A jury on Thursday recommended life in prison for the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting.
Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty last October for murdering 14 students and three teachers and 17 attempted murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The jury recommended life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, instead of voting unanimously for the death penalty.
WATCH:
Prosecutors had contended that the mass shooting was premeditated and calculated, citing Cruz’s online search history prior to the killings and social media statements expressing murderous desire, according to CNN. His defense argued for life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, with attorney Melisa McNeill saying, “His brain is broken; he’s a damaged human being.” (RELATED: REPORT: FBI Undercounts Good Guys With Guns Who Stop Mass Shootings)
Parents of Cruz’s victims testified over several days, and jurors visited the school building where he carried out the shooting, viewing bloodstains, bullet holes and belongings abandoned by fleeing students and teachers, CNN reported.
“I am very sorry for what I did and I have to live with it every day. … It brings me nightmares and I can’t live with myself sometimes,” Cruz said the day he pleaded guilty, ABC News reported. He claimed he thought his victims should choose if he is executed.
This is a developing news story and will be updated.
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