August 22, 2022

The lead attorney for the young man responsible for the Parkland, Florida school massacre told jurors that while they have seen “things that will haunt them for the rest of their lives,” they must also understand what led the young man to slaughter 17 people. , before they decide whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Nikolas Cruz committed an unspeakable and horrific act when he murdered 14 students and three employees at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, attorney Melisa McNeill admitted.

But he added that Cruz was a “damaged person” whose biological mother had abused alcohol and cocaine during her pregnancy.

“We must understand the person behind the crime,” McNeill said in his opening statement to the jury of seven men, five women and their 10 alternates.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of aggravated murder and his trial is only to decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. It is the deadliest shooting in the United States whose perpetrator has been brought to trial. Nine other gunmen who killed at least 17 people died during or immediately following the shootings, either by suicide or by police shooting. The suspect in the 2019 murder of 23 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, is awaiting trial.

“I stand before you today in a space filled with overwhelming sadness, arduous pain, anger and trauma,” said McNeill, Assistant Public Defender.

McNeill had deferred his opening statement from the first day of the trial, July 18, until the start of the case by his team. The strategy is unusual and appears to be part of a larger plan to acknowledge the horror of Cruz’s massacre and try not to upset jurors should she deny it.

Instead, the defense seemed to focus on how Cruz over two decades turned into someone capable of coolly shooting others during a seven-minute rampage, from his mother’s drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy to the stalking and alleged abuse sex he endured. He exhibited serious mental and emotional problems since preschool, where he was expelled for hurting other children.

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Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report

Tianjin North Net News:With the opening of the 2022 Tianjin “Quality Life Festival”, driven by promotional activities and consumer coupons, the city’s retail, wholesale and other businesses ushered in a small consumption boom on the weekends.

On weekends, on Jin Street, Heping District, following the opening of the “Quality of Life Festival”, the markets and shops on the street welcomed people shopping and spending from early in the morning. Citizens who have grabbed various consumer coupons before can use the holiday to shop at the store to enjoy the benefits of reduction and exemption:

(Recording: 1. It’s very suitable, like the fruit we bought, superimposed on the coupons of the consumer festival, it is 19 yuan and 9. If I looked at the market price outside, it was between 25 and 35. 2 , I ate some food, grabbed some coupons, and bought a gold necklace. The price is also quite suitable.)

From late August to the end of September, during the “Quality Life Festival”, the city has set up four major support directions, including automobiles, home appliances, department store retailing, and catering, entertainment, etc., to guide and stimulate consumption by issuing “Tasting Shopping” consumer coupons. The city’s department store retailers have launched preferential promotions. Daisuke Takashima, Director of Isetan’s Sales and Management Department, introduced:

(Recording: (Translation) Tianjin Isetan and Yanlord Isetan will mainly carry out promotional activities for high-end cosmetic brands. Yanlord Isetan will have a store celebration event for the first anniversary of its opening at the end of September. At the same time, new products will also be introduced. Commodities and clothing brands. I hope more repeat customers will consume and improve overall performance.)

Automobiles and home appliances belong to bulk consumption and play a “main engine” role in promoting consumption upgrades and driving consumption growth. The “Quality Life Festival” specially set up a consumer coupon issuance activity for automobiles and home appliances. At the same time, a three-day display and sale was carried out on Jinjie Pedestrian Street, including FAW Toyota, BMW, Weilai and other car brands, driving the consumption of automobiles and home appliances to continue. increase. Cui Lei, general manager of NIO Nanjing Road Store, said:

(Recording: All our models can participate in this subsidy activity. All models are in the range of 350,000 yuan and above, which can basically cover this subsidy activity of 6,000 yuan. In addition, our state subsidies have A subsidy of 11,600 yuan, so our comprehensive subsidy is regarding 17,000 yuan.)

In addition to the retailing of department stores, Wanglanzhuang International Trade City in Xiqing District, as the gathering place for wholesale and retail of all categories, all types of clothing, and department stores in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, in the “Quality Life Festival” activity, the autumn clothing ordering meeting, purchasing batches etc. Liu Jing, operation director of Wanglanzhuang International Trade City, said:

(Recording: Being able to share the consumer coupons issued by the Tianjin Municipal Government, so that downstream customers can experience more and better consumer services, Wang Lanzhuang has launched a series of activities such as cash back and lottery draws.)

From the beginning of the event, Wang Lanzhuang welcomed a batch of buyers from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and other regions:

(Recording: 1. We brought regarding 100 merchants from Datong, Shanxi. The goods here are relatively complete, and the price told us that the more affordable ones will be available in autumn.

2. Now the strength is very strong, and it is here. )

It is understood that the 2022 Tianjin “Quality Life Festival” and “Tesoo” consumer coupons issued this time totaled 150 million yuan. Citizens can collect consumption coupons through China UnionPay’s “Cloud Quick Pass”, JD.com, Meituan, and Dianping. In addition, Meituan, Dianping platform catering, hotel, scenic spot consumption coupons have also begun to be issued. (Liu Keqi, reporter from the Broadcast News Department of Tianjin Haihe Media Center)