Parkland killer’s life or death, Day 31: Emotional testimony from teachers and students

Victoria Ballard, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·2 min read

Editor’s note: Daily coverage of the Parkland trial is being provided to all readers as a public service.

Here are updates from Day 31 in the sentencing trial of confessed Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, 23; a jury will decide if he will be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole. He pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

  • Gut-wrenching testimony: Students and teachers described the loud chaos, confusion and fear as they testified about watching their classmates die. Teacher Ivy Schamis elicited sobs from parents Annika and Mitch Dworet as she described how their son Nicholas was excited about having a correct answer just before he was killed. A student described seeing Alaina Petty and Alyssa Alhadeff shot: “They were both instantly gone.” Several of the victims’ family members and some of those on the stand openly wept in court. Another student testified about seeing the gunman among the students trying to leave the school and asking about his college plans. Student Anthony Borges, who was shot five times and has had 14 surgeries, showed his scars to the court.

  • Quote of the day: “It was really seconds later that the barrel of that AR—15 just ambushed our classroom,” Holocaust studies teacher Ivy Schamis testified as she wiped her eyes. “It came right through that glass panel and was just shooting everywhere. It was very loud. Very frightening. I kept thinking about these kids who should not be experiencing this at all.”

  • Wardrobe: Social studies teacher Ernie Rospierski had to wear tape on his shirt as he testified because he had been told not to wear anything with a Stoneman Douglas logo.

  • Translation: Student Marian Kabachenko testified in Russian and required a translator in court. Kabachenko had been at the high school for only two weeks and was injured in the shooting.

  • A little levity: One former student couldn’t remember what year she graduated. Prosecutor Mike Satz teased her saying everyone remembered their graduation date, eliciting chuckles in the courtroom. Another laugh was brought on by an exchange between Satz and a teacher: “What do you teach?” “Students.”

  • Fingers in his ears: Confessed killer Nikolas Cruz has been scribbling on paper and staring at the table in front of him and his defense team during testimony. On Wednesday, he held his head in his hands and plugged his fingers in his ears as the jury was shown a cellphone video taken by student Veronica Steel in geography teacher Scott Beigel’s classroom.

  • Looking ahead: Testimony from survivors is expected to continue Thursday.

Go to SunSentinel.com/parkland-shooting for complete coverage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy and ongoing coverage of the sentencing trial.

Sun Sentinel staff writers Rafael Olmeda and Natalia Galicza contributed to this report.