FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — 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.
![Parkland school shooting case remains in limbo](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b2dd985/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1688+0+156/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fewscripps.brightspotcdn.com%2F4c%2F3c%2Fa6549c3841fd8e766f920754bee3%2Fap20174594585402.jpg)
© South Florida Sun Sentinel 2019
Amy Beth Bennett/AP
Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz appears at a hearing, Dec. 10, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
![Parkland school shooting case remains in limbo](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b2dd985/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1688+0+156/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fewscripps.brightspotcdn.com%2F4c%2F3c%2Fa6549c3841fd8e766f920754bee3%2Fap20174594585402.jpg)
Posted at 2:43 PM, Feb 02, 2022
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.