Jury in Nikolas Cruz case reaches verdict for Parkland massacre

Learn about the progress of the trial in Florida against Nikolas Cruz 2:48 (CNN) –– The jury that will decide whether Nikolas Cruz, the attacker of the massacre in Parkland in 2018, receives the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole arrived to a decision this Thursday. The verdict is expected to be read at 10:30 am Miami time. On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time, shot up inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people, including students and teachers. Cruz was a former student of that Florida high school, and had been expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons. During their deliberation process, the jury asked the court to reread the testimony of two witnesses: Dr. Paul Connor, an expert in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and Dr. Robert Denney, a clinical neuropsychologist. Jurors first asked for Dr. Denney’s statements, but he was a rebuttal witness. And Dr. Connor testified first. On September 12 and 13, Connor said Cruz suffered from FASD, as well as deficiencies in IQ, motor skills, executive functioning and memory. For his part, Denney testified as a rebuttal witness on October 3 and 4. In his statements, he pointed out that Cruz did not have said disorder, but rather an antisocial personality disorder and a borderline personality disorder. Shortly after asking for Denney’s testimony, the jury informed the judge that they no longer needed to reread it. Guilty: Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder Nearly a year ago, on October 20, 2021, Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, in what is considered the deadliest shooting in a high school in American history. His guilty plea came more than three and a half years after the massacre, which scarred a community and sparked a massive national protest movement against gun violence in American schools. “I am very sorry for what I did, I have to live with it every day,” Cruz said at the time, visibly moved. “And if I had a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others. And I’m doing this for you. And I don’t care if you believe me, I love you and I know you don’t believe me, but I have to live with this every day.” Cruz said he has nightmares at night “and sometimes I can’t live with myself.” He added that he is “trying to move on because I know that’s what you would want me to do.” Cruz’s defense team had previously offered a guilty plea in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole, but only if the Prosecutors eliminated the possibility of the death penalty, something the prosecutors rejected.