Instead of the death penalty, a Florida jury recommended Thursday that the 2018 Parkland school shooter spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of release.
The jury recommended life in prison for each of the 17 counts of first-degree murder after deliberating for one day at the conclusion of the trial that lasted many months.
As Judge Elizabeth Schere delivered the jury’s recommendations on each count, the disbelief and frustration of the victims’ relatives could be felt in the courtroom. Families appeared to get increasingly dissatisfied with each verdict.
As the convictions were read, family members could be seen wiping their eyes with tissues and shaking their heads in protest. Numerous individuals covered their eyes and held their heads in their hands. Some leaned in to converse with others while displaying obvious hostility.
The shooter pleaded guilty to killing 17 people on February 14, 2018 at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The date for sentence has been scheduled for November 1.