Trial of Nicholas Cruz, a young man who confessed to killing 17 people in 2018 at a high school in the state Floridabegan sentencing him this Monday: death or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
23-year-old defendant in a dark sweater, thick glasses and a black mask. COVID-19appeared in court in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami (southeast), where several relatives of the victims of his shooting were present.
Sitting between his two lawyers, the young man, head down, listened, making notes on some sheets of paper, to the opening remarks of the chief prosecutor in the case, Michael Satz.
On February 14, 2018, Cruz sowed panic in Parkland, a small town north of Miamiwhen he entered Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, from which he had been expelled a year earlier for disciplinary reasons.
In just nine minutes, the young man that day killed 14 students and three school staff, injured 17 others, and then fled the scene, hiding among people evacuated from the building.
The police arrested him soon after as he was walking down the street after visiting fast food.
solution Crosswho pleaded guilty to the October events, will decide whether he will be given the death penalty, as requested by prosecutors.
According to the laws of Floridafor a death sentence, the jury must decide unanimity. If even one of its members refuses the death penalty, the accused will be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
“Cold, calculating and premeditated”
The prosecutor described in great detail what happened on February 14, 2018 at Parkland School, bringing several relatives of the victims who were sitting in the room to tears.
“I’m going to talk to you about the unspeakable,” the juror said at the start of his statement, in which he described shooting act “coldly, prudently and deliberately.”
Sats recalled that Cruz recorded a video three days before the massacre announcing his plans.
“I’m going to be the next high school shooter of 2018. My goal – [matar] at least 20 people,” he said on this recording. “It will be a big event and when they see me on the news they will know who I am,” he added.
After the prosecutor’s statement, the defense Cross he withdrew his opening statement until the prosecution produced all of its evidence a few weeks later.
Lawyers are expected to claim that their client has a mental disorder and remember that in October he apologized for his actions.
Despite his psychiatric history and the warnings of several relatives of the danger, Cruz was able to legally purchase the rifle with which he committed the crime. slaughter.
unusual test
The lawsuit, which is likely to last several months, is unusual for USAwhere the perpetrators of such a massacre rarely survive the attack.
massacre Parkland shocked the country and sparked an unprecedented mobilization led by several young survivors and the victims’ parents.
On March 24, 2018, the March for Our Lives drew 1.5 million people across the country, the largest demonstration ever held in state joined in favor of greater gun control.
Despite the hopes of the protesters, the legislative reform was not approved. Congressand arms sales in the country have continued to rise in recent years, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19.
More than 24,000 people died, including 13,000 suicidesince the beginning of the year, according to the Archives of Gun Violence website.
state joined there have been several bloody shootings in recent weeks, including a shooting that killed 19 children and two adults in May at an elementary school in uvaldein Texas.
In the aftermath of these murders, a modest federal law was passed to increase funding for school safety and mental health.
AFP
Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.