Florida school shooting survivors are continuing to rally against lawmakers who accept NRA money, and John Oliver is leading a chorus of those who hope this tragedy’s aftermath will bring gun control results. Still, questions linger about how gunman Nikolas Cruz was able to legally purchase his AR-15 despite a lengthy behavioral record and being on the FBI’s radar, and as he appeared in court on Monday, it became apparent that Cruz he’d amassed an actual arsenal of weaponry.
Different numbers are being noted by different outlets, but CBS News reports word from law enforcement that Cruz obtained seven rifles during the past year. However, CNN says that he may have actually acquired (per a law enforcement source) up to ten rifles during the lead-up to the massacre:
Nikolas Cruz made a brief appearance in court for a procedural matter Monday, shortly after a law enforcement source told CNN that the 19-year-old school shooter obtained 10 rifles in the last year or so.
Cruz purchased two weapons from Gun World of South Florida in Deerfield Beach, said Kim Waltuch, the store’s CEO. She would not provide details on the types of guns he purchased or on the time frame, but said the sales followed normal protocol for Florida firearms purchases.
Investigators are still working to trace all of of Cruz’s firearm purchases to determine whether they were legal, but the emerging pattern is that Cruz had no difficulties during his transactions. This, of course, will only serve to further fuel the gun control argument and accusations that Congress won’t do anything for fear of “eroding” Second Amendment rights and making those lucrative NRA donations disappear.
Meanwhile, the family who took Cruz in last year (after the death of his adoptive mother) is now struggling to comprehend whether they missed any warning signs. As James Snead told NBC News, “The Nik we knew was not the monster he turned out to be.” Their position is an impossible one, but it’s also hard to fathom how Cruz managed to hide his intent from the people he lived with when he also habitually introduced himself as “a school shooter.” On Monday’s GMA episode, Kimberly Snead said she went to the police station after Cruz’s arrest and wanted to “strangle” him, but she could only ask, “Really, Nick, really?” She’s still in shock over “what he’s done.” Watch below.
FULL INTERVIEW: “I still can’t believe what he’s done.” The family that took in the Florida shooting suspect speaks out, sitting down with @michaelstrahan in their first TV interview since the shooting: https://t.co/ACQcOyfQRq pic.twitter.com/axoxIzYEvf
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 19, 2018