1 Carol Marbin Miller, “Authorities Considered Committing Future School Killer Nikolas Cruz. Here’s Why They Didn’t,” Miami Herald, March 20, 2018, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article205972224.html.
2 Ibid.
3 Patricia Mazzei, “School Officials Wanted Florida Gunman Committed Long Before a Massacre,” New York Times, March 18, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/us/nikolas-cruz-baker-act.html.
4 Only 1 percent of individuals who are Baker Acted end up being adjudicated as mentally defective and lose their right to buy guns. We have tried to steer clear of either side in the gun control debate. But everyone agrees that dangerous psychopaths should not be allowed to buy guns. If we make it impossible to label someone as a dangerous psychopath, we are going to continue to have a major gun problem. Anyone who calls mental health “a distraction” from gun control should have their head examined.
5 Florida Department of Children and Families, Case of Nikolas Cruz, http://www.myflfamilies.com/press-release/dcf-records-nikolas-cruz-was-receiving-mental-health-services-taking-medication-and.
6 Public Safety Commission, “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission,” Florida Trend, January 2 2019, https://www.floridatrend.com/public/userfiles/news/pdfs/MSD-Commission-Report-Public-Version-UPDATED.pdf.
7 David Fleshler and Brittany Wallman, “More Than 30 People Didn’t Report Disturbing Behavior by Nikolas Cruz Before Parkland Massacre,” November 13, 2018, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-florida-school-shooting-fdle-day-1-story.html.
8 Nicholas Nehamas, “Parkland Shooter Had a Friend. She Was 13 and Lived Across the Country,” Miami Herald, October 19, 2018, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article220328395.html.
9 Megan O’Matz and Stephen Hobbs, “Parkland Shooter Trespassed at Stoneman Douglas Months Before the Shooting,” Sun Sentinel, October 12, 2018, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-sfl-school-shooting-cruz-trespass-20181012-story.html.
10 Nicholas Nehamas and Sarah Blaskey, “‘I’m Going to Watch You Bleed’: Nikolas Cruz Threatened Ex’s New Boyfriend, Report Says,” Miami Herald, February 17, 2017, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article200735914.html.
11 Brittany Wallman and Megan O’Matz, “Broken Relationship Haunts Brothers Nikolas and Zachary Cruz,” Sun Sentinel, April 16, 2018, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-sb-florida-school-shooter-brothers-20180404-story.html.
12 Monique O. Madan, “Before Massacre, Nikolas Cruz Threatened to Shoot His Brother over a Jar of Nutella,” Miami Herald, May 17, 2018, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article211203119.html.
13 Chris Lyons, “Summary of Social Media Posts and Witness Interviews Showing Prior Unreported Knowledge of Cruz’s Behavior,” Presentation at the MSD Public Safety Commission, Tuesday, November 13, 2018, http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/Meetings/November-Meeting-Documents/MSDHS-Meeting-Agenda-Nov-13-16-FINAL-(1).aspx.
14 Monique O. Madan, “Before Massacre, Nikolas Cruz Threatened to Shoot His Brother over a Jar of Nutella,” Miami Herald, May 17, 2018, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article211203119.html.
15 Ibid.
16 Statement of Mary Hamel to the police.
17 Washington Post Staff, “Red Flags: The Troubled Path of Accused Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz,” Washington Post, March 10, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/timeline-parkland-shooter-nikolas-cruz/?utm_term=.ffa7f61d4296.
18 Megan O’Matz, David Fleshler and Stephen Hobbs, “Deputies Faulted over Parkland Shooter Tips, But Neither One Is Fired,” Sun Sentinel, September 7, 2018, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-school-shooter-broward-deputies-disciplined-20180907-story.html.
19 FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich later testified to the U.S. Senate that if Cruz had had an arrest record, then, at least in theory, the FBI would have linked the threat to an individual and taken some action.
20 Senate Judiciary Committee, “See Something, Say Something: Oversight of the Parkland Shooting and Legislative Proposals to Improve School Safety,” March 14, 2018, https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/see-something-say-something-oversight-of-the-parkland-shooting-and-legislative-proposals-to-improve-school-safety.
21 E-mail from James Snead to Jeff Morford, “Nikolas Jacob Cruz,” December 4, 2017. On file with authors.
22 Scott Travis, “Scathing Report Paints Unfair Picture of Stoneman Douglas Assistant Principals, Lawyer Says,” Sun Sentinel, February 19, 2019, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-stoneman-douglas-assistant-principals-letter-20190219-story.html.