Psychologist: School shooter didn't obtain consistent treatment
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A psychologist who treated Florida educational organization shooter Nikolas Cruz when he was 8 years elderly testified Wednesday that Cruz was a "peculiar child" who had numerous behavioral with every one other accompanied by developmental issues nevertheless his widowed mother seemed overwhelmed with every one other accompanied by wasn't consistent inside her discipline or inside getting him treatment.
Frederick Kravitz said he began treating Cruz inside 2007 on a referral from Cruz's psychiatrist accompanied by Lynda Cruz telling him her adopted son suffered from worry with every one other accompanied by nervousness with every one other accompanied by had problems controlling his temper. But she too said he was affectionate with every one other accompanied by got down fine accompanied by his peers — claims that a neighbor, preschool teachers with every one other accompanied by an basic educational organization exceptional education counsellor have testified were not true.
Kravitz said that while he suggested on one occasion a week sessions for Cruz, his mother only brought him 15 times over a 13-month span, a decade earlier to he murdered 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
He said that was a greatest matter — Lynda Cruz would concur that her son needed additional consistent behaviour towards with every one other accompanied by she needed to exist additional consistent inside her discipline of him with every one other accompanied by his younger half-brother, Zachary, nevertheless did not go nearer behind through. She was 57, sad from her husband's sudden 2003 demise with every one other accompanied by dealing accompanied by set of two "tumultuous" young children, he said.
They would yell, hurl tantrums with every one other accompanied by shatter furnishings, he said.
"They raised it to an art form," Kravitz said. "Nikolas was easily place off with every one other accompanied by Zachary seemed to derive some pleasure from pushing Nikolas' buttons."
That would place off their mother, something both boys seemed to enjoy.
"She lost her cool regularly with every one other accompanied by backed down to the boys frequently, which only made the problems worse," he said. He said he tried to labour accompanied by her, nevertheless she felt awkward by her sons' behavior with every one other accompanied by felt people were judging her.
Cruz's attorneys are inside Day 3 of their defense, hoping to prevail on his jury to judgement him to existence lacking parole while an alternative of death. Cruz, 23, pleaded culpable inside October to 17 counts of first-degree murder with every one other accompanied by the trial, which began July 18, is only to determine his sentence.
The protection is trying to overcome the prosecution's case, which featured surveillance video of Cruz, at that hour dated 19, mowing down students with every one other accompanied by staff accompanied by an AR-15-style semiautomatic rummage while he stalked a three-story building for septet minutes, photos of the aftermath with every one other accompanied by a jury pay someone a call to the building.
For Cruz to receive a demise sentence, the jury must exist unanimous. If one juror votes for life, that will exist his sentence.
The protection has focused on the intellectual with every one other accompanied by emotional problems Cruz exhibited from his earliest days. Testimony has shown that his birth mother was a road prostitute who abused cocaine with every one other accompanied by liquor with every one other accompanied by while a toddler he was developmentally delayed, regularly brutal towards other children with every one other accompanied by teased with every one other accompanied by bullied for his small stature, uncommon appearance with every one other accompanied by odd behavior. When he was 8, he acted exist fond of a 6-year-old, at best, Kravitz said.
"He stood not here exist fond of a sore thumb," he said.
Steven Schusler, who lived across the road from the Cruzes from 2009 to 2015, said that when Nikolas Cruz was 10, his landlord called Cruz "the weird one" to his face, causing the male child "to curl up" exist fond of a salted snail. He on one occasion saw Cruz running around the house accompanied by an air gun, his limbs flailing wildly — a go he demonstrated for the jury.
Kravitz said Cruz had a terror of abandonment since of his father's demise with every one other accompanied by his adoption with every one other accompanied by had an operative "bad imagination."
"He was extremely fearful his mother would fail to remember to pick him up (at school) with every one other accompanied by he would exist stuck there," Kravitz said, flat though that never happened.
He said Cruz had some signs of obsessive-compulsive untidiness — for example, he always had to have exactly eight chicken nuggets.
He said he asked Cruz what his trio wishes would be.
"Pokemon, a canine with every one other accompanied by additional Pokemon," Kravitz said.
Lynda Cruz died inside November 2017, concerning quartet months earlier to the shooting.
Under cross-examination, Kravitz conceded that Cruz's mother did obtain him further psychiatric with every one other accompanied by psychological behaviour towards with every one other accompanied by strength have been reluctant to retain her son's appointments accompanied by him since of the $87 per pay someone a call copay her indemnity required.
Prosecutor Jeff Marcus asked Kravitz is there was anything concerning Cruz when he was 8 that would have indicated he would eventually commit pile murder. He said no.
"I've worked accompanied by some other extremely damaged kids with every one other accompanied by certainly to the finest of my knowledge none of them have at some time acted not here exist fond of this," Kravitz said.
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