School shooter’s use of swastikas is focus of court fight

By TERRY SPENCER
Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors and attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz are battling over whether jurors at his upcoming penalty trial should learn about the swastikas carved on his gun’s magazines. They also argued Wednesday over whether his racist, homophobic and threatening online postings, his computer searches for child pornography and cruelty to animals should be admitted as evidence. Judge Elizabeth Scherer said she will rule before the trial starts July 18. Cruz pleaded guilty in October to murdering 17 at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The trial will decide where the 23-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student will be sentenced to death or life without parole.