A jury has unanimously recommended that Nikolas Cruz be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
via: ABC News
Cruz pleaded guilty last year to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection to the Feb. 14, 2018, killing of 14 students and three staff members at his former school. Among the victims were 15-year-old Peter Wang, an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet who died while helping classmates escape, and 35-year-old Scott Beigel, a geography teacher who was shot dead while shepherding students to safety in his classroom.
This penalty phase trial was to determine if Cruz would be sentenced to death or life in prison for the massacre he committed at age 19. The jury’s decision must be unanimous for the death penalty.
Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex was killed, tweeted that Nikolas Cruz “got everything he wanted” with the life sentence verdict.
“Prior to the shooting the Parkland murderer said he wanted to kill 20 people. He stopped after killing 17 including my sweet little boy Alex. Afterwards he didn’t want to die,” Schachter tweeted.
Meanwhile, “Our loved ones are in the cemetery.”
Prior to the shooting the Parkland murderer said he wanted to kill 20 people. He stopped after killing 17 including my sweet little boy Alex. Afterwards he didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. Today he got everything he wanted. While our loved ones are in the cemetery.
— Max Schachter (@maxschachter) October 13, 2022
Ilan Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter Alyssa was killed, was disappointed by the life sentence.
He told reporters after the verdict that Nikolas Cruz is “not a human being — he’s an animal.”
“I pray that animal suffers every day of his life in jail. And that he has a short life,” he said.
When asked if he was relieved he didn’t have to see Cruz in court anymore, he responded, “It doesn’t matter. We still have to go to the cemetery to see our daughter.”
Alyssa’s mother, Lori Alhadeff, added, “What is the death penalty for if not for the killing of 17 people?”
JUST IN: Jury recommends life in prison without parole for Parkland school massacre shooter Nikolas Cruz https://t.co/nUFPLgP1gv pic.twitter.com/KY4l6Ss8w0
— CNN (@CNN) October 13, 2022
