It appears that the Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, who is responsible for the deaths of 17 students and faculty members at a Florida school, has a fan base of his own, despite his crimes.
The Sun Sentinel reports that teenage girls, older women and men have been sending fan letters, flowers and even some suggestive photos to the 19-year-old. Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein, whose office is representing Cruz, revealed that there are “piles” of letters, and Cruz has reportedly not seen them because he is on suicide watch and is unable to leave his cell.
“The letters shake me up because they are written by regular, everyday teenage girls from across the nation,” said Finkelstein. “That scares me. It’s perverted…everyday boys and girls are starting to view him in an elevated way, looking up to his fame and notoriety,” he worries.
Fans of the killer have also donated money to his commissary account, which helps inmates buy snacks, personal hygiene products and more. He has $800 in his account, and since the day after the shooting, $630 has been deposited.
Additionally, Facebook support groups for the killer have sprung up.
“I want you all to know that Nikolas knows about us and he had the biggest smile on his face when he was told that we all support him,” a female fan wrote in the now-secret group, “Nikolas Cruz – the First Victim.” “Keep the letters coming because he can’t wait to finally get them…hate mail is filtered out so no one can upset our boy!!! Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate.”
“Cruz’s Facebook supporters, mostly female, say they sympathize with Cruz because he was bullied, was diagnosed with disabilities and mental illness, and was orphaned,” writes the Sentinel. “He’s referred to in some posts as “our Nikolas” and described as “cute.”