The victims’ relatives referred to the gunman in the Parkland shooting as a “monster” and sentenced him to life in prison.
For the 2018 Florida high school tragedy, the gunman who killed 17 people in the Parkland shooting was given a life sentence without the possibility of release on Wednesday. The jury in the capital trial was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on Nikolas Cruz’s guilt, therefore Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer was forced to execute him.
Survivors and relatives of the dead were given opportunity to speak with the gunman prior to him being formally sentenced for the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the suburban Fort Lauderdale area.
“It was extremely painful to hear all the horrific details of this massacre at our children’s high school,” Annika Dworet, who with her husband, Mitch, attended every day of the gunman’s trial. “Just to be in the same room as this monster who killed our son Nicholas and attempted to murder our son Alex. It’s unbearable.”
She continued, “One of the most disgusting and unprofessional actions that occurred in this courtroom was the defense team holding, touching and giggling with this cold-blooded murderer.”
As he had the day before, the shackled gunman in the scarlet jail jumpsuit looked at the speakers but shown no expression. After being informed that he shouldn’t be wearing a face mask by Jaime Guttenberg’s mother Jennifer Guttenberg, he took it off.
Since Tuesday, relatives of the dead and a few of the 17 injured people who made it through the massacre have not missed the chance to confront the gunman face-to-face for the first time in nearly five years.
The speakers approached a lectern that was roughly 20 feet away from the 24-year-old gunman, looked him in the eye, and expressed their sorrow and rage. Many also objected to a Florida statute that mandates jury unanimity in order to impose the death penalty; on October 13, the jurors voted 9-3 in favor of execution.
