Parkland Shooter Expected to Plead Guilty to All 17 Counts of Murder

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Nikolas Cruz will plead guilty to all 17 counts of premeditated murder and all 17 counts of attempted murder, 7News in Miami has reported.

On Valentine’s Day in 2018, a gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and killed 17 people. Cruz had already admitted he killed students and staff that day.

Lawyers for Cruz, who was 19 at the time of the shooting, said he’d be willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty. Prosecutors have not ruled out capital punishment, however.

Instead of going to trial, it’s expected the case will proceed to the sentencing phase, where a jury will decide whether Cruz receives the death penalty.

7News reported that the Public Defender’s Office, which is providing counsel to Cruz, could neither confirm nor deny the report that Cruz will plead guilty.

Cruz is expected to plead guilty on Friday.