Parkland School Shooting

On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and opened fire with a legally purchased AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others. It was the deadliest school shooting in United States history at a high school. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/parkland-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-verdict-life-sentence-2022)

Cruz, a former student who had been expelled from the school for disciplinary violations, arrived by Uber shortly before the end of the school day. He entered the freshman building carrying a rifle bag and began shooting on the first floor, then moved to the second and third floors. The attack lasted approximately six minutes before Cruz abandoned his rifle, blended in with students fleeing the building, and walked off campus into the surrounding neighborhood. He was apprehended by officers in Coral Springs approximately 70 minutes after the shooting began.

Seventeen people were killed, including 14 students and three staff members. Among the victims were 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg, security guard Aaron Feis (age 37) who placed himself between students and the gunfire, and athletic director Chris Hixon (age 49) who ran toward the building to help. The shooting occurred on Valentine's Day and simultaneous coverage on social media — including videos and messages from students hiding inside the school — gave it an unprecedented immediacy in national coverage.

A significant failure of law enforcement came to light in the aftermath: the FBI had received a tip in January 2018 from a person who called the public tip line warning that Cruz had expressed a desire to kill people, had been purchasing guns, and might conduct a school shooting. The FBI acknowledged it had failed to follow its own protocols in forwarding the tip to its Miami field office. The Broward County Sheriff's Office had also received dozens of calls about Cruz in the years prior to the shooting. An after-action review by a state commission found multiple systemic failures across law enforcement agencies. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/us/nikolas-cruz-sentencing-parkland/index.html)

The survivors of the Parkland shooting became some of the most prominent advocates for gun reform in American history. In March 2018, they organized the March for Our Lives, a nationwide protest that drew an estimated 800,000 participants in Washington, D.C. and millions more at sister marches in cities across the country. Student activists including Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg became nationally recognized public figures. The advocacy effort contributed to new gun safety legislation in Florida and reignited congressional debate over assault weapons bans and universal background check requirements.

In October 2021, Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to all 34 counts — 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder. A penalty phase trial was held in 2022 before a jury to determine whether he would receive the death penalty or life in prison. On November 2, 2022, the jury returned a recommendation of life without the possibility of parole; one juror refused to vote for death, preventing the unanimity required by Florida law. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/parkland-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-verdict-life-sentence-2022) Judge Elizabeth Scherer sentenced Cruz to 17 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Cruz was committed to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Charges and Guilty Plea

Nikolas Cruz was charged with 17 counts of first-degree premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder in Broward County, Florida. On October 20, 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to all 34 counts in Broward County Circuit Court. The guilty plea left sentencing — life in prison or the death penalty — to be determined by a jury.

Penalty Phase Trial — 2022

The penalty phase trial began in July 2022. Florida law requires a unanimous jury recommendation for the death penalty. After weeks of testimony, the jury delivered its verdict on November 2, 2022: a recommendation of life in prison without the possibility of parole. One juror, in the absence of unanimity required for a death recommendation, refused to vote for death. [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/parkland-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-verdict-life-sentence-2022)

Cruz was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Scherer to 17 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The families of victims expressed profound disappointment that Cruz would not face the death penalty. Cruz was committed to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Law Enforcement Accountability

In the aftermath of the shooting, both the FBI and the Broward County Sheriff's Office faced accountability proceedings. The FBI's inspector general concluded the agency had failed to act on the January 2018 tip. Scot Peterson, the school resource officer on duty during the shooting who remained outside the building, was arrested on charges of child neglect and culpable negligence; he was acquitted at trial in 2023. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/us/nikolas-cruz-sentencing-parkland/index.html)

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act

In March 2018, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law. The legislation raised the minimum age for firearm purchases in Florida from 18 to 21, established a three-day waiting period for rifle purchases, and created a school marshal program.