DeSantis Hints Parkland Shooter Won’t Be Spared

Recently a jury shocked the residents of Florida and the nation with their verdict in the Parkland school shooter case…

After 4 years of legal proceedings, a Florida jury recommended that Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland school shooter, receive life in prison, rather than the death penalty.

Cruz was convicted of killing 17 innocent people—mostly children.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made no reservations about voicing his opinion on the matter—believing that if Cruz wasn’t a candidate for the death penalty, then who would be?

He also hinted that prosecutors are pursuing avenues to seek the death penalty despite the recent jury recommendation:

DeSantis suggests "something went on" within the jury after Nikolas Cruz was not sentenced to death.

"It was a miscarriage of justice… He's going to be living off tax payer's expense for what, 50 years, 60 years? His victims didn't get that luxury." pic.twitter.com/nmeEvBt90D

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 14, 2022

Just take a look at the grief of some of the families and loved ones following the decision by the jury to recommend life in prison, rather than death.

It’s heartbreaking and the reactions seem ubiquitous: the families of the victims believe that the recent jury decision was a grave miscarriage of justice.

The man who killed 17 people in the #Parkland school shooting has been spared the death penalty by a jury in Florida. Tony Montalto lost his daughter, Gina, in the killing. He told me families are angry. I'm deeply grateful to him for sharing his thoughts @BBCNews @StandWParkland pic.twitter.com/u56EPfvUcu

— Rich Preston (@RichPreston) October 14, 2022

Families devastated as Parkland school shooting gunman spared death penalty in UShttps://t.co/FR0XgVqriv pic.twitter.com/2Z8cqbeyRu

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 13, 2022

A Florida jury recommended the Parkland School shooter, Nikolas Cruz, receive life without parole for the massacre. Families of the 17 victims of the 2018 Parkland School massacre were outraged by the decision to spare Cruz from the death penalty. pic.twitter.com/VwhJtjUYSl

— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) October 14, 2022

The #Parkland families react to the jury’s decision to spare the life of the shooter who murdered their loved ones on February 14, 2018. https://t.co/aE7plYfqfl @wsvn 1/2 pic.twitter.com/IwIY7mqSfg

— Daniel Cohen (@DCohenNEWS) October 14, 2022

Washington Examiner noted:

DeSantis says prosecutors are pursuing a tougher sentence with the jury, and he’s in favor of using all legal tools to do that.

“If you have something like capital punishment available in a case like that, it has got to be administered.

That just shows how the community views the severity of the offense. And I think it was 100% appropriate punishment,” the Florida governor said.

 

Victims' families react after Parkland shooter is spared death penalty. @giobenitez reports. https://t.co/MdSyg28ixl pic.twitter.com/4fxueIHtJ7

— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 14, 2022

CBS News had more on the parkland school families:

Florida officials and family members of the Parkland school shooting victims are expressing outrage and heartbreak after a jury’s decision to spare the gunman the death penalty. Seventeen people — 14 students and three staff members — were killed in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I feel angry. I feel rage,” Patricia Oliver, who lost her 17-year-old son Joaquin in the shooting, told CBS News. “I feel that justice wasn’t served.”