Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz plotted his attack in a series of cellphone videos released on Wednesday.
May 30 (UPI) — Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz plotted his attack in a series of cellphone videos released on Wednesday.
In the three videos, taken some time before the Feb. 14 shooting, Cruz describes his plans for the attack in detail while expressing disdain for his former classmates at the Parkland, Fla., school, lamenting his life of “seclusion and solitude” and anticipating notoriety for his actions.
“Hello. My name is Nik and I’m going to be the next school shooter of 2018,” Cruz said in one video. “My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15. Location is Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida.”
Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the school, ultimately killed 17 people in the attack.
In the video he went on to say the shooting was going to be a “big event.”
“When you see me on the news, you’ll know who I am,” he said.
Cruz then laughed and began singing “you’re all going to die” and making gunshot sounds with his mouth, before saying he “can’t wait.”
Another video featured Cruz detailing his plan for the attack, including taking an Uber to the school and firing into the main courtyard.
“People will die,” Cruz said.
In a third video Cruz proclaims “today is the day, the day it all begins” while describing himself as “nothing and no one” and saying he hates “everyone and everything.” He also declared his love to a person who he only identified by her first name and promised to meet her “in the afterlife.”
“The day of my massacre shall begin,” Cruz said. “All the kids in the school will run in fear and hide. From the wrath of my power they will know who I am.”
The videos were released by the Broward State Attorney’s Office in response to a defense request for discovery.
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the shooting, said he read the transcript but refused to watch the video.
“He’s evil. Repulsive. He deserves to be dead,” Guttenberg said. “He talked about how he was going to be someone now. It’s a level of thought that I can’t comprehend. It looks, from the words, like the kid had joy. I don’t want to see the delight he took in planning the murders of our children.”
Cruz hasn’t denied carrying out the attack and was charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder.
He faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder, but his defense lawyers have offered to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison.