The day before Nikolas Cruz’s 18th birthday, administrators at his Parkland, Fl., high school were fretting about what adulthood would portend for their very troubled student. Cruz’s mother was going to help him get a government ID. That would allow him to buy guns. Cruz had told a classmate he had ingested gasoline, causing him to vomit. He had “expressed” threats to both himself and others, and had cut himself with a pencil sharpener. He had written the word “kill” in a school notebook. It was Sept. 23, 2016, and Henderson Behavioral Health in Broward County had been asked to determine whether Cruz was a danger to himself or others. A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resource officer was evidently convinced that Cruz was, and told social workers he was considering initiating an involuntary commitment of Cruz under Florida’s Baker Act. The petition was apparently never filed, the Miami Herald reports.
Cruz — who is facing 17 first-degree murder charges for a Feb. 14 rampage at Stoneman Douglas — had been evaluated at least three times in 2016. “Mother reported the school is concerned due to client turning 18 years old and he will get an ID; client has made statements at school regarding getting a gun, and the school has expressed concerns,” read a note from a mental health counselor. It appears authorities missed numerous opportunities to ensure Cruz didn’t have access to weapons, including the kind that are capable of instant devastation. His records make a compelling case that authorities repeatedly failed to appreciate Cruz’s growing interest in weapons, and the danger they posed in the hands of a profoundly troubled young man. Again and again, workers took Cruz’s word when he denied any intention to harm himself or others — though records show they didn’t necessarily believe him.