Should the Parkland Shooter Die?

Nikolas Cruz, 23, is guilty of murdering 17 people and injuring more with an AR-15 rifle at his former high school in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018. No one—not Florida prosecutors, not Cruz’s defense team, not Cruz himself, who pleaded guilty to all charges levied against him—disputes those facts. On the contrary, Cruz recapitulated his guilt in each count of murder and attempted murder in court last October before issuing an apology for his crimes. “I am very sorry for what I did, and I have to live with it every day,” he said, “and if I were to get a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others.”

Cruz’s regrets, issued before the families of victims gathered in the courtroom, did little to ease survivors’ of a 14-year-old girl murdered by Cruz dismissed the prisoner’s repentance as “ridiculous” during an interview with NPR. Listening to prosecutors describe in detail how his child had been murdered was wrenching. “There is no way to hear about how many times your daughter was shot by a cold and calculating killer that is easy to take,” he said. “It’s … it was a very disturbing day.”