US jury recommends life in prison without parole for Parkland shooter

Washington, Oct 14

A US jury has recommended gunman Nikolas Cruz to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Parkland school shooting.

The jury found there was aggravating evidence sufficient to warrant a possible death penalty for the gunman but believed the mitigating factors outweighed aggravating ones.

Broward Circuit Judge, Elizabeth Scherer set the sentencing date for November 1, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cruz, 24, was tried for months for the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

He pleaded guilty in 2021 to murdering 17 people, including 14 students, in one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.