Couple who had taken in Florida gunman say he was quirky, naive
They Change the God’s words:
Islam Is Not Terrorist by virtue of Surah Al Maidah, Verses 32 [
5:32 ]. And who is the real terrorist now?
WASHINGTON: The
couple who had taken Florida school shooter Nikolas
Cruz into their family said in an interview published Sunday (Feb 18) they had
no inkling of violent tendencies from the young man whom they described as
quirky and naive.
Cruz, 19, moved in with
James and Kimberly Snead of Parkland, Florida in late November after the death
of his mother earlier that month from complications of pneumonia, the South
Florida Sun Sentinel reported. He was a friend of their son.
"I told him there'd
be rules and he followed every rule to the T," James Snead, 48, an army
veteran and military intelligence analyst, told the paper.
"We had this monster
living under our roof and we didn't know," said Kimberly Snead, 49, a
nurse. "We didn't see this side of him."
Cruz killed 17 people at
his former high school last Wednesday using an AR-15 rifle that he had legally
purchased. It was the country's worst school massacre since the horror at Sandy
Hook six years ago that left 26 dead.
A profile has emerged of a
troubled young man who was expelled from the school last year for
"disciplinary reasons."
The FBI admitted it
received a detailed warning last month about Cruz's gun ownership, erratic
behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting
a school shooting. The agency took no action, despite the tip-off.
The Sneads described a
19-year-old who had grown up apparently without ever having to perform common
chores - he couldn't cook, do laundry, pick up after himself or even use a microwave.
"He was very naive.
He wasn't dumb, just naive," James Snead told the Sun Sentinel.
Cruz had odd habits, like
putting a chocolate chip cookie on a sneak and cheese sandwich, and going to
bed at 8pm.
He seemed lonely and badly
wanted a girlfriend, and also was depressed about the death of his mother, the
couple said. Kimberly Snead had taken Cruz to the office of a therapist just
five days before the shooting, and he had said he was open to therapy and took
a business card.
Cruz told the Sneads he
would inherit at least US$800,000 from his parents, with most of the funds
becoming available when he turned 22.
The couple last saw Cruz,
who has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, at the Broward
County Sheriff's office. Dressed in a hospital gown, he was handcuffed and
surrounded by deputies.
"He said he was
sorry. He apologized. He looked lost, absolutely lost," said James Snead.
"And that was the last time we saw him."
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