Neighbor Describes Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz As Violent Child Growing Up

Since the Feb. 14 mass shooting that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many that knew alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz have shared their thoughts and opinions of him, providing some insight into his behavior.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, longtime neighbor Joelle Guarino described Cruz's warning signs that were particularly troubling.

"My husband and I both knew that we would eventually see him one day on the news, wearing an orange jumpsuit being charged with murder,” Guarino said.

Guarino described Cruz as a distant child with occasional violent tendencies, traits she noticed over the years as he spent time with her son in her home. She described an incident in which Cruz, as a young child, hit her son with a toy and, a few years later, locked himself in a room and destroyed a toy train.

Guarino also described Cruz’s home life as less than ideal. Cruz’s mother, Lynda, who passed away in 2017, reportedly kept food locked up because of budgetary concerns, prompting Guarino to sometimes feed him. As Cruz got older, Guarino noted, Lynda would occasionally call 911 to report domestic disturbances in her own home, incidents in which Cruz reportedly became violent with his family.

Animal cruelty was another trend in Guarino’s stories. She told of times when Cruz killed toads and dissected them, menaced her dog and shot squirrels with a BB gun. Eventually, she learned of Instagram posts in which Cruz expressed a desire for an AR-15 rifle — the weapon used in the Parkland shooting.

She also stated that Cruz had an interest to “shoot up a school.” At that point, she contacted police, who said they could not do anything until Cruz committed a crime.

Guarino's accounts are mostly similar to what others have stated about the 19-year-old. Ethan Trieu, a friend of Cruz, said that after the death of Cruz's father, he exhibited acts of bullying and a short temper. Trieu said Cruz would throw pencils at teachers.

In November, police reported that Cruz had punched holes in a wall and threatened to shoot a man he was living with during an altercation at home. He also reportedly threatened to kill a fellow student over social media, even sending the student a photo of a rifle.

In the aftermath of the shooting, reports surfaced that the FBI had been warned about Cruz's disturbing online posts, but nothing ever came of it. Teachers at his former high school were told that he would not be allowed on campus with a backpack.