Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison without parole. A 12-person jury came to verdict following seven long hours of deliberations over the course of two days. Judge Elizbaeth Scherer is expected to formally issue a life sentence on Nov. 1, at which the families of the victims will also be given a chance to speak their grievances.
The 24-year-old shooter plead guilty to the murders of 14 students and three staff members last year. The horrific events took place on Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, during which he also wounded 17 others. Although prosecutors desired the death penalty for Cruz, Florida law dictates that a death sentence requires unanimous vote. The shooter fired 140 shots with his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, which he legally purchased in February 2017. Prior to the attacks Cruz had shared racist, homophobic, antisemitic, and xenophobic views.