A jury spared Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz from the death penalty Thursday for killing 17 people at a Parkland high school in 2017, sending him to prison for the remainder of his life, in a decision that left many families of the victims angered, baffled and in tears.
The jury’s recommendation came after seven hours of deliberations over two days, ending a three-month trial that included graphic videos, photos and testimony from the massacre and its aftermath, heart-wrenching testimony from victims’ family members and a tour of the still blood-spattered building.
Under Florida law, a death sentence requires a unanimous vote on at least one count.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will formally issue the life sentences November 1.
Relatives, along with the students and teachers Cruz wounded, will be given the opportunity to speak at the sentencing hearing.
