REUTERS/Handout
Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year old former Stoneman Douglas High School student who shot and killed 17 people Wednesday, had a history of family hardships according to the Sun Sentinel. Cruz and his biological brother Zachary were adopted by Lynda and Roger Cruz. The adoptive father died many years ago, while Lynda Cruz recently died of pneumonia on Nov. 1. Lynda reportedly kept a “really close handle on both boys,” and sought counseling for Nikolas while he was still young. After his adoptive mother passed, Nikolas was put into the care of a family friend, but was not happy. He asked a high school friend if he could move in with his family around Thanksgiving, and the family obliged. Nikolas also reportedly worked at the local dollar store. Neighbors and those who knew him note that he looked “depressed.”