Nikolas Cruz, Florida school terrorist, is a deplorable Trump cultist
You read that right: we are calling Nikolas Cruz — the 19-year-old sole suspect in the attack that claimed 17 lives at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — a terrorist, because shooting up schools is exactly what terrorists do.
And his social media footprint, confirmed by Heavy.com, reveals much about his state of mind and worldview.
This is his Instagram profile photo and mobile banner for “nikolascruzmakarov”. Makarov is the name of a Russian-manufactured handgun. Note the conspicuous presence of a “Make America Great Again” hat, the favored fetish object of deplorable Donald Trump cultists, topping his masked face.
The incomparable Karoli Kuns at Crooks & Liars caught this notable quote in a Daily Beast report:
“He always had his hair short. He always wore like really patriotic shirts that seemed really extreme, like hating on the Islamic religion. For example, he would say things such as like, he would degrade islamic people as terrorists and bombers.I’ve seen him wear a Trump hat. I don’t know if he ever said anything about women. He didn’t have any friends,” he said.
He had another Instagram account.
The Instagram accounts are filled with photos of weapons, along with selfies of the terrorist covering his face in a bandana and hat:
Cruz had been expelled from Douglas but was reportedly still a student in the Broward County system. He had been a member of JROTC.
This photo of the suspect was just provided to me by a member of law enforcement. Cruz is wearing his ROTC shirt. #Parkland #NicolasCruz pic.twitter.com/A0WeEhCfaP
— Josh Cohen – ESPN West Palm (@JoshCohenRadio) February 15, 2018
Cruz had threatened students at Douglas:
“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” said [math teacher Jim] Gard, who said Cruz had been in his class last year. “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”
Cruz’s fellow students knew that something was seriously wrong with him:
“Everyone predicted it,” a student said about the #Parkland shooting. pic.twitter.com/mbzBIw8iUa
— Vic Micolucci WJXT (@WJXTvic) February 14, 2018
And there is another mitigating factor that may well have contributed to Cruz’s actions:
A family member of the suspect told ABC News that Cruz was adopted as an infant by Roger and Lynda Cruz, both of whom are now deceased. His adopted mother died just last year of the flu, according to Lynda’s cousin Katie Conway. She was otherwise healthy before checking into a clinic in November, being rushed to the hospital and later dying of pneumonia.
Cruz’s father died of a heart attack in 2005 when he was still a young child.
If Florida had anything resembling decent mental health and educational support services, it is possible that the violence could have been prevented, but in a state controlled by Governor Rick “Cheap Labor [If Any at All]” Scott, there was negligible help — if not outright, fatal negligence.
Instead, he armed up, emulated the sort of bullying nurtured by Donald Trump on social media (even wearing the cult hat), planned his atrocity, and killed 17 kids in an academically-lauded high school’s freshman building.
Fear-mongers try to scare you with the alleged threats of ISIS and MS13.
We should be more worried about homegrown MAGA terrorists.
