Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and the trial, which began July 18, is only to determine his sentence. He said he tried to work with her, but she felt embarrassed by her sons' behavior and felt people were judging her.Ĭruz's attorneys are in Day 3 of their defense, hoping to persuade his jury to sentence him to life without parole instead of death. “She lost her cool frequently and backed down to the boys frequently, which only made the problems worse," he said. That would set off their mother, something both boys seemed to enjoy. “Nikolas was easily set off and Zachary seemed to derive some pleasure from pushing Nikolas’ buttons.” “They raised it to an art form," Kravitz said. They would yell, throw tantrums and break furnishings, he said. She was 57, depressed from her husband's sudden 2003 death and dealing with two “tumultuous” young children, he said. He said that was a major issue - Lynda Cruz would agree that her son needed more consistent treatment and she needed to be more consistent in her discipline of him and his younger half-brother, Zachary, but did not follow through. ![]() Kravitz said that while he suggested weekly sessions for Cruz, his mother only brought him 15 times over a 13-month span, a decade before he murdered 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. But she also said he was friendly and got along fine with his peers - claims that a neighbor, preschool teachers and an elementary school special education counselor have testified were not true. (AP) - A psychologist who treated Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz when he was 8 years old testified Wednesday that Cruz was a “peculiar child” who had many behavioral and developmental issues but his widowed mother seemed overwhelmed and wasn’t consistent in her discipline or in getting him treatment.įrederick Kravitz said he began treating Cruz in 2007 on a referral from Cruz's psychiatrist with Lynda Cruz telling him her adopted son suffered from anxiety and nervousness and had trouble controlling his temper.
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