Accused Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz wants to donate his inheritance, which is said to be close to $1.28 million ($US1 million), to victims of the Parkland massacre to help “heal the community”.

At a court hearing on Wednesday, Broward County Judge Elizabeth Scherer aimed to determine whether Cruz was able to pay for his own defence.

Cruz’s public defendant Melissa McNeill said any wealth discovered would go to the shooting victims, rather than expensive lawyers.

Cruz, 18, stands accused of 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, after he opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

“Mr Cruz does not want those funds, whatever money that he is entitled to,” Ms McNeill said.

“He would like that money donated to an organisation that the victims’ family believes would be able to facilitate healing in our community or an opportunity to educate our community about the issues that have ripened over the last four or five months.”

“Let it go to those who have been hurt, period,” another member of his legal team, Howard Finkelstein, said to the judge.

Local reports quoting the family which took him in following his mother’s death have said he could have a trust fund worth over $1.03 million ($US800,000).

His mother, Lynda Cruz, died last November. Reports suggest Cruz would not inherit the trust fund until he turns 22.

Cruz’s wealth currently consists of 24 Microsoft stocks worth about $2831 ($US2200) from which he receives dividends, and he is entitled to $42,177 ($US25,000) from his mother’s life insurance, which he is yet to obtain, AFP reports.

He also received annuity of $4288 ($US3333) in September to an account he and his mother shared.

But his lawyers have yet to determine whether the instalments are paid monthly or yearly and whether Cruz is entitled to it.

If it is monthly, the defendant could have access to “a million dollars,” Mr Finkelstein said.