Jury is chosen to decide Florida school shooter’s sentence
2 years, 5 months ago

Jury is chosen to decide Florida school shooter’s sentence

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A jury of seven men and five women was tentatively chosen Tuesday for a penalty trial to decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz should be sentenced to death or get life in prison for the 2018 attack, capping a nearly three-month winnowing process that began with 1,800 candidates. The jury will decide whether Cruz, 23, receives the death sentence or life in prison without parole for the murders of 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. The jurors currently on the main panel are two banking executives and two technology workers, a probation officer, a human resources professional and a Walmart store stock supervisor. One day, the sheriff’s deputies who guard the courtroom thought some potential jurors were about to attack Cruz and pulled him to safety as they quickly removed the threatening panelists.

Jury Cruz Jurors  cruz  decide  defense  trial  sentence  death  shooters  school  jury  life  selection  florida  chosen  shooting  jurors

History of this topic

Survivor of Parkland school massacre wins ownership of shooter’s name in lawsuit settlement
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Survivor of Parkland school massacre wins ownership of shooter’s name in lawsuit settlement

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The most severely wounded survivor of the 2018 massacre at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School now owns shooter Nikolas Cruz’s name, and Cruz cannot give any interviews without his permission, under a settlement reached in a lawsuit. Under his recent settlement with Anthony Borges, Cruz must also turn over any money he might receive as …

Parents of Parkland victim end up talking about Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting INSTEAD of speaking about the anniversary of their son's death: 'Not surprised at all'
10 months, 1 week ago

Parents of Parkland victim end up talking about Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting INSTEAD of speaking about the anniversary of their son's death: 'Not surprised at all'

Daily Mail  

Manuel and Patricia Oliver were set to speak six years after son Joaquin's death, but in a stunning moment, were subjected to scenes from the shooting instead The parents of one of the children who died during the Parkland shooting had a live interview interrupted by a broadcast from the stricken Kansas City Chiefs parade. As they spoke, footage from …

Florida deputy’s legal team says he didn’t have an obligation to stop Parkland school shooter
1 year ago

Florida deputy’s legal team says he didn’t have an obligation to stop Parkland school shooter

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A former Florida sheriff’s deputy is claiming he had no legal duty to confront the gunman who murdered 17 people and wounded 17 others at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School nearly six years ago, his attorney argued Monday. The legal team representing Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought …

Fast start to jury selection at trial of ex-deputy accused of failing to confront Parkland shooter
1 year, 6 months ago

Fast start to jury selection at trial of ex-deputy accused of failing to confront Parkland shooter

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Jury selection in the groundbreaking trial of a former sheriff’s deputy charged with failing to confront the killer of 14 students and three staff members at a Florida high school five years ago got off to a speedy start Wednesday, with the preliminary round concluding in just one day. Circuit Judge Martin Fein had tentatively scheduled …

Judge who presided over Parkland school shooting trial announces resignation
1 year, 7 months ago

Judge who presided over Parkland school shooting trial announces resignation

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida judge who gained a national profile while presiding over the Parkland school shooting trial announced Wednesday that she is resigning June 30 to pursue unspecified career opportunities. Scherer also had frequent heated arguments with Cruz’s lead public defender, Melisa McNeill. So please be seated.” The two clashed again during Cruz’s sentencing hearing in November …

Judge who sentenced Parkland shooter removed from other case
1 year, 8 months ago

Judge who sentenced Parkland shooter removed from other case

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The judge who oversaw the sentencing of the Parkland massacre gunman was removed from another death penalty murder case Thursday by the Florida Supreme Court, which agreed she showed unfair sympathy for prosecutors in the Parkland school shooting case. The court removed Judge Elizabeth Scherer from overseeing any post-conviction proceedings for Randy Tundidor, who was sentenced to …

Parkland school killer formally sentenced to life in prison
2 years, 1 month ago

Parkland school killer formally sentenced to life in prison

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz formally received a sentence of life without parole Wednesday after families of his 17 slain victims spent two days berating him as evil, a coward, a monster and a subhuman who deserves a painful death. She told him that his fear would mount, “until the last family member who pulled that …

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life in prison
2 years, 1 month ago

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life in prison

Al Jazeera  

US judge sentences Cruz to life without parole for 2018 attack at Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. A gunman who opened fire at a US high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018, killing 17 and wounding 17 others, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole, capping two days of emotional statements from family members of …

Families unleash grief and anger on Parkland school shooter
2 years, 1 month ago

Families unleash grief and anger on Parkland school shooter

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Families of the 17 children and staff members Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz murdered cursed him to hell, wished him a painful death and called him a coward Tuesday as they got their one chance to address him directly before he is sentenced to life in prison. Speaking at Cruz but refusing to say his name, …

Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Key revelations about Parkland shooter and his massacre
2 years, 1 month ago

Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial: Key revelations about Parkland shooter and his massacre

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery An undated photograph of …

Parkland families’ outrage over Nikolas Cruz verdict highlights a key issue with death penalty trials
2 years, 1 month ago

Parkland families’ outrage over Nikolas Cruz verdict highlights a key issue with death penalty trials

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Because of what happened to our families, we …

Nikolas Cruz sentencing: A timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
2 years, 1 month ago

Nikolas Cruz sentencing: A timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A jury has recommended …

‘You don’t know me, but you tried to kill me.’ Parkland victims and loved ones get last word before shooter sentenced to life in prison
2 years, 1 month ago

‘You don’t know me, but you tried to kill me.’ Parkland victims and loved ones get last word before shooter sentenced to life in prison

CNN  

CNN — Anguished survivors of the Parkland school shooting and grieving relatives of victims faced the gunman in court before he’s sentenced to life in prison, testifying Tuesday about the loved ones and sense of security he stole from them, and expressing anger over a jury’s decision not to recommend he be put to death. I am broken and altered, …

Families get final say before Parkland shooter is sentenced
2 years, 1 month ago

Families get final say before Parkland shooter is sentenced

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison this week — but not before the families of the 17 people he murdered get the chance to tell him what they think. After Cruz is sentenced, he will be transferred from the Broward County jail to the state correctional system’s processing center near …

Parkland shooter’s life sentence could bring changes to law
2 years, 2 months ago

Parkland shooter’s life sentence could bring changes to law

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It wasn’t long ago that Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz would have been looking at a near-certain death sentence for murdering 17 people in Parkland, even if his jury could not unanimously agree on his fate. And while the Cruz jurors all said they could vote for the death penalty if chosen, they didn’t say they …

Watch: Parkland mom rains hell on jury after Stoneman Douglas High School shooter avoids death penalty
2 years, 2 months ago

Watch: Parkland mom rains hell on jury after Stoneman Douglas High School shooter avoids death penalty

Raw Story  

During an appearance on MSNBC on Friday morning, the mother of a hero teacher who was shot and killed by Nikolas Cruz in the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018, went on a tirade at the jury which refused to recommend the death penalty after a three-month trial. Linda Beigle-Schulman's son Scott was a …

Juror who prevented Nikolas Cruz getting death penalty defends herself
2 years, 2 months ago

Juror who prevented Nikolas Cruz getting death penalty defends herself

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A juror who prevented …

Parkland school shooter spared from execution for killing 17
2 years, 2 months ago

Parkland school shooter spared from execution for killing 17

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A divided jury spared Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz the death penalty Thursday for killing 17 people at a Parkland high school in 2018, sending him to prison for the rest of his life in a decision that left many families of the victims angered, baffled and in tears. “We need justice.” Cruz, 24, pleaded guilty …

Nikolas Cruz verdict came down to single juror who voted against death penalty, victim’s father says
2 years, 2 months ago

Nikolas Cruz verdict came down to single juror who voted against death penalty, victim’s father says

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “As I was walking up here, I was …

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty and is sentenced to life
2 years, 2 months ago

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty and is sentenced to life

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Marjory Stoneman Douglas High …

Florida jury recommends Parkland shooter serve life in prison
2 years, 2 months ago

Florida jury recommends Parkland shooter serve life in prison

Al Jazeera  

Jury says Nicolas Cruz should not get the death penalty for the murder of 17 students and staff at US high school. A Florida jury has recommended that a gunman who killed 17 people in a 2018 school shooting be spared the death penalty and instead be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She said it …

EXPLAINER: What’s next in the Parkland school shooter trial?
2 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s next in the Parkland school shooter trial?

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The jurors who will decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz is sentenced to death or life without parole concluded their first day of deliberations Wednesday as the three-month trial nears its conclusion. Cruz’s lead attorney Melisa McNeill and her team never questioned the horror he inflicted, but focused on their belief that his birth mother’s …

Attorneys argue over school shooter’s fate: death or prison
2 years, 2 months ago

Attorneys argue over school shooter’s fate: death or prison

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The prosecutor and defense attorney for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz agreed Tuesday that his 2018 attack that killed 17 people was horrible, but disagreed in their closing arguments on whether it was an act of evil worthy of execution or one of a broken person who should be imprisoned for life. The killings, he said, …

Florida school shooter may have been his own worst witness
2 years, 2 months ago

Florida school shooter may have been his own worst witness

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It’s possible Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz talked himself into a death sentence. “All of this made Cruz himself perhaps one of the state’s best witnesses,” said David S. Weinstein, a Miami defense attorney and former prosecutor who has been monitoring the trial. “I studied mass murderers and how they did it, their plans, what they …

School shooter chose Valentine’s Day to ruin it forever
2 years, 2 months ago

School shooter chose Valentine’s Day to ruin it forever

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz calmly told a psychologist why he picked Valentine’s Day to massacre 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago: Because no one loved him, he wanted to ruin the holiday forever for anyone associated with the school. Cruz’s attorneys have contended throughout the trial that his birth …

Florida school shooter contemplated massacre for years
2 years, 2 months ago

Florida school shooter contemplated massacre for years

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz told a prosecution psychiatrist he began contemplating a mass murder during middle school, doing extensive research on earlier killers to learn their methods and mistakes to shape his own plans, video played at his penalty trial showed Monday. Cruz told Dr. Charles Scott during a March jailhouse interview that five years …

Prosecutors to begin Florida school shooter trial rebuttal
2 years, 2 months ago

Prosecutors to begin Florida school shooter trial rebuttal

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Prosecutors in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz will begin their rebuttal case Tuesday, challenging his attorneys’ contention that he murdered 17 people because his birth mother abused alcohol during pregnancy, a condition they say went untreated. Robert Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern University’s law school, said prosecution experts will also likely …

In a surprise, the defense rests early in the Parkland school shooting trial
2 years, 3 months ago

In a surprise, the defense rests early in the Parkland school shooting trial

NPR  

In a surprise, the defense rests early in the Parkland school shooting trial Enlarge this image toggle caption Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images In Florida, defense attorneys for the gunman who killed 17 people at a Parkland high school surprised prosecutors and the judge today by abruptly resting their case. Dr. Kenneth Jones said, "I …

Testimony: Florida school shooter was intellectually slow
2 years, 4 months ago

Testimony: Florida school shooter was intellectually slow

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz as a toddler was intellectually and physically behind other children, which caused him to isolate himself and hit and bite to get what he wanted, a daycare administrator and former neighbor testified Tuesday at his penalty trial for mass murder. If a teacher was trying to work with him to get …

Parkland School Shooter Was Intellectually Slow And Violent As Child, Court Hears
2 years, 4 months ago

Parkland School Shooter Was Intellectually Slow And Violent As Child, Court Hears

Huff Post  

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is seen Tuesday during the penalty phase of his trial in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. via Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz as a toddler was intellectually and physically behind other children, which caused him to isolate himself and hit and bite to get what he wanted, a …

Florida school shooter’s birth mom abused cocaine, alcohol
2 years, 4 months ago

Florida school shooter’s birth mom abused cocaine, alcohol

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The birth mother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz abused crack cocaine and alcohol during her pregnancy, his half-sister and another witness testified Monday -- a circumstance that his lead attorney said left him with “an irretrievably broken” brain and set him on the road to mass murder. Cruz’s attorneys began their defense Monday, hoping to …

Prosecutor recalls coldness, cruelty of Parkland gunman
2 years, 5 months ago

Prosecutor recalls coldness, cruelty of Parkland gunman

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The prosecutor seeking the death penalty for the gunman who massacred 17 people at a Parkland, Florida, high school detailed for jurors Monday how Nikolas Cruz coldly mowed down his victims, returning to some as they lay wounded to finish them off with a second volley. Some parents wept as prosecutor Mike Satz described in his …

Florida High School Shooter Nikolas Cruz's Penalty Trial Begins
2 years, 5 months ago

Florida High School Shooter Nikolas Cruz's Penalty Trial Begins

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The trial to determine whether the gunman who attacked a Parkland, Florida, high school is executed began Monday with a prosecutor describing how Nikolas Cruz mowed down his 17 victims, returning to some as they lay wounded to kill them with a second volley. Some parents wept as prosecutor Mike Satz described in …

Death penalty trial of Parkland high school shooter begins
2 years, 5 months ago

Death penalty trial of Parkland high school shooter begins

Al Jazeera  

The months-long US trial will decide whether Nikolas Cruz will be executed or sentenced to life without parole. Opening arguments have begun in the penalty phase of the trial of Nikolas Cruz, the man who killed 17 people at a Florida high school in 2018 – one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty …

Prosecutor tells jury of Parkland gunman’s coldness and cruelty
2 years, 5 months ago

Prosecutor tells jury of Parkland gunman’s coldness and cruelty

LA Times  

Family members arrive on the first day of the sentencing trial for the convicted Parkland school shooter at the Broward County Judicial Complex in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Monday. The prosecutor seeking the death penalty for the gunman who massacred 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school detailed for jurors Monday how Nikolas Cruz coldly mowed down his …

The Parkland school shooter faces the death penalty as his trial begins
2 years, 5 months ago

The Parkland school shooter faces the death penalty as his trial begins

NPR  

The Parkland school shooter faces the death penalty as his trial begins Enlarge this image toggle caption Wilfredo Lee/AP Wilfredo Lee/AP The sentencing trial for the gunman who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., more than four years ago is set to begin on Monday. After nearly three months of jury selection, jurors must …

Life or death for Parkland shooter? Trial will take months
2 years, 5 months ago

Life or death for Parkland shooter? Trial will take months

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four years, five months and four days after Nikolas Cruz murdered 17 at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, his trial for the deadliest U.S. mass shooting to reach a jury begins Monday with opening statements. “I hope for swift action to hold him responsible.” All victim parents and family members who have spoken publicly have …

Judge won’t delay Florida school shooting sentencing trial
2 years, 5 months ago

Judge won’t delay Florida school shooting sentencing trial

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida judge has refused to delay the sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz in the 2018 shooting at a high school in which 17 people were killed. Cruz’s lawyers had argued that recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, unleashed “a wave of emotion” nationally that could bias the just-seated jury against him …

School shooter’s jury selection enters final stretch
2 years, 6 months ago

School shooter’s jury selection enters final stretch

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The final phase of jury selection in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz began Wednesday with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking candidates about their job histories, opinions on law enforcement and racial minorities, whether they own guns and if they could handle viewing gruesome crime scene photos. The final 83 candidates remaining from …

Rare normalcy returns to trial of Florida school shooter
2 years, 6 months ago

Rare normalcy returns to trial of Florida school shooter

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rare normalcy returned to jury selection for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz’s penalty trial Tuesday, one day after his public defenders threatened to withdraw over the judge’s insistence that they proceed without a key member who had COVID-19. Potential jurors were asked their thoughts about the death penalty and whether they could be fair to Cruz …

Texas school shooting invades trial of Parkland murderer
2 years, 6 months ago

Texas school shooting invades trial of Parkland murderer

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The mass shooting at a Texas elementary school invaded the penalty trial of Florida’s campus killer Wednesday as lawyers argued over whether potential jurors should be questioned directly about the nation’s latest gun tragedy and a victim’s father was brought nearly to tears. Attorneys for Parkland, Florida, killer Nikolas Cruz clashed with his prosecutors, saying they …

Jury selection for Florida school killer enters 2nd phase
2 years, 7 months ago

Jury selection for Florida school killer enters 2nd phase

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Jury selection in the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz entered its second phase Monday with the attorneys asking questions of potential jurors, with one candidate comparing it to being interviewed for “the toughest job of my life.” The attorneys asked the jurors about their views of the death penalty and knowledge of the …

Florida judge was assigned to school shooter case at random
2 years, 7 months ago

Florida judge was assigned to school shooter case at random

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer was assigned the case of a former Florida student who gunned down 17 people in 2018 despite never having overseen a death penalty trial or one with much publicity. And every decision Scherer makes is being scrutinized, at least partly, through the lens of how she was assigned and her inexperience — …

Florida school shooting judge reverses; confusion follows
2 years, 7 months ago

Florida school shooting judge reverses; confusion follows

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The judge overseeing the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz reversed herself Wednesday and said she is not dismissing more than 200 potential jurors who survived a first round of screening earlier this month. In the latest confusing turn since jury selection began three weeks ago, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer overturned her Monday decision …

Parkland shooter’s jury search restarts anew amid dispute
2 years, 7 months ago

Parkland shooter’s jury search restarts anew amid dispute

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The judge overseeing jury selection for a man who murdered 17 people at a Florida high school declared that the process will start over Monday, after prosecutors and defense attorneys argued that she erred when she didn’t question 11 potential jurors who said they would not follow the law before she dismissed them. As a result, …

Confusion reigns as school shooter’s jury selection moves on
2 years, 8 months ago

Confusion reigns as school shooter’s jury selection moves on

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Confusion reigned as jury selection in the death penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz concluded its second week with no immediate end in sight. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, presiding over her first death penalty case, united prosecutors and defense attorneys in protest over her plans for concluding the lengthy process of picking the panel …

Judge: Jury can tour school building where 17 were murdered
2 years, 8 months ago

Judge: Jury can tour school building where 17 were murdered

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The jury that will decide whether Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz gets a death sentence will tour the blood-stained, bullet-pocked building where he murdered 17 people four years ago, a judge has ruled. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected a defense argument that a jury tour of the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is …

Parkland, Florida, school shooter’s jury selection begins
2 years, 8 months ago

Parkland, Florida, school shooter’s jury selection begins

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The first day of jury selection in the worst U.S. mass shooting to go to trial was slow, methodical and painstaking — a process that is expected to drag on for two months. That’s the amount of time it is expected to take for lawyers to present their cases in a trial that will end with …

A jury will decide if the Parkland gunman gets the death penalty
2 years, 8 months ago

A jury will decide if the Parkland gunman gets the death penalty

NPR  

A jury will decide if the Parkland gunman gets the death penalty Enlarge this image toggle caption Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images More than four years after killing 17 people and wounding 17 others at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Nikolas Cruz goes on trial Monday. "He deserves every chance he gave my daughter …

Discover Related