More than four years after the Florida school massacre, a jury recommended life in prison for the perpetrator. In its decision, read in a Fort Lauderdale court on Thursday, the jury opposed recommending the death penalty for the gunman. This required a unanimous decision. The judge said the final verdict will be formally announced on Nov. 1.
The 24-year-old suspect named Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and attempted murder last October. The jury had to decide whether he should receive life or the death penalty for his crime at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Florida prosecutors had requested his execution. The process dragged on for several months.
Shooter: “I’m very sorry”
During the October hearing, according to video footage, Cruz said, “I’m very sorry for what I’ve done — and I have to live with it every day.” The then 19-year-old gunman had a legally obtained pistol with him. February 14, 2018 in Parkland, a semi-automatic rifle shot dead 14 youths and three adults and wounded others. After the crime, surviving students had started protests against gun violence and for tougher gun laws in the US, which became a nationwide movement. However, firearms are still readily available in the United States.
“The jury is disgusted by me”
Relatives of victims of the Parkland shooting reacted with anger and disappointment at the jury’s decision. “This should have been 100 percent the death penalty,” said the mother of a then-murdered student. “I just don’t understand.” She was “more than disappointed and frustrated” with the decision. Her husband said: “Our justice system disgusts me. The jury is disgusted by me.’ He asked, “What do we have the death penalty for?”
School shootings are common in the United States. In May, a devastating attack on an elementary school in the state of Texas shook the country again. At the school in the village of Uvalde, an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers before being shot dead by police.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
