Nikolas Cruz Pleads Guilty to Parkland School Shooting

Madisen Rollins, Photographer & Ads Manager|November 19, 2021

Insider.com

On Wed. Oct. 20, Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to the Parkland high school massacre. On Feb. 14 of 2018, Cruz killed 17 students and staff and left 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Cruz attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, but was expelled for disciplinary reasons during 2017. He arrived at the school in an Uber at 2:19 p.m. wearing the school’s logo. With him, he had a duffle bag with an illegally bought AR-15.

At 2:21 p.m. he entered the freshman building and started to shoot. In under two minutes he killed 11 people and left 13 injured, only on the first floor. He then moved to the second floor and started shooting, but luckily hit no one. He lastly went up the third, where in the last 45 sec. of the attack, he shot his last six victims and injured four more.

After that he then went to a faculty room to continue shooting students that were running outside, but luckily the glass he was trying to shoot out of was hurricane proof, which prevented the death toll from going up.

After the failed attempt, he left the school successfully, blending in with the students and made it to a Walmart parking lot at 2:50 p.m. Later that day he was spotted by police and taken into custody. Cruz was 19 years old at the time of the shooting.

This plea came more than about three and a half years after what is considered the most deadliest school shooting in American history. He is looking at a life sentence, as a minimum, and the death penalty, as a maximum.

The prosecution is looking for the jury to decide the death penalty as the sentence for Cruz. This sentencing will be on Jan. 4 2022.

During court Cruz apologized to the families of the victims. Saying that he wished that he could go back in time and change what he did. He also said that he has to live with this decision for the rest of his life. He says that he wishes the victims could choose whether he lives or dies, not a jury.

The father of the victim Gina Montalto, Tony Montalto, said that Cruz’s apology was “ridiculous.” He also said that if Cruz was truly sorry, he would not have shot and killed his daughter and the other victims as well.