FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The commission investigating last year's Florida high school massacre wants the legislature to overhaul the state's mental health system, requiring better coordination between providers and law enforcement.
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The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission also recommended Wednesday that lawmakers increase funding for mental health, saying Florida ranks near the bottom in per capita spending.
Nikolas Cruz, charged with killing 17 people in last year's shooting, had severe emotional and behavioral issues but was never hospitalized.
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Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri chairs the commission, which is meeting in Orlando. He said his department now deals with a 14-year-old who has threatened to commit a school massacre and rape teachers. He said the boy has been sent for mental evaluation 35 times and arrested 14 times, but is always released.
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