Majory Stoneman Douglas High School

Death Penalty Trial for Parkland Shooter Set for January

Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz's death penalty trial will begin in January 2020, according to a court order.

  • By Sherelle Black
  • October 22, 2019

Almost two years after Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz went on a rampage and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, his death penalty trial is scheduled to start in January 2020.

According to a court order issued Thursday by Florida Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, pretrial motions will be heard on Jan. 13 and jury selection is set to begin Jan. 27.

Cruz has been locked up since the shooting in February 2018, according to CNN.

The Broward state attorney is seeking the death penalty. 

Prosecutors rejected Cruz’s defense team’s offer of a guilty plea in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole, if prosecutors took the death penalty off the table.

With Cruz not making a plea, the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Cruz, who already confessed to the shooting, is facing 34 counts of premeditated and attempted murder of 17 people. 


About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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