A jury recommended the Parkland school shooter be sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday, sparing him the death penalty. Following the verdict, some parents said they were angry at the decision, with one father calling the shooter an “animal.”
Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Last year, he pleaded guilty to 17 counts of premeditated murder and an additional 17 counts of attempted murder.
Under Florida law, a unanimous vote is required for a person to be sentenced to death. Jurors’ only other option was life in prison.
Lori Alhadeff, the mother of Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the students killed during the shooting, said at a press conference after the decision was read that she was “beyond disappointed and frustrated with this outcome.”
Her husband, Dr. Ilan Alhadeff, said he was “disgusted” with the legal system and the jurors.
“That you can allow 17 dead and 17 others shot and wounded and not give the death penalty? What do we have the death penalty for? What’s the purpose of it?” Alhadeff said, adding that he believed the jurors set a precedent on Thursday that could affect future mass killings.
“I pray that animal suffers every day of his life in jail,” he said. “He should have a short life.”
When asked by a reporter what he would ask the jurors, Alhadeff said: “What were you thinking?”
“This is not personal beliefs, it’s not about your religious values. It’s about the heinous crime that was committed,” he said. “There is no recovery. Jail is about rehabbing someone. There’s no rehabbing.”
While asked if there was relief that he no longer had to go to court because the verdict had been reached, Alhadeff said it doesn’t matter.
“We have to go to the cemetery to go see our daughter,” he said.
Following the Parkland shooting, many parents of those killed, including the Alhadeffs, turned to activism. Lori became the president of the “Make Our Schools Safe,” a nonprofit dedicated to protecting schools.
The couple was in the courtroom along with the families of several other victims when the judge read the lengthy verdict, revealing the decision for each count. Lori’s tattoo, which reads “Live for Alyssa,” was prominent on her forearm. It features a soccer ball and an infinity sign — combining Alyssa’s love for soccer with the nonprofit’s logo.
One of the main focuses of “Make our Schools Safe” is campaigning for Alyssa’s Law, which has been passed in several states, including New Jersey, where the family is originally from, and Florida. The law pushes for the installation of panic alarms so that teachers and students can immediately contact law enforcement in case of an emergency.
Max Schachter, the father of Alex Schachter, who was also killed, tweeted that the shooter “got everything he wanted” with the jury’s decision.
“Prior to the shooting the Parkland murderer said he wanted to kill 20 people. He stopped after killing 17 including my sweet little boy Alex,” he wrote. “Afterwards he didn’t want to die. He wanted to live. Today he got everything he wanted. While our loved ones are in the cemetery.”
