On February 14, 2018, 18-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 students and staff members, injuring many others.
The shooting became one of the deadliest in the history of the United States and brought the issue of school safety to the forefront of debates.
Cruz admitted to the shooting and pleaded guilty. Four years later, a jury sat in a courtroom to determine Cruz’s punishment. While Cruz’s team attempted to push the court dates back on account of the charged atmosphere around the topic, they were ultimately overruled.
Thus, for three months, it was uncertain whether they would give him the death penalty or life without parole, since the former would require a unanimous vote.
They saw graphic video footage of the events and were presented with a number of exhibits, including the weapon Cruz used. They listened as psychologists and teachers confirmed that Cruz had shown signs of violence and even potentially homicidal tendencies from a young age. They witnessed Survivors and family members of the victims recount their experience.
Cruz’s team shows evidence of unresolved mental problems and behavioral issues throughout his life. They also heavily based their case on the possibility that his mother’s drinking habits during pregnancy could have led to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which would explain his erratic and volatile behavior.
On October 13, the jury’s decision was made known: a vote of 9-3 meant Cruz would be serving life in prison.
The jurors cited Cruz’s history of mental problems, difficult childhood, and lack of proper treatment as reasons for the life sentence.
“We went through all the evidence and some of the jurors just felt that was the appropriate sentence,” said Benjamin Thomas, the jury foreman, in an interview with WPLG.
However, many parents argued that the ruling was unjust and that Cruz’s actions were, “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel”, which would warrant a death sentence.
Tony Montalto, the father of one of the young girls that was shot, told the Associated Press that the jury was aware of the way Cruz, “[shot], some victims more than once on a pass, press[ed] the barrel of his weapon to my daughter’s chest.”
“That doesn’t outweigh that poor little what’s-his-name had a tough upbringing?”
