Parkland verdict - live: Juror ‘threatened’ during deliberation over Nikolas Cruz sentence

A juror in Nikolas Cruz’s sentencing trial allegedly informed a court staffer that she was threatened by a fellow panel member during deliberation over the Parkland shooter’s fate.

Prosecutors raised alarm about the perceived threat in a filing asking Judge Elizabeth Scherer to launch an investigation hours after the jury recommended a life sentence for Cruz on Thursday.

“Juror X spoke to a support staff member and informed the support staff member that during deliberations she received what she perceived to be a threat from a fellow juror while in the jury room,” states the filing, obtained by CNN.

The development comes as other members of the jury have spoken of their frustration at being unable to convince a sole “holdout” that Cruz deserved the death penalty.

Foreperson Benjamin Thomas told CBS Miami that one juror had been adamant from the beginning of deliberations that Cruz should not receive capital punishment because he was mentally ill.

That juror convinced two others to vote against imposing the death penalty, Mr Thomas told the station.

Key points

• VERDICT: Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty and is sentenced to life

• Family members shake heads as jury recommends life sentence

• Verdict came down to a single juror

• Juror who voted for life imprisonment will 'regret that for the rest of his life’

• What happened that day in Parkland, Florida?

Prosecutors call for probe into juror ‘threat'

13:25 , Megan Sheets

Prosecutors who sought the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz have alleged one of the jurors felt threatened by a fellow panel member during deliberation.

The state filed a motion shortly after Thursday’s verdict asking Judge Elizabeth Scherer to compel authorities to interview the juror, who was not named.

“Juror X spoke to a support staff member and informed the support staff member that during deliberations she received what she perceived to be a threat from a fellow juror while in the jury room,” states the filing, obtained by CNN.

The filing does not indicate how the juror voted in the final sentence recommendation or any additional circumstances around the perceived threat.

The deliberation process came under scrutiny almost immediately after the verdict was announced as the father of one of the Parkland shooting victims, Ryan Petty, claimed it came down to just one vote.

Jury foreperson Benjamin Thomas later told CBS Miami that there was one “holdout” juror against the death penalty from the start of deliberation. Two others later joined that juror in voting for a life sentence without parole, Mr Thomas said.

Parkland survivors demand Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School be torn down

13:00 , Bevan Hurley

As families of the victims shared outrage at the verdict, survivors of the 2018 massacre took to Twitter to demand the demolition of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which has sat vacant ever since.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

Parkland shooting survivors demand school be torn down after Nikolas Cruz verdict

Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

12:00 , Bevan Hurley

“What a load of hogwash. There were no mitigating circumstances,” Ilan Alhadeff said after a jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.”

Furious Parkland families hit out after Nikolas Cruz spared death penalty

A timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

11:00 , Bevan Hurley

Nikolas Cruz was 19 when he arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on 14 February 2018 bearing a legally-purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and gunned down 14 students and three members of staff in what proved to be one of the deadliest school massacres in American history.

Here is a timeline of events.

Timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Parkland survivor David Hogg: remember the victims

09:00 , Bevan Hurley

Prominent gun-control activist and Parkland survivor David Hogg said in a tweet that the victims of the 2012 school shooting should remain the focus after Nikolas Cruz’s life imprisonment verdict on Thursday.

“Who actually deserves your attention,” Mr Hogg tweeted before naming the 17 victims of the 2012 shooting.

Juror who voted for life imprisonment will ‘regret that for the rest of his life’

07:00 , Bevan Hurley

The father of Parkland victim Alex Schachter said the sole juror who dissented from sentencing Nikolas Cruz to death would regret the decision.

“I think that that one juror who voted for life is going to regret that for the rest of his life,” Max Schachter said outside court.

Mr Schachter said the pre-meditated, calculating manner in which Cruz had executed 17 people and injured 17 at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in 2012 meant the death penalty was the only correct verdict.

The key witnesses jurors didn’t hear from

05:00 , Bevan Hurley

In a move that caught the entire courtroom off guard, Nikolas Cruz’s defence team announced it was resting its case in his sentencing trial after calling less than a third of its expected witnesses.

The 23-year-old mass murderer’s legal team previously said it planned to call around 80 witnesses to the stand as they try to convince jurors to sentence him to life in prison instead of to death.

But, at the start of the 14 September court session, Cruz’s lead attorney Melisa McNeill suddenly revealed that the defence was resting – after calling only around 25 witnesses.

Nikolas Cruz trial: Key witnesses jurors won’t hear from after defence rested case

Who was the Parkland shooter’s biological mother Brenda Woodard?

04:00 , Bevan Hurley

During opening statements and testimony from the defence witnesses during the sentencing trial, much of the blame for his troubled start in life was placed squarely on the shoulders of his biological mother Brenda Woodard.

At the centre of their case was the argument that he is mentally ill and that his troubled origins are to blame for his actions – which saw him lay siege to his former school with a legally-purchased AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle in one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

Who was the Parkland shooter’s mother Brenda Woodard?

‘He should be afraid’

03:00 , Bevan Hurley

The mother of a geography teacher killed at Parkland in 2012 says Nikolas Cruz should be “afraid every second” of his life after a jury sentenced him to life imprisonment.

“He’s going have to look over his should every minute of rest of his life,” said Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son Scott Beigel died in the mass shooting.

“I hope he has the fear in him every second of his life, just the way he gave that fear to every one of our loved ones.”

Nikolas Cruz defence refuses to share his reaction to life sentence verdict

02:00 , Bevan Hurley

The defence team for Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz refused to share his reaction to his life sentence verdict.

When asked about Cruz’s reaction, Public Defender Gordon Weekes simply ended the press conference, saying “no further questions”.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

Nikolas Cruz defence refuses to share his reaction to life sentence verdict

Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

01:00 , Bevan Hurley

“What a load of hogwash. There were no mitigating circumstances,” Ilan Alhadeff said after a jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.”

Furious Parkland families hit out after Nikolas Cruz spared death penalty

Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

Friday 14 October 2022 00:00 , Bevan Hurley

It began before he was even born: Nikolas Cruz’s biological mother drank alcohol and abused drugs while he was still in the womb.

At the age of five, his adoptive father suddenly collapsed and died in front of him in the family home.

In his teenage years, he was allegedly bullied by his brother and sexually abused by a so-called “trusted peer”.

At 19, he became an orphan when his adoptive mother died from pneumonia.

And just three months later, he murdered 17 innocent students and staff in a shooting rampage at his former high school.

Read Rachel Sharp’s full story below.

Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

Nikolas Cruz verdict came down to single juror who voted against death penalty

Thursday 13 October 2022 23:30 , Bevan Hurley

Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was killed in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, told a press conference that a single juror had voted against the death penalty.

“One juror either didn’t understand the facts in this case or was dishonest with themselves when they signed up to become a juror and would never have voted for the death penalty,” he said.

Jury foreperson Benjamin Thomas told CBS Miami  that one juror was adamant Cruz should not be sentenced to death because he was mentally ill.

That juror convinced two others to vote against the death penalty, Mr Thomas told the station.

Full story below.

Nikolas Cruz life sentence verdict ‘came down to single juror’

Cruz verdict came down to a single juror

Thursday 13 October 2022 23:00 , Bevan Hurley

Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was killed in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, told a press conference that a single juror had voted against the death penalty.

“One juror either didn’t understand the facts in this case or was dishonest with themselves when they signed up to become a juror and would never have voted for the death penalty,” he said.

Jury foreperson Benjamin Thomas told CBS Miami  that one juror was adamant Cruz should not be sentenced to death because he was mentally ill.

That juror convinced two others to vote against the death penalty, Mr Thomas told the station.

Full story below.

Nikolas Cruz life sentence verdict ‘came down to single juror’

Jury member says one panelist was ‘set in what she believed’

Thursday 13 October 2022 22:40 , Bevan Hurley

One of the jurors in the Nikolas Cruz trial says a single panelist had made up their minds from the beginning of deliberations that they wouldn’t sentence the Parkland school shooter to death.

The former military member, identified only as ‘juror number three’, told Local 10 News he had voted for the death penalty.

“We did go back there and try to hash things out. There was one juror that was just very set in what she believed and that was the life (in prison).”

Victims’ families have spoken of their frustration at the life imprisonment sentence.

Parkland survivors demand Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School be torn down

Thursday 13 October 2022 22:30 , Bevan Hurley

As families of the victims shared outrage at the verdict, survivors of the 2018 massacre took to Twitter to demand the demolition of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which has sat vacant ever since.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

Parkland shooting survivors demand school be torn down after Nikolas Cruz verdict

What we learned at the Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial

Thursday 13 October 2022 22:00 , Bevan Hurley

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has a comprehensive wrap on the key revelations during Nikolas Cruz’s sentencing trial.

Key revelations from Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz’s sentencing trial

A timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Thursday 13 October 2022 21:40 , Bevan Hurley

Nikolas Cruz was 19 when he arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on 14 February 2018 bearing a legally-purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and gunned down 14 students and three members of staff in what proved to be one of the deadliest school massacres in American history.

Here is a timeline of events.

Timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Parkland survivor David Hogg: remember the victims

Thursday 13 October 2022 21:20 , Bevan Hurley

Prominent gun-control activist and Parkland survivor David Hogg said in a tweet that the victims of the 2012 school shooting should remain the focus after Nikolas Cruz’s life imprisonment verdict on Thursday.

“Who actually deserves your attention,” Mr Hogg tweeted before naming the 17 victims of the 2012 shooting.

Florida gubernatorial candidate weighs in on sentence

Thursday 13 October 2022 20:59 , Bevan Hurley

Democrat Charlie Crist, who is running to unseat Ron DeSantis, has commented on today’s verdict.

“There are crimes for which the only just penalty is death,” Mr Crist said on Twitter.

“The Parkland families and community deserved that degree of justice.”

Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

Thursday 13 October 2022 20:39 , Bevan Hurley

“What a load of hogwash. There were no mitigating circumstances,” Ilan Alhadeff said after a jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.”

Furious Parkland families hit out after Nikolas Cruz spared death penalty

Cruz verdict came down to a single juror

Thursday 13 October 2022 20:09 , Bevan Hurley

Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was killed in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, told a press conference that a single juror had voted against the death penalty.

“One juror either didn’t understand the facts in this case or was dishonest with themselves when they signed up to become a juror and would never have voted for the death penalty,” he said.

Jury foreperson Benjamin Thomas told CBS Miami  that one juror was adamant Cruz should not be sentenced to death because he was mentally ill.

That juror convinced two others to vote against the death penalty, Mr Thomas told the station.

Full story below.

Nikolas Cruz life sentence verdict ‘came down to single juror’

Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

Thursday 13 October 2022 19:50 , Bevan Hurley

It began before he was even born: Nikolas Cruz’s biological mother drank alcohol and abused drugs while he was still in the womb.

At the age of five, his adoptive father suddenly collapsed and died in front of him in the family home.

In his teenage years, he was allegedly bullied by his brother and sexually abused by a so-called “trusted peer”.

At 19, he became an orphan when his adoptive mother died from pneumonia.

And just three months later, he murdered 17 innocent students and staff in a shooting rampage at his former high school.

Read Rachel Sharp’s full story below.

Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

Nikolas Cruz defence refuses to share his reaction to life sentence verdict

Thursday 13 October 2022 19:30 , Bevan Hurley

The defence team for Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz refused to share his reaction to his life sentence verdict.

When asked about Cruz’s reaction, Public Defender Gordon Weekes simply ended the press conference, saying “no further questions”.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

Nikolas Cruz defence refuses to share his reaction to life sentence verdict

Jury foreperson says three voted against death penalty

Thursday 13 October 2022 19:21 , Bevan Hurley

The jury foreperson in the Nikolas Cruz sentencing told CBS Miami that three jurors had voted against the death penalty.

Benjamin Thomas told the station that while he disagreed with the outcome, “that’s how the jury system works”.

Mr Thomas said one juror had been a “hard no” because Cruz had suffered from mental illness, and two others had gone along with the decision.

Families have reacted angrily to the decision to sentence Cruz to life imprisonment.

‘He should be afraid'

Thursday 13 October 2022 19:02 , Bevan Hurley

The mother of a geography teacher killed at Parkland in 2012 says Nikolas Cruz should be “afraid every second” of his life after a jury sentenced him to life imprisonment.

“He’s going have to look over his should every minute of rest of his life,” said Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son Scott Beigel died in the mass shooting.

“I hope he has the fear in him every second of his life, just the way he gave that fear to every one of our loved ones.”

Juror who voted for life imprisonment will 'regret that for the rest of his life’

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:54 , Bevan Hurley

The father of Parkland victim Alex Schachter said the sole juror who dissented from sentencing Nikolas Cruz to death would regret the decision.

“I think that that one juror who voted for life is going to regret that for the rest of his life,” Max Schachter said outside court.

Mr Schachter said the pre-meditated, calculating manner in which Cruz had executed 17 people and injured 17 at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in 2012 meant the death penalty was the only correct verdict.

A timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:50 , Bevan Hurley

Nikolas Cruz was 19 when he arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on 14 February 2018 bearing a legally-purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and gunned down 14 students and three members of staff in what proved to be one of the deadliest school massacres in American history.

Here is a timeline of events.

Timeline of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Parkland victims remembered four years on

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:40 , Bevan Hurley

Debbi Hixon, who lost her husband Chris Hixon in the Parkland shooting, spoke to The Independent’s Rachel Sharp on the eve of the trial in July about keeping his memory alive.

Parkland victim’s widow speaks out as victims remembered

Parkland victim’s son storms out of court as Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:27 , Bevan Hurley

Corey Hixon, whose father Chris was the athletic director at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, stormed out of court as the jury’s verdict was read aloud.

Read below for Gustaf Kilander’s full story.

Parkland victim’s son storms out of court as Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:15 , Bevan Hurley

“What a load of hogwash. There were no mitigating circumstances,” Ilan Alhadeff said after a jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.”

Furious Parkland families hit out after Nikolas Cruz spared death penalty

WATCH: Reaction as Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life in prison

Thursday 13 October 2022 18:00 , Bevan Hurley

After a three-month long trial, Nikolas Cruz avoided the death penalty when a jury ruled on Thursday he should be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Watch live reaction from the courtroom.

Watch as Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life in prison for Parkland school shooting

Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz’s defence at his sentencing trial centred largely around his early life - from his apparent exposure to alcohol in the womb, the deaths of his adoptive parents and his behavioural and emotional problems. But did those details make a difference in the jury’s decision? Rachel Sharp reports

Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz had a horror start to life but did it matter at trial?

‘The defense failed at mitigation'

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:37 , Bevan Hurley

Fred Guttenberg, who became a prominent gun-control advocate after his daughter Jamie was killed at Parkland, is also furious at the verdict.

“The idea that there was at least one juror, who I would have to imagine didn’t tell the truth to get in that jury.”

“The defense failed at mitigation.”

He said the first thing he would do after the verdict was go to visit his daughter at the cemetery, and then continue to try to prevent future school shootings.

“We do have the ability to do things in this country to reduce gun violence through our vote.”

'She should not have been extinguished by this monster’

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:32 , Bevan Hurley

Tony Montalto, the father of Parkland victim Gina, said his daughter deserved better than she got - “from the schools, and certainly from this jury.”

The families are in disbelief that the jury determined that mitigating factors outweighed the “cruel and heinous” aggravating circumstances.

“She should not have been extinguished by this monster,” Mr Montalto said.

'He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.’

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:21 , Bevan Hurley

The father of Parkland shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff spoke a short time ago outside court where he blasted the jury’s decision not to sentence Nikolas Cruz to death.

“What a load of hogwash. There were no mitigating circumstances,” said Ilan Marc Alhadeff, while flanked by his wife Lori Alhadeff.

“He’s not a human being. He’s an animal.”

Sentencing scheduled for 1 November

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The formal sentencing of Nikolas Cruz will take place on 1 November.

He will be sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Judge Scherer cannot increase the sentence to death no matter what.

Family members shake heads as jury recommends life sentence

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Several family members of the victims of the 2018 Parkland school shooting shook their heads as the verdict was read out for gunman Nikolas Cruz.

The jury recommended life in prison without parole for the 17 counts against the Florida shooter.

Parkland victims’ family shake heads as jury recommends sentence for Nikolas Cruz

Contrasting reactions from jurors

Thursday 13 October 2022 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist Christina Boomer Vazquez notes the striking contrast in body language from the jurors as the verdicts were read out.

It is astonishing - the striking contrast in body language as the Judge reads verdict forms that so far - have been a recommendation for life. While two young male jurors huddle over in the first row of the jury box looking visibly pained, an older female in the back is calm.

Two other female jurors in the front row were tearing up. All this while the older female juror in the back row stretched her back, took a sip from an insulated coffee mug, looked over at the family members with ease, looks comfortable. The juror next to her has her dead down.

VERDICT: Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty and is sentenced to life

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz has avoided the death penalty after a jury ruled he should be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The verdict was delivered on Thursday morning to an emotionally-charged courtroom packed with survivors and families of the 17 students and staff killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on 14 February 2018.

Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life in prison

Families react as life in prison looks increasingly likely

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:27 , Oliver O'Connell

The verdict sheets continue to be read out and still, there is no charge in which the aggravating factors have outweighed the mitigating factors.

The jury is saying that while the prosecution has proven that the aggravating factors warrant the death penalty, Cruz’s mental health issues outweigh that.

There is still no death penalty possible at this point.

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:14 , Oliver O'Connell

The prosecution only needs the jury to recommend a death sentence for one of the 17 victims. So far the jury has not unanimously come to that decision

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Verdict forms being read

Thursday 13 October 2022 16:07 , Oliver O'Connell

As each of the 17 verdict forms is read out by Judge Scherer, it is so far looking as if the jury has not reached a unanimous decision on the death penalty.

The jury so far has said the evidence of aggravating factors in his murders exist but did not outweigh the mitigating circumstances.

This would indicate a life sentence with no parole.

Court now in session

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Court is now back in session Judge Elizabeth Scherer presiding.

Both sides agree they are ready to bring in the jurors for the verdict.

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Reminder: The jury must reach a unanimous decision to recommend the death penalty. If not, their recommendation will be life in prison with no parole.

Cruz enters court

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Nikolas Cruz, initially wearing a Covid-19 face mask, is brought into the courtroom by law enforcement.

He is having a conversation with his defence counsel, Chief Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeil, before proceedings begin.

The victims

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Nikolas Cruz killed 14 high school students and three faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018.

Victims of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school massacre

Thursday 13 October 2022 15:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Family members of the victims of the shooting have packed into the public gallery ahead of the verdict.

Lawyers for both sides are present, but Cruz is yet to be brought into the courtroom.