Parkland Shooting Suspect Says He Heard Voices Telling Him to "Burn, Kill, Destroy"

Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old who confessed to having killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, told investigators that he heard voices in his head telling him to “burn, kill, destroy.” He also attempted but failed to kill himself two months before the massacre, reports NBC News. A transcript of Cruz’s first formal interview with authorities has just been released.

Cruz is charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the assault on Stoneman Douglas in Parkland on Valentine’s Day. His attorneys said he would be willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty. Prosecutors rejected this plea.

Florida law says that statements that are considered to be the “substance” of a confession must be withheld from the public until the trial. As a result, long parts of transcript are blacked out.