Parkland school shooter formally sentenced to life in prison without parole

Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz was formally sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison without parole, following two days in which the families of those killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting delivered victim impact statements. The families berated Cruz as evil, a monster, a coward and a subhuman who deserved a painful death. However, several weeks earlier the jury in the trial recommended a life sentence and could not come to a unanimous consensus to give him the death penalty. As she read the first sentences, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer’s voice briefly broke before she continued to move down the list. She also ordered that all sentences be served consecutively and restitution for each victim named in the indictments. He has 30 days to appeal. Cruz will have to serve 34 consecutive life sentences as a result, one for each of those killed and the 17 he injured in the Feb. 14, 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. For more info, please go to