Parkland, Florida, school shooting

FILE - People attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. After a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, their families were left with a burning question: How do we go on with our lives while honoring our loved one’s memory? (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

5 years after Parkland, families cope through good works

After a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School five years ago, their families were left with a burning question: How do we go on with our lives while honoring our loved one’s memory?
 
FILE - Semi-automatic rifles are displayed at Coastal Trading and Pawn, Monday, July 18, 2022, in Auburn, Maine. President Joe Biden and the Democrats have become increasingly emboldened in pushing for stronger gun control. The Democratic-led House passed legislation in July to revive a 1990s-era ban on certain semi-automatic guns, with Biden’s vocal support. And the president pushed the weapons ban nearly everywhere that he campaigned this year. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Emboldened Biden, Dems push ban on so-called assault weapons

 
FILE- In this Sept. 2, 2021, file photo, Broward County Schools interim superintendent Vickie Cartwright visits the New River Middle School, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cartwright, superintendent of Florida's second largest school district was fired, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, following a late-night motion brought up by a board member appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following a grand jury report into the Parkland school massacre.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Board fires schools chief after Parkland massacre report

 
Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz is escorted from the courtroom after his sentencing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School more than four years ago. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Parkland school killer formally sentenced to life in prison

 
Patricia Padauy Oliver speaks during her victim impact statement in the sentencing hearing for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Padauy Oliver's son, Joaquin Oliver, was killed in the 2018 shootings. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School more than four years ago. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Families unleash grief and anger on Parkland school shooter

 

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is escorted into the courtroom for a hearing regarding possible jury misconduct during deliberations in the penalty phase of his trial, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Families get final say before Parkland shooter is sentenced

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison this week, but not before the families of the 17 people he murdered get the chance to tell him what they think.
 
A memorial for the 19 children and two teachers killed in the May shooting sits outside of Robb Elementary on the first day of early voting, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. The Uvalde school massacre has cast a long shadow in the midterm elections in Texas, intensifying Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection fight against Democrat Beto O’Rourke and driving a blitz of television ads. (AP Photo/Acacia Coronado)

Uvalde families make last push for shakeup on Election Day

The Uvalde school massacre has cast a long shadow in the midterm elections in Texas, intensifying Republican Gov.
 
Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks during a debate with his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist in Fort Pierce, Fla., Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm.com via AP, Pool)

Fla. Gov. DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to commit to serving a full four-year term if reelected when pressed by his Democratic rival, Charlie Crist, at their only gubernatorial debate.
 
U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., participates in a televised debate with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., at Duncan Theater on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach County, Fla., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post via AP, Pool)

Demings goes on attack against Rubio in Fla. Senate debate

Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida went on the attack in her first debate against Republican Sen.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is escorted into the courtroom for a hearing regarding possible jury misconduct during deliberations in the penalty phase of his trial, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Parkland shooter’s life sentence could bring changes to law

The life sentence about to be imposed on Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz could bring changes to the state’s death penalty law.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz reacts to the verdict in his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. Cruz will be sentenced to life without parole for the 2018 massacre of 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. That sentence comes after the jury announced Thursday that it could not unanimously agree that Cruz should be executed. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Parkland shooter prosecutors call for probe of juror threat

Prosecutors in the case of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz are calling for an investigation after a juror said she felt threatened by another member of the jury during deliberations that ended with a life sentence for Cruz.
 
Tom and Gena Hoyer exit the courtroom as Gena could be heard sobbing following the verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. The Hoyer's son, Luke, was killed in the 2018 shootings. A jury spared Cruz from the death penalty Thursday for killing 17 people at a Parkland high school in 2018, sending him to prison for the remainder of his life. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Parkland school shooter spared from execution for killing 17

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to life without parole for the 2018 massacre of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz speaks with sentence mitigation specialist Kate O'Shea, a member of the defense team, during jury instructions in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

EXPLAINER: What’s next in the Parkland school shooter trial?

The jurors who will decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz is sentenced to death or life without parole have begun their deliberations.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz sits at the defense table for closing arguments in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Attorneys argue over school shooter’s fate: death or prison

The lead prosecutor and attorney for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz have made their closing arguments over whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown on a courtroom monitor during a videotaped interview with clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Robert L Denney as Dr. Denney testifies during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Florida school shooter may have been his own worst witness

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz may have talked himself into a death sentence. At his penalty trial last week, prosecutors played video recordings of jailhouse interviews Cruz had this year with mental health experts.
 
FILE - Nexus Services President Mike Donovan speaks at a rally in Falls Church, Va., on Aug. 15, 2019, to respond to a lawsuit alleging his company charges excessive fees to help detained immigrants obtain bail as they await hearings in immigration court. The head of a Virginia company accused of exploiting immigration detainees has now been charged with defrauding the brother of Florida school shooter Nicholas Cruz. Donovan was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Barakat Matthew, File)

Men charged with defrauding Florida school shooter’s brother

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The head of a Virginia company accused of exploiting immigration detainees seeking bail has now been charged with defrauding the brother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown in court during the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

School shooter chose Valentine’s Day to ruin it forever

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz calmly told a psychologist he picked Valentine’s Day for his massacre to ruin the holiday for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students forever.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz rubs his eyes during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Expert: School shooter faked fetal alcohol symptoms

Prosecutors trying to sentence Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz are trying to show he is faking having fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Florida school shooter contemplated massacre for years

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz told a prosecution psychiatrist he began contemplating a mass murder during middle school, doing extensive research on earlier killers to learn their methods and mistakes to shape his own plans, video played at his penalty trial showed
 
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addresses supporters after his debate with Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Uvalde shooting, border dominate only Texas governor debate

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said during a debate against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke that Texas would send busloads of migrants who crossed the U.S.
 
Lawyer Michael S. Hussey represents Yvonne Ngoiri during her arraignment in Worcester Superior Court, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Worcester, Mass. Ngoiri , a former tenant charged with setting a fire at a Massachusetts apartment building that claimed the lives of four people pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Friday and was held without bail. (Rick Cinclair/Worcester Telegram & Gazette via AP)

Woman charged with setting fire at apartment that killed 4

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A former tenant charged with setting a fire at a Massachusetts apartment building that claimed the lives of four people pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Friday and was held without bail.
 
Broward Sheriff's Office Sgt. Gloria Crespo testifies about the weapon used by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz in the 2018 shootings that has a swastika etched on the gun's magazine. This during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Sgt. Crespo took a photograph (for evidence purposes) of the gun used by Cruz after the shootings. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Expert questions whether school shooter’s mom drank heavily

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began their rebuttal of the defense case Tuesday by questioning whether his birth mother drank as heavily during pregnancy as some witnesses portrayed.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table after the defense team announced their intention to rest their case during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Prosecutors to begin Florida school shooter trial rebuttal

Prosecutors in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz are about to begin their rebuttal case.
 

2nd Circuit rejects NRA claims against ex-NY state official

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals panel on Thursday rejected the National Rifle Association’s First Amendment claims against a former New York state official who urged banks and insurance companies to discontinue their association with gun promoting groups after the deadly school shooting in Parklan
 
Judge Elizabeth Scherer is shown on the bench during a hearing in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The defense filed a motion asking Judge Elizabeth Scherer to recuse herself based on comments she made in court when lead defense attorney Melisa McNeill announced the defense's intention to rest their case last week. The motion was denied. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Judge in Florida school shooter case refuses to step down

The judge overseeing the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz has rejected a motion by his attorneys that she step down.
 
Mourners visit a make-shift memorial honoring the school shooting victims at Robb Elementary, Monday, July 11, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. Students who survived the May 24 shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas are spending the summer grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Meanwhile, parents find themselves unable to help them, worried the tragedy at Robb Elementary struck a largely Hispanic town as Latinos continue to face disparities to access mental health care. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Uvalde children grapple with trauma after school massacre

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — One girl runs and hides when she sees thin people with long hair similar to the gunman who stormed into her Uvalde school and killed 21 people.
 
FILE - Students arriving at Heath High School in West Paducah, Ky., embrace an unidentified adult on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1997, after student Michael Carneal opened fire at the school the day before, leaving three students dead and five wounded. In the quarter century that has passed, school shootings have become a depressingly regular occurrence in the U.S. Carneal's upcoming parole hearing in September 2022, raises questions about the appropriate punishment for children who commit heinous crimes. Even if they can be rehabilitated, many wonder if it is fair to the victims for them to be released. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

25 years after Kentucky school shooting, a chance at parole

In December 1997, Michael Carneal opened fire on his fellow students during a morning prayer meeting at a Kentucky high school, killing three and wounding five more.
 
Judge Elizabeth Scherer speaks sharply calling lead defense attorney Melisa McNeill "unprofessional" after McNeill announced the defense's intention to rest their case during the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Defense seeks judge’s removal in Florida school shooter case

Attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz have asked for the judge in his murder case to remove herself two days after she scolded them when they abruptly rested their case.
 
FILE - Acting Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, right, speaks after being introduced by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, at the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 11, 2019. It appears Tony, appointed by Gov. DeSantis after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in February 2018, lied when he did not disclose he had fatally shot another teenager when he was 14 and that he had used LSD, the state ethics commission found on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Board: Florida sheriff maybe lied about killing in his teens

A Florida ethics commission has determined that the sheriff of one of the state’s biggest counties appears to have lied when he didn’t disclose in his job application that he fatally shot another teenager when he was 14.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table just before his defense team announced their intention to rest their case during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Defense suddenly rests case in Florida school shooter trial

Attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz have suddenly and surprisingly rested their case, leading to a shouting match after the judge accused them of a lack of professionalism.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz watches a screen as neuropsychologist Paul Connor testifies remotely via video during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. Connor evaluated Cruz for signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Disorders. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Expert: School shooter’s mother drank heavily in pregnancy

One of the nation’s leading researchers on the effects of fetal alcohol abuse says the birth mother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz drank more in pregnancy than any woman he has documented.
 
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during the penalty phase of Cruz's trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Cruz pleaded guilty to murdering 17 students and staff members in 2018 at Parkland's high school. The trial is only to determine if the 23-year-old is sentenced to death or life without parole. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Psychologist: School shooter suffered fetal alcohol damage

A neuropsychologist says Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz suffered brain damage when his birth mother drank during pregnancy.
 
FILE - Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Testimony at Cruz's trial shows that chaos reigned in the home he shared with his widowed mother and brother. Cruz pleaded guilty to murdering 17 students and staff members in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The trial resumes Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool, File)

Testimony: School shooter’s home ruled by chaos

Testimony at the trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz shows that chaos reigned in the home he shared with his widowed mother and brother.
 

Sheriff: Man left dead animals at Parkland massacre memorial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been charged with leaving dead animals on three separate occasions at a memorial for the 17 victims of the Parkland school massacre, officials said Friday.
 
FILE - A Lake Forest, Ill., police officer walks down Central Ave in Highland Park, Ill., on Monday, July 4, 2022, after a shooter fired on the Chicago northern suburb's Fourth of July parade. Chicago is one of the nation's gun violence hotspots and a seemingly ideal place to employ Illinois' "red flag” law that allows police to step in and take firearms away from people who threaten to kill. But amid more than 8,500 shootings resulting in 1,800 deaths since 2020, the law was used there just four times. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP, File)

Red flag laws get little use as shootings, gun deaths soar

Chicago is one of the nation’s gun violence hotspots and a seemingly ideal place to employ Illinois’ “red flag” law that allows police to step in and take firearms away from people who threaten to kill.
 
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