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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 7 OctOber 2022

School shooter chose Valentine’s Day to ruin it forever

FORT LAUDERDALE, reality and can control his ac- everyone.” A soft gasp went
Fla. (AP) — Florida school tions when it suits him. He up from victim’s parents and
shooter Nikolas Cruz said that differentiates anti- relatives sitting in the court-
calmly told a psychologist social personality disorder room.
why he picked Valentine’s from schizophrenia or delu-
Day to massacre 17 peo- sions, where the person acts “Do you mean for the fam-
ple at Parkland’s Marjory on false thoughts they can’t ily members of the kids that
Stoneman Douglas High control. were killed?” Denney asks.
School four years ago: Be-
cause no one loved him, he Assistant prosecutor Jeff “No, for the school,” Cruz
wanted to ruin the holiday Marcus played two videos replied. The holiday will
forever for anyone associ- from Denney’s interviews never be celebrated there
ated with the school. with Cruz. In the first, Cruz again, he said.
describes his torture of ani-
Prosecutors began wrapping mals such as toads and lizards Marcus then read off the
up their rebuttal case Thurs- as a child, an issue that has names of the 17 victims and
day by playing that video clip been raised several times. after each asked Denney if
from jailhouse interviews fetal alcohol syndrome could
Cruz did with their psychol- “I burned, I tortured them, explain why Cruz murdered
ogist hoping it bolsters their I skinned them alive, I shot that person. No, Denney re-
contention that he wasn’t tended throughout the trial for the prosecution, inter- them,” Cruz said without plied 17 times.
driven to kill by a mental that his birth mother’s heavy viewed and tested Cruz last emotion. “I would play with
disorder he couldn’t control, drinking during pregnancy March over three days — un- their dead bodies or I would Under cross-examination by
but planned his attack and left him with fetal alcohol der Florida law, if defense at- eat them.” defense attorney Casey Secor,
chose to carry it out. spectrum disorder, causing torneys argue their client has Denney conceded Cruz said
brain dysfunctions that led to a mental deficiency, prosecu- In the second video, Denney in their interviews he had
They are trying to convince lifelong episodes of bizarre, tors get to conduct their own asks Cruz as he is finishing been molested and raped by
jurors they should sentence erratic and sometimes violent examination. his second and final day of a neighbor. It is an issue the
Cruz, 24, to death for the conduct that culminated with interviews is there “anything defense has wanted to pres-
Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at the the shootings. After several Denney testified earlier that important that I haven’t ent several times, but Judge
suburban Fort Lauderdale attempts that were blocked he believes Cruz purposely asked you?” Scherer ruled that the only
school. He pleaded guilty by Circuit Judge Elizabeth did poorly on tests in an at- three people who can cor-
a year ago. For the former Scherer, they were also able tempt to mimic severe brain Cruz thought for about 10 roborate the accusation aren’t
Stoneman Douglas student to tell jurors Thursday that dysfunction. He reiterated seconds and then respond- available. Cruz adoptive
to receive a death sentence, Cruz says he was raped and his belief Thursday that Cruz ed, “Why I chose Valentine’s mother, Lynda Cruz, died
the seven-man, five-woman sexually molested numerous does not have fetal alcohol Day.” He then explained. months before the shootings
jury must be unanimous. times by a neighbor when he issues, but has antisocial per- and the alleged rapist and his
Otherwise, his sentence will was 9. sonality disorder — in lay “Because I thought no one mother no longer live in the
be life without parole. terms, he’s a sociopath. would love me,” Cruz said. United States and can’t be
Robert Denney, a Missouri “I didn’t like Valentine’s Day forced to appear as witnesses.
Cruz’s attorneys have con- neuropsychologist testifying He said Cruz understands and I wanted to ruin it for

US to begin screening travelers coming from Uganda for Ebola

WASHINGTON (AP) — Travelers who have been in
The United States will Uganda at any point during
begin screening travel- the past 21-days, which is
ers coming from Uganda the incubation period for the
for Ebola as an additional virus, will be redirected to
precaution aimed at try- one of five American airports
ing to prevent an out- for Ebola screening: JFK In-
break in the African coun- ternational Airport in New
try from spreading, the York, Washington-Dulles In-
Biden administration said ternational Airport, Newark
Thursday. Liberty International Airport
in New Jersey, Chicago-
With “no suspected, prob- O’Hare International Airport
able, or confirmed cases” of and Hartsfield-Jackson At-
Ebola having been reported lanta International Airport.
beyond Uganda, the risk in
the U.S. is seen as low right Those passengers will have
now, said a senior adminis- a “temperature check, risk
tration official who was not assessment, visual symptom
authorized to publicly dis- check, and contact informa-
cuss the screening protocols tion verification” conducted
and spoke on condition of by the Centers for Disease
anonymity. The official de- Control and Prevention. Au-
scribed the screening move as thorities will share that In-
“as an additional precaution.” formation with local health
departments at the travelers’ hubs. Anyone scheduled to spread through contact with
The screenings will begin final destination. The screen- The administration says fly into a different airport will bodily fluids of an infected
rolling out immediately, with ings will begin rolling out about 145 people per day en- be rebooked by their airline, person or contaminated ma-
full coverage from passengers immediately, with full cov- ter the U.S. from Uganda, the administration said. terials. Symptoms include fe-
from Uganda expected to be erage from passengers from with most already arriving ver, vomiting, diarrhea, mus-
in place by the week’s end. Uganda expected to be in at one of the five airports, Ebola, which manifests as a cle pain and at times internal
place by the week’s end. which serve as large airline viral hemorrhagic fever, is and external bleeding.