Crimes and Courts

School shooter’s brain exams to be subject of court hearing

Published

4 years ago

August 15, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A defense mental health expert in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz can pinpoint when he realized the 23-year-old mass murderer still has “irrational thoughts” — the two were making small talk when Cruz began describing plans for an eventual life outside prison.

Wesley Center, a Texas counselor, said that happened last year at the Broward County jail as he fitted Cruz’s scalp with probes for a scan to map his brain. The defense at hearings this week will try to convince Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that Center and other experts should be allowed to testify at Cruz’s ongoing trial about what their tests showed, something the prosecution wants barred.

“He had some sort of epiphany while he was in (jail) that would focus his thoughts on being able to help people,” transcripts show Center told prosecutors during a pretrial interview this year. “His life’s purpose was to be helping others.”

Cruz, of course, will never be free. Since his arrest about an hour after he murdered 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, there has never been any doubt his remaining years would be behind bars, sentenced to death or life without parole. Surveillance video shows him mowing down his victims with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and he confessed, eventually pleading guilty in October.

Prosecutors made their argument for death to the seven-man, five-woman jury and 10 alternates over three weeks, resting their case Aug. 4 after the panel toured the still-bloodstained, bullet-pocked classroom building where the massacre happened.

The jurors also watched graphic surveillance videos; saw gruesome crime scene and autopsy photos; received emotional testimony from teachers and students who witnessed others die; and heard from tearful and angry parents, spouses and other family members about the victims and how their loved one’s death impacted their lives. They watched video of the former Stoneman Douglas student calmly ordering an Icee minutes after the shooting and, nine months later, attacking a jail guard.

Soon, it will be Cruz’s attorneys arguing why he should be spared, hoping to convince at least one juror their mitigating factors outweigh the prosecution’s aggravating circumstances — a death sentence must be unanimous.

But first, the trial took last week off to accommodate some jurors’ requests to deal with personal matters. The jury will also be absent this week as the sides argue before Scherer, who will decide whether brain scans, tests and other evidence the defense wants to present starting Aug. 22 is scientifically valid or junk, as the prosecution contends.

Center’s test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. Called a “quantitative electroencephalogram” or “qEEG,” its backers say it provides useful support to such diagnoses as fetal alcohol syndrome, which Cruz’s attorneys contend created his lifelong mental and emotional problems.

EEGs have been common in medicine for a century, measuring brainwaves to help doctors diagnose epilepsy and other brain ailments. But the qEEG analysis, which has been around since the 1970s, goes a step farther — a patient’s EEG results are compared to a database of brainwaves taken from normal or “neurotypical” people. While qEEG findings cannot be used to make a diagnosis, they can support findings based on the patient’s history, examination, behavior and other tests, supporters contend.

A “qEEG can confirm what you already know, but you can’t create new knowledge,” Center told prosecutors in his interview.

Dr. Charles Epstein, an Emory University neurology professor, reviewed Center’s findings for the prosecution. In a written statement to Scherer, he said EEGs using only external scalp probes like the one given Cruz are imprecise, making Center’s qEEG results worthless.

“Garbage in, garbage out,” he wrote.

Florida judges have given mixed rulings about allowing qEEGs since 2010, when the test helped a Miami-area man escape a death sentence for fatally stabbing his wife and severely wounding her mentally disabled 11-year-old daughter. Some judges have since allowed their admission, while others barred them. Scherer, who is overseeing her first death penalty trial, has never had a case where the defense tried to present a qEEG report.

Even if Scherer bars the test, lead defense attorney Melisa McNeill and her team still have evidence that Cruz’s brain likely suffered damage in the womb, including statements by his late birth mother that she abused alcohol and cocaine during pregnancy.

They also have reports giving circumstantial evidence of his mental illness. Cruz got kicked out of preschool for hurting other children. During his years in public school, he spent significant time at a center for students with emotional issues. He also received years of mental health treatment.

Then there are his life circumstances. Cruz’s adoptive father died in front of him when he was 5; he was bullied by his younger brother and his brother’s friends; he was allegedly abused sexually by a “trusted peer;” he cut himself and abused animals; and his adoptive mother died less than four months before the shooting.

His youth will also be an issue — he was 19 when the shooting happened.

Attorneys not involved in the case say if Scherer wants to avoid having a possible death sentence overturned on appeal, she should give the defense wide latitude on what it presents so jurors can fully assess his life and mental health.

“If it’s a close call, I think she is going to bend to the defense — and the prosecution is not going to be happy,” said David S. Weinstein, a Miami criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor.

Crimes and Courts

Ben Crump Joins Nolan Wells Family, Dr. Jamal Bryant for Prayer Rally on What Would Have Been His 19th Birthday

Published

2 weeks ago

August 20, 2026

FNN NEWS

Family calls for release of official autopsy findings, transparency and answers surrounding death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells

BILOXI, Miss. (FNN NEWS) — National civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family of Nolan Xavier Wells and prominent faith leader Dr. Jamal Bryant on Wednesday for a prayer rally marking what would have been Wells’ 19th birthday.

The gathering at Greater St. John AME Church in Biloxi honored Wells’ life while amplifying his family’s continuing demands for answers, transparency and accountability surrounding his death.

FAMILY CONTINUES FIGHT FOR ANSWERS

Rather than celebrating Nolan’s 19th birthday with him, his family gathered with community members, faith leaders and advocates to remember his life and continue their pursuit of the truth about what happened to him.

The Wells family is calling for the release of the official autopsy findings and greater transparency from state investigators.

The rally provided the family with a public platform to keep attention focused on unanswered questions surrounding Nolan’s death while seeking support from the broader community.

BEN CRUMP JOINS FAMILY’S CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY

Crump’s participation brings national attention to the family’s search for answers.

The civil rights and personal injury attorney has represented families in numerous high-profile cases involving deaths, civil rights and allegations of government or institutional misconduct.

His appearance alongside the Wells family underscored their demand that authorities provide information needed to establish a clearer account of the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s death.

The family’s requests for transparency remain allegations and demands for information; authorities’ findings should be distinguished from claims that have not yet been independently established.

DR. JAMAL BRYANT LEADS FAITH COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT

Bryant joined Crump, the Wells family and community members as the gathering combined remembrance with prayer and calls for accountability.

The prominent pastor and civil rights advocate has frequently used his national platform to address social justice issues affecting Black communities.

The Biloxi gathering brought the legal, faith and local communities together around the Wells family’s effort to obtain answers.

A 19TH BIRTHDAY MARKED BY PRAYER

The timing of the rally carried particular significance for Nolan’s family.

Wednesday would have marked his 19th birthday.

Instead, family members and supporters gathered at the church to celebrate his memory and reinforce their commitment to finding out what happened.

The rally began at 7 p.m. CDT at Greater St. John AME Church, 551 Division St. in Biloxi.

CALL FOR AUTOPSY FINDINGS AND INVESTIGATIVE TRANSPARENCY

Central to the family’s demands is the release of Nolan’s official autopsy findings.

The family also wants state investigators to provide greater transparency regarding the investigation and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Until official findings are released, significant questions surrounding the case remain unresolved.

For Nolan’s family, Wednesday night’s gathering was both a memorial and a public declaration that their search for answers will continue.

What would have been a milestone birthday instead became a call for truth, transparency and accountability.

Crimes and Courts

Family of Corey Ruiz to Speak Publicly for First Time Alongside Attorney Ben Crump Following Fatal Madison Police Shooting

Published

1 month ago

July 24, 2026

FNN NEWS

MADISON, Wis. (July 24, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Corey Ruiz at a news conference Saturday in Madison, where family members are expected to speak publicly for the first time since Ruiz was fatally shot by a Madison police officer.

Ruiz’s family, joined by attorneys Ben Crump, Steve Hart, and B’Ivory Lamarr, along with State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison), is expected to call for a full, independent investigation into the shooting and seek accountability for the circumstances surrounding Ruiz’s death.

According to the Madison Police Department, Ruiz was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during an encounter with officers at a busy intersection on the city’s near-east side. Police have stated that Ruiz allegedly produced a fixed-blade knife and injured an officer during a struggle before an officer discharged his firearm.

However, video recorded by a bystander and reported by the Wisconsin Examiner appears to show an officer stomping Ruiz while he was on the ground as the first gunshot was fired. The video has drawn increased public attention and renewed questions regarding the officers’ use of force during the incident.

The incident has also highlighted the fact that Madison police officers do not wear body cameras, prompting additional calls from community members and civil rights advocates for greater transparency and independent review.

Scheduled Speakers

Corey Ruiz’s family
Attorney Ben Crump
Attorney Steve Hart
Attorney B’Ivory Lamarr
State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison)

The news conference is expected to address the family’s response to the shooting, outline the legal team’s next steps, and reiterate calls for an independent investigation into the incident.

Central Florida News

Orlando Police Arrest Three Following Shooting at West Lakes Apartment Complex

Published

2 months ago

July 10, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Orlando Police arrested three suspects Thursday following a shooting at the Pendana at West Lakes Club Apartments that led to a high-speed pursuit spanning Orange and Seminole counties.

Police said no injuries were reported despite multiple rounds being fired during the incident.

Shooting Reported at Apartment Complex

According to the Orlando Police Department (OPD), officers responded at approximately 3:50 p.m. Thursday, July 9, to the 2000 block of Orange Center Boulevard after receiving reports of gunfire at the Pendana at West Lakes Club Apartments.

During the investigation, detectives reviewed surveillance video showing occupants of a black sedan and a black SUV firing multiple rounds at two individuals riding scooters through the apartment complex.

Investigators said everyone involved fled the scene before officers arrived.

Police Locate Suspect Vehicles

Shortly after the shooting, Orlando officers located both suspect vehicles in the North Pine Hills area.

With assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), officers conducted a traffic stop on the black sedan and detained two suspects without incident.

Officers later located the black SUV and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop, triggering a police pursuit.

Helicopter Assists During Pursuit

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit tracked the fleeing SUV from the air while directing responding officers on the ground.

The pursuit ended in Altamonte Springs, where the driver stopped in front of a Burlington Coat Factory, abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.

Orlando Police officers quickly apprehended the suspect.

Three Suspects Arrested

Police identified the suspects as:

Jacorey Lowery (DOB: July 8, 2006)

Charges:

Attempted Felony Murder (Firearm/Discharge)
Discharging a Firearm at Residential Property

Quincy Desponosse (DOB: April 21, 2008)

Charge:

Principal to Attempted First-Degree Murder

Semaj Blackshear

Charges:

Principal to Attempted Felony Murder with a Firearm
Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement at High Speed with Disregard for Public Safety or Property
Resisting an Officer Without Violence
Juvenile Violation of Probation