Nikolas Cruz trial, Day 1 highlights: Sounds of gunshots, emotional outbursts, threat of a mistrial

Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read
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FORT LAUDERDALE — Here is Monday's recap from the sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty last year to killing 17 people and wounding 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018.

A 12-person jury will decide whether to recommend that Cruz, then 19 and now 23, is put to death or sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. If it recommends death, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will make the final ruling, likely sometime this fall.

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Who testified in Nikolas Cruz trial?

Seven witnesses, including several Stoneman Douglas alumni and one teacher, described the chaos that erupted during fourth period that Valentine's Day.

Brittany Sinitch said her students were role-playing Romeo and Juliet when Cruz arrived at the freshman building with an assault rifle in hand.

A retired FBI agent, a Broward County systems analyst and the assistant principal at Stoneman Douglas explained the school's video-camera surveillance system and how evidence was extracted from it.

Key moments in Parkland shooter's trial

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

People in the courtroom were left visibly disturbed after the state's lead prosecutor, Michael J. Satz, played video clips recorded during the shooting. Only jurors could see the footage, but the audio played over loudspeakers in the courtroom.

It began with the sound of a piercing fire alarm, then endless gunshots.

Teenagers began to scream, and a boy said “Someone help me!”

Unintelligible moaning and a squealing plea for help followed.

Someone whispered: “Fireworks don’t shatter glass.”

A woman sitting among the victims' families shouted "Turn it off! Turn it off!" when Snapchat videos from inside a classroom began to play on the gallery monitors.

Cruz's defense team motioned the judge for a mistrial following the outburst. His lead public defender, Melisa McNeill, argued that the outburst, which happened within the view of jurors, created prejudice against Cruz. Scherer promptly denied the motion.

"Someone shouting one thing … is not even close to grounds for a mistrial," the judge said.

What's ahead for Cruz trial

It will likely take weeks before jurors hear Cruz's defense. His team declined to offer an opening statement Monday, opting to wait until prosecutors finish presenting their case. This sentencing trial is expected to last through October.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Nikolas Cruz trial: Threat of mistrial in Parkland shooter sentencing