Gunman will plead guilty to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School killings in Florida

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Mourners visit a memorial outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2020, on the two-year anniversary of the Parkland shootings.





Matias J. Ocner /Miami Herald/ TNS/ Getty Images



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Matias J. Ocner /Miami Herald/ TNS/ Getty Images



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1st Day Of School At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, 6 Months After Mass Shooting

As Cruz admitted guilt in that case, his lawyers told Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that he is also prepared to plead guilty in the homicide proceedings.

Cruz’s guilt is widely seen as a foregone conclusion, particularly after a video recording emerged that he made shortly before the killings.

«With the power of my AR, you will know who I am, Cruz said, referring to his rifle. In one segment, he stated, «My life is nothing and meaningless. I live a lone life. I live in seclusion and solitude. I hate everyone and everything.

The Parkland massacre rocked the U.S. in 2018 and led to a new push for more effective gun control laws, as victims and families who lost loved ones urged lawmakers to act to halt gun violence — particularly the school shootings that have devastated numerous U.S. communities.

NPR’s Russell Lewis and Greg Allen contributed to this report.