Transcript: Parkland shooter said 'demon' drove him to 'evil'

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The Parkland, Fla., high school shooter told police a demon voice in his head the night before the attack drove him to evil, a transcript of the interrogation shows.

Authorities say Nikolas Cruz confessed to shooting 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, but he entered a not guilty plea in March. He's charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office released the interview transcript Monday that details Cruz's police interrogation with Det. John Curcio after his arrest.

When asked about the "demon," Cruz said its voice drove him to evil, led him to kill animals, listen to "evil" music and buy an arsenal of guns.

He added that the demon told him to "burn," "kill" and "destroy."

Curcio asked Cruz if he could stop the demon.

"You could have stopped the demon by getting a prescription for marijuana. You could have stopped the demon by getting a prescription for Xanax. You could have stopped the demon any time you want. You didn't want to stop the demon."

Curcio pressed him further, saying, "I think you're using the demon as an excuse."

"I'm not," Cruz responded. "I promise ... I don't like the demon."

A Florida judge ordered the release of the transcript two weeks ago.

Under Florida law, a defendant's confession to police cannot be released to the public until it's first made public at trial, or after the case is resolved. However, statements that aren't deemed to be "substance of a confession" and don't incriminate the suspect can be released.