Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty.

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz appears at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. October 20, 2021. Cruz pleaded guilty on Wednesday in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the deadliest ever at a U.S. high school. Amy Beth Bennett/Pool via REUTERS

Ben Burke Producer

U.S.

Parkland school mass shooter pleads guilty, apologizes to victims

Oct 20, 2021

Ben Burke Producer

By Ben Burke (Producer)

Parkland school mass shooter Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder Wednesday. The video above shows clips from the hearing.

Lawyers for Cruz announced the guilty pleas last Friday. Now, he has to wait to hear whether he will spend life in prison or possibly face the death penalty.

That decision will be made by a penalty trial. Pretrial hearings are expected over the next couple months. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer set jury selection to begin Jan. 4. Since Cruz pleaded guilty to the Parkland mass shooting, his attorneys will be able to argue during the penalty hearing that he took responsibility for his actions.

After pleading guilty to the Parkland mass shooting, Cruz apologized to the victims’ families. He also said he wished it was up to the survivors to determine whether he lived or died.

“I’m very sorry for what I did,” Cruz said. “I can’t live with myself sometimes.”

Anthony Borges is a former Stoneman Douglas student. He was shot five times and severely wounded on Valentine’s Day 2018. After Wednesday’s hearing, Borges told reporters he accepted Cruz’s apology, but noted it was not up to him to decide Cruz’s fate.

“He made a decision to shoot the school,” Borges said. “I am not God to make the decision to kill him or not. That’s not my decision. My decision is to be a better person and to change the world for every kid. I don’t want this to happen to anybody again. It hurts. It hurts. It really hurts. So, I am just going to keep going. That’s it.”

Tony Montalo, who lost his daughter in the Parkland shooting, wasn’t so forgiving of Cruz following the guilty pleas.

“Today we saw a cold and calculating killer confess to the murder of my daughter Gina and 16 other innocent victims at their school,” Tony Montalto said. “His guilty pleas are the first step in the judicial process, but there is no change for my family. Our bright, beautiful, and beloved daughter Gina is gone while her killer still enjoys the blessing of life in prison.”

Elizabeth Scherer, Broward County Judge: “And you said that you have been perhaps informally diagnosed with with depression and anxiety. Did you think of anything else since Friday?”

Nikolas Cruz. Parkland School Shooter: “No.”

Scherer: “OK. And are either of those issues disturbing you in any way today?”

Cruz: “Yes.”

Scherer: “So the depression and anxiety are bothering you today?”

Cruz: “Not the depression, just a little anxiety.”

Scherer: “Ok, a little anxiety is normal under the circumstances. What I need to know is, are you able to to understand me and listen to me when I’m speaking to you?”

Cruz: “Yes, ma’am.”

Scherer: “And are you able to follow along with your lawyers when they speak to you?”

Cruz: “Yes, ma’am.”

Scherer: “Are you having any trouble concentrating?”

Cruz: “No.”

Scherer: “And other than being nervous or anxious, are you, are you having any difficulty understanding anything that’s going on here today?”

Cruz: “No. I understand what’s going on.”

Scherer “OK.”

Scherer: “OK, Mr. Cruz, I’m going to go over each charge with you and ask you how you wish to plea in these matters now, if you don’t have any questions?

Cruz: “I do not have questions.”

Scherer: “All right, to count one of the indictment, murder and the first degree of victim Luke Hoyer, how do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty”

Scherer: “To count two of the indictment, murder in the first degree of Martin Duque Anguiano? How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty.”

Scherer: “Count three of the indictment murder in the first degree of Gina Montalto. How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz “Guilty.”

Scherer: “Attempted murder in the first degree of Daniela Menescal? How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty”

Scherer: “Count 25, attempted Murder in the first degree of Samantha Grady. How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty”

Scherer: “Count 26, attempted Murder in the first degree of Samantha Fuentes. How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty.”

Scherer: “Count 34, attempted murder in the first degree of Kyle Laman. How do you wish to plea?”

Cruz: “Guilty.”

Scherer:” I accept your plea of guilty. I find that you are alert and intelligent that you had made an informed decision with the advice of counsel.”

Cruz: “I am very sorry for what I did. And I have to live with it every day. And if I were to get a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others. And I am doing this for you, and I do not care if you do not believe me. And I love you and I know you don’t believe me. But I have to live with this every day and brings me nightmares. And I can’t live with myself sometimes, but I try to push through because I know that’s what you guys would want me to do. I hate drugs. And I believe this country would do better if everyone will stop smoking marijuana and doing all these drugs and causing racism and violence out in the streets. I’m sorry and I can’t even watch TV anymore. And I’m trying my best to maintain my composure. And I just want you to know I’m really sorry, and I hope you give me a chance to try to help others. I believe it’s your decision to decide where I go and whether I live or die. Not the jury’s. I believe, it’s your decision. I’m sorry.”

Cruz: “What I meant was that I believe they should have the right to choose, the victims themselves, on whether I should take life or death.”

Scherer: “So in other words, you’re urging the victims to encourage the state to waive it and sentence you to life?”

Melisa O’Neill, Cruz’s Attorney: “Judge, may I interject?”

Scherer: “Sure.”

Melisa O’Neill, Cruz’s Attorney: “I think what Mr Cruz was saying was that ultimately in his heart, he believes it should be the victims’ families will make the decision about life or death. We have, however, explained to Mr. Cruz that it will in fact be the jury that will make that decision after the presentation of evidence of aggravators and mitigators in phase two. This, I believe, is just his personal belief. It is in conflict with the law but he understands the law.”

Cruz: “Yeah”

Scherer: “OK. Mr Cruz, is that correct?”

Cruz: “Yes.”