Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz's lawyer filed court papers withdrawing a premilinary not guilty plea.
Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill said in the filing Thursday that Cruz “stands mute” before the court. She said the not guilty plea was entered prematurely, before a grand jury indicted Cruz on 17 murder and 17 attempted murder charges in the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The public defender’s office has said Cruz would plead guilty if prosecutors do not pursue the death penalty, but no decision has been announced on that.
The next step will be an arraignment for Cruz, where a judge likely would enter a not guilty plea for him to keep the process moving.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.