Love letters, dirty photos sent to Parkland gunman

  • 30/03/2018

Fans of accused Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz have been sending him money and love letters.

Local media reports the 19-year-old, being held at Broward County Jail in Florida, is getting "stacks" of fanmail.

"I reserve the right to care about you, Nikolas!" one woman wrote in a letter obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"When I saw your picture on the television, something attracted me to you," said another, sent by an 18-year-old in Texas. "Your eyes are beautiful and the freckles on your face make you so handsome... "I'm really skinny and have 34C sized breasts."

Another letter came with suggestive photographs.

"In my 40 years as public defender, I've never seen this many letters to a defendant," public defender Howard Finkelstein told the paper. "Everyone now and then gets a few, but nothing like this."

Cruz is accused of killing 17 people and injuring 17 more in the Valentine's Day shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School.

Nikolas Cruz.
Nikolas Cruz. Photo credit: AAP

"The letters shake me up because they are written by regular, everyday teenage girls from across the nation," said Mr Finkelstein. "That scares me. It's perverted."

Not all of the letters were from people looking for love in a strange place - one came from a bearded New York man who included a photo of himself behind the wheel of an aging convertible.

Cruz hasn't seen the letters. A few have been read to him - but nothing dirty.

"We read a few religious ones to him that extended wishes for his soul and to come to God, but we have not and will not read him the fan letters or share the photos of scantily-clad teenage girls," Mr Finkelstein told the Sun-Sentinel.

The Parkland massacre kicked off the biggest US gun debate in years. Hundreds of thousands filled the grounds outside the Capitol last week, demanding tougher rules.

Newshub.