many be- gan treating Cruz in 2007 on peers — claims that a neigh- seemed to derive some plea- the aftermath and a jury visit
havioral and developmen- a referral from Cruz’s psy- bor, preschool teachers and sure from pushing Nikolas’ to the building.
tal issues but his widowed chiatrist with Lynda Cruz an elementary school special buttons.”

SD Gov. Kristi Noem weighs response to ethics complaints

(AP) — A South Dakota ethics moved against her Monday, calling over an episode that has drawn con- who was appointed after serving
board’s finding that Gov. Kristi the board’s action “illegal” and por- demnation from government ethics more than two decades as a state cir-
Noem may have engaged in mis- traying the complaints against her experts, her political rivals and even cuit court judge and chairing the state
conduct by intervening in her as the work of an embittered politi- some Republican lawmakers. Ravns- Judges Association. “That’s sort of a
daughter’s application for a real cal enemy. They were filed last year borg has said that it was concern from linchpin in this thing.”
estate appraiser license isn’t like- by Jason Ravnsborg, the former Re- lawmakers that prompted him to
ly the last word on the matter. But publican attorney general, as he faced send the complaint to the board. But giving up the fight also could
exactly how much more comes pressure from Noem to resign after have political fallout for Noem, said
out on the episode may be up to he struck and killed a pedestrian with “We’ll have to wait until the gover- Alex Conant, a GOP strategist who
the Republican governor herself. his car in 2020. nor’s office makes a decision,” said previously worked as the communi-
Gene Kean, a current member of the cations director for Marco Rubio’s
The state’s Government Accountabil- But neither her office nor her cam- Government Accountability Board 2016 presidential campaign.
ity Board appears to be letting Noem paign has answered questions on
decide whether to defend herself in whether she will fight the allega-
a public hearing or simply accept an tions through a contested case hear-
“appropriate action” that the board ing before the board, which was cre-
hasn’t detailed. It presents Noem ated in 2017 and has never handled a
with a choice: Stick to her defense case like Noem’s. Such a proceeding
that she has done nothing wrong and would allow the board’s three retired
fight the allegations in a public hear- judges to publicly scrutinize how she
ing or let the matter quietly die while took a hands-on role in a state agency
accepting the board’s action. while it was evaluating her daughter’s
application for an appraiser’s license.
How Noem handles the matter may
not dent her prospects for reelection As first reported by The Associated
this year in a race where she’s heavily Press, Noem held a meeting in July
favored to win a second term. But it 2020 that included her daughter, Kas-
may be important down the road for a sidy Peters, and key decision-makers
politician who has methodically posi- in Peters’ licensure just days after the
tioned herself to move up in national agency had moved to deny a license.
politics, including for a potential 2024 After the meeting, Peters got anoth-
presidential run. er opportunity to demonstrate she
could meet federal standards and was
So far, Noem has chosen to fight — ultimately awarded the license.
at least in the public sphere. Her re-
election campaign spokesman, Ian By accepting the board’s action,
Fury, lashed out at the board after it Noem could avoid a public hearing