Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life

The person responsible for one of the deadliest school shootings in history has received life in prison. Nikolas Cruz was officially given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

His crime makes him eligible for the death penalty, but a jury decided to spare him that fate last month angering many of the victim’s parents. Cruz is to serve a life sentence for each of the 17 lives he took with the sentences running consecutively. Additionally, his commissary funds will be garnished until restitution is recouped.

On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students and staff in the Florida suburb of Parkland, killing 17 people and wounding 17. Cruz, a former student at the school, escaped the scene on foot by disguising himself as one of the other students. Cruz was swiftly taken into custody in Coral Springs, nearby, an hour later.

The 2017-2018 school year was an especially deadly period for school shootings and triggered a wide range of activism and political advocacy on the subject.

Leave a Reply