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The trial for Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz is delayed again

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings.
Amy Beth Bennett/AP Pool
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South Florida Sun Sentinel
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2022. Cruz previously plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings.

The trial was originally scheduled for 2020 but has been delayed numerous times.

The penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be delayed until April.

Prosecutors told the judge Wednesday that they needed more time to interview mental health experts who are expected to testify on Cruz's behalf.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer on Wednesday reluctantly moved the start of jury selection from Feb. 21 until April.

That will be almost four years and two months after the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 dead.

The trial originally was expected to begin in 2020, but it has been delayed numerous times because of the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

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