MIAMI_Nikolas Cruz, accused of the worst mass high school shooting in Florida history, was indicted on multiple first-degree murder and attempted murder charges by a Broward County Grand Jury.
Cruz, 19, who police say admitted to the Valentine's Day shooting rampage at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, now faces 17 counts of first-degree murder and an additional 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Broward County State Attorney Michael Satz has not said publicly if he plans to seek the death penalty. His office has historically sought grand jury findings before deciding on death penalty cases. Satz has said he plans to meet with family members of the victims before making a final decision.
In an unusual move, Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein said his client would accept a guilty plea if the death penalty were removed as an option.
Cruz, a former student at Stoneman Douglas High, took an Uber there on Feb. 14 while hiding an AR-15 and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in a soft case and a backpack he was carrying. He walked past security to the 1200 Building on school grounds and opened fire while walking between the first and third floors of the building.
The teen stopped shooting after 34 people were shot, dropped his weapon and exited the property while blending in with hundreds of other students who were fleeing the chaos through a field. Police said before Cruz was captured he stopped at a Subway for a drink, then sat down at a McDonald's restaurant.
Cruz was captured about an hour after the shooting by a Coconut Creek police officer. The teen was walking down a quiet road in a subdivision about a mile from the school. Cruz gave himself up without a fight and has been held at the Broward County Jail since the shooting.
