Parkland shooter faces new charges

By NOA ISRAEL

Nine months after accused Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz opened fire at his high school, he faces new charges after an altercation with a prison guard Wednesday morning.

Cruz is being held at the Fort Lauderdale jail, awaiting trial for the Feb. 14 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 students and staff members dead and 17 others injured. He faces 34 counts of murder and attempted murder.

On Wednesday CNN reported that Cruz “now faces additional charges of assault, battery and use of an electric weapon on the guard,” after he allegedly attacked a Broward County officer. The report states, Sgt. Raymond Beltran, requested that Cruz not drag his feet while he walked to the dayroom. In response to this, Cruz attacked Beltran.

According to video surveillance of the incident, “Cruz flipped his middle finger, then rushed Beltran and struck him in the face, the report states. Cruz took the officer to the ground and struck the top of his head with fists […] and then took his stun gun,” CNN reported.

Cruz was escorted to the hearing by multiple officers on Wednesday morning. He remained silent with his head down for the duration, as the judge set another hearing for Friday and set a preliminary bond of $200,000 for battery on an officer.

In April, Cruz waived his right to a speedy trial and was entered into a not-guilty plea by the judge. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the massacre in his trial set to begin in September 2019.