Editing Nikolas Cruz (section)

==Motives==
The exact reasons behind Cruz's attack remain unknown, but there are many possible contributing factors. Nikolas Cruz suffered from mental illness exacerbated by violence and aggression. He was transferred to a special education school in 2014 but ended up transferring to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2016. He was suspended on September 20, and only 8 days later attempted to kill himself by slitting his wrists and drinking gasoline. He also expressed plans to buy a gun, while getting into many fights and having dished out many threats.

The death of his mother on November 1, 2017, may have influenced him. Cruz watched his adoptive father die in 2004, so Cruz lived with relatives and younger brother after both of his parents had died. He posted a series of violent and possibly threatening pictures on his Instagram account. He also used his account to express his racist views and broadcast threats to others, including his school. He posted dozens of pictures showcasing his weapons, posted alongside his extremist views being usually extremist views identified with the alt-right. Even after his January 5th case, the police failed to investigate the matter, breaking protocol and enabling the assault.

In his interview after he was arrested, Cruz claimed to have heard a voice in his head that said, "Burn, Kill, Destroy". Describing the voice as his 'demon', Cruz stated it had told him to buy his AR-15 rifle and perpetrate the shooting. However, the fact that Cruz informed nobody, not even his mother or a mental health professional, about the voice suggests that Cruz was lying. It is likely that Cruz invented this 'demon' in order to prove his innocence.