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Florida Shooting Suspect Appears at Brief Court Hearing

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) -- Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz has appeared in court for a procedural hearing.

Accused School Shooter Nikolas Cruz Makes Brief Appearance in Court Feb. 19, 2018
Nikolas Cruz made a brief appearance in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. (CBS)

Cruz said nothing at Monday's hearing in Broward County Circuit Court, the first he attended in person and not via teleconference from jail. He kept his head down and did not appear to make eye contact with the judge or others in the courtroom, though he responded briefly to someone on the defense team at the end of the hearing.

The hearing concerned the rules going forward of how documents would be sealed. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said she was in favor of openness whenever possible.

Cruz is charged with killing 17 people and wounding many others in Wednesday's shooting attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which he once attended. His lawyers have said he will plead guilty if prosecutors agree not to pursue the death penalty. No decision has been made on that.

© Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

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