![]() “Try harder” or “Don’t worry so much” might have been the advice. She may have reached out to trusted friends and family and may have gotten myriad reactions, but no one could pinpoint the impact that trauma had on her son’s attachment, social/emotional development, and fragile mental health. I suspect, based on my own experience and the experience of many parents I’ve worked with, that Lynda saw the signs and worried a great deal. I wish she had found ATN then, connected with us online and grown in her understanding of developmental trauma and the impact of her sons’ earliest days. I have no idea what Lynda Cruz did or didn’t do during her sons’ early years. There are red flags all over this young man’s history. There are documented incidents of killing and torturing animals and of inflicting self-harm. We have former neighbors saying they feared him as early as age 9 and there were police reports (one article said over 40 police reports were filed on calls to the Cruz home after the father died in 2011 – some for Nikolas, some for his brother). The Cruzes adopted both boys as quickly as possible we don’t have any specifics on when and how Nikolas’s problems first manifested themselves. ![]() Nikolas Cruz was adopted at 3 days old, born to a mom addicted to drugs who gave birth to his half-brother within less than a year. We at ATN have spent the last two decades supporting the families of children impacted by complex, early, even pre-natal trauma. On the other hand, those of us in the complex trauma community often have to stand up and say “he’s one of ours”. On the one hand, advocates for other mental illnesses, especially those in the autism community, are actively speaking out to explain that children and young people with those diagnoses are not usually violent, that the public need not fear or revile those with autism. “Once you understand the effects of early childhood trauma, you see it everywhere,” ATN’s founder is fond of saying. Still, it was no surprise to me to find out that this one, like so many others, was. ![]() Not all of them have been diagnosed with early childhood trauma. It’s true – not every school shooter was adopted or in foster care. “You’re always saying that,” he retorted, shaking his head. “I’ll bet he’s one of ours,” I said to my husband. As the news poured in on that Wednesday afternoon about the shooting at the Broward County high school, my heart sank, not only for the unspeakable trauma of all involved and the loss of so many lives, but for whatever had…or hadn’t…happened before to this young man we now know is named Nikolas Cruz. His mother Woodard has been convicted of a number of minor changes over the previous three decades, including driving and vehicle offenses, but she has also been accused of a number of serious crimes, including striking someone with a tire iron.Īccording to court data, Woodard has not been charged with any new crimes since 2011.I knew it. Nikolas belonged to a family background of criminals. She has a long criminal past, including convictions for assault, grand larceny, and drug possession dating back to 1988, ten years before Cruz was born. His real mother resided just miles away in numerous locations around Broward County, regularly falling into legal problems, according to public documents.īrenda Woodard, Cruz’s real mother, is now 62 years old and lives in Hallandale Beach. He is the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, grew up with his adoptive family in affluent Parkland. Nikolas Cruz’s parents left him for adoption when he was just an infant. In reality, following the tragic deaths of Lynda Cruz and Roger Cruz, Nikolas Cruz was fostered by his cousins Kimberly and James Snead. Regrettably, they did not get to spend time with or nurture their adopted son. Lynda and Roger Cruz adopted Nikolas from Woodard through a private attorney shortly after his birth in 1998.Īccording to family acquaintances who talked to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Nikolas’ father’s identity was not given at the time of his adoption. Nikolas Cruz’s adopted parents are Lynda and Roger Cruz, as previously stated.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |