Parkland shooting: Nikolas Cruz listens as verdict read out in court
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.
The juror has since denied claims in a filing to the court that she had made up her mind about the sentence before hearing the evidence.
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‘We do have the ability… to reduce gun violence’
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime died in the Parkland school shooting, made a powerful speech after Thursday’s verdict.
Mr Guttenberg said the first thing he would do after sentencing was go to visit his daughter’s grave, before throwing all of his energy into trying to prevent future tragedies.
“The next thing I do moving forward is everything I possibly can to remind people how important the next election is and voting.
“Because we do have the ability to do things in our country to reduce gun violence through our vote.”
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 19:00
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British mother slams Cruz verdict
The British mother of student killed in the Parkland shooting shared her outrage at Thursday’s verdict at a press conference shortly after it was announced.
Anne Ramsay, whose daughter Helena was among more than a dozen killed in the 2018 Florida massacre, said she felt “let down” by the jury in an emotional address following the verdict.
“Today I believe justice was not done,” she said.
Helena, who was born in England but moved to the US when she was a child, was just 17 when she died trying to protect a friend as Cruz opened fire in their classroom.
The Independent’s Zoe Tidman has more:
British mother of US school shooting victim condemns verdict as gunman’s life spared
Anne Ramsay, whose 17-year-old daughter was among victims of killer Nikolas Cruz, does not believe justice was done
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 18:00
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Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty
“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
‘I’m stunned. I’m devastated. There are 17 victims that did not receive justice today,’ Fred Guttenberg says
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 17:00
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Reverend who lost relatives in mass shooting says death penalty didn’t ease suffering
Reverend Sharon Risher, whose mother and cousins were among the victims of a mass shooting at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in 2015 issued a moving statement after the Parkland verdict.
Rev. Risher said that because of the death penalty verdict in that case “we are still suffering in ways that could have been avoided” due to ongoing appeals.
“Rather than helping us heal, it keeps reopening our wounds.”
She went on to express the hope that the families can “move toward healing” in a statement released through Death Penalty Action.
“We can never get our loved ones back, but without a death sentence hanging over us we can remember our loved ones for who they were before the horrific epidemic of gun violence touched their lives.”
Rev. Sharon Risher lost her daughter and cousins in a mass shooting at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in 2015
(Getty Images)
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 16:00
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Prosecutors seek probe into claims juror was threatened
A day after Nikolas Cruz was spared the death penalty, we’re learning more about tensions among jury members during their deliberations.
A juror has alleged to the court that she was threatened by a fellow juror – and prosecutors have asked Judge Elizabeth Scherer to investigate.
“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,” the state said in a filing obtained by CNN.
“The State did not call Juror X back and instead, filed a Notice to the Court.”
Read on for more details.
Prosecutors call for probe into Nikolas Cruz juror’s claim she was threatened
Cruz juror ‘received what she perceived to be a threat’ from fellow juror during deliberations
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 15:09
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Juror who prevented Nikolas Cruz getting death penalty defends herself
A juror who saved Nikolas Cruz from the death penalty has denied claims from the jury pool that she “had already made up my mind on voting for life before the trial started”.
Graeme Massie has the story.
Juror who prevented Nikolas Cruz getting death penalty defends herself
Cruz will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for killing 17 and injuring 17
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 14:30
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British mother slams Cruz verdict
The British mother of student killed in the Parkland shooting shared her outrage at Thursday’s verdict at a press conference shortly after it was announced.
Anne Ramsay, whose daughter Helena was among more than a dozen killed in the 2018 Florida massacre, said she felt “let down” by the jury in an emotional address following the verdict.
“Today I believe justice was not done,” she said.
Helena, who was born in England but moved to the US when she was a child, was just 17 when she died trying to protect a friend as Cruz opened fire in their classroom.
The Independent’s Zoe Tidman has more:
British mother of US school shooting victim condemns verdict as gunman’s life spared
Anne Ramsay, whose 17-year-old daughter was among victims of killer Nikolas Cruz, does not believe justice was done
Megan Sheets14 October 2022 14:00
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Prosecutors call for probe into juror ‘threat’
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.
Megan Sheets14 October 2022 13:25
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Parkland survivors demand Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School be torn down
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
‘They better tear that building down today,’ former student says
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 13:00
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Families furious after Nikolas Cruz avoids death penalty
“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
‘I’m stunned. I’m devastated. There are 17 victims that did not receive justice today,’ Fred Guttenberg says
Bevan Hurley14 October 2022 12:00