MIAMI: The former student accused of killing 17 people at a Florida high school appeared in court Monday for a procedural hearing, his first public appearance since he was held without bond on charges of premeditated murder.
Nikolas Cruz, dressed in orange prison garb, sat with his head bowed during the brief hearing before Judge Elizabeth Scherer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The hearing dealt with whether to unseal a defense motion related to access to their client, a minor point in what is certain to be a lengthy prosecution and trial.
Cruz, 19, has been charged on 17 counts of premeditated murder, one each for the students and staff who were shot to death Wednesday during a killing spree at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland, Florida.
He was remanded to custody without bail at a hearing Thursday after his arrest the day of the shooting.
