Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to the 2018 shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder for the 2018 shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as his attorneys turn their focus to saving him from a death sentence. The guilty pleas will set the stage for a penalty trial in which 12 jurors will determine whether Cruz, 23, should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. Given the case’s notoriety, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer plans to screen thousands of prospective jurors. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4. Cruz entered his pleas after answering a long list of questions from Scherer aimed at confirming his mental competency. He was charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder for those wounded in the Feb. 14, 2018, attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, located just outside Fort Lauderdale. As several parents shook their heads, Cruz apologized, saying, “I’m very sorry for what I did. … I can’t live with mysel
