‘No peace’: Emotional day for families of Parkland shooting victims as gunman pleads guilty

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Loved ones of victims, witnesses to 2018 massacre respond aft Nikolas Cruz offers apology successful court

Fred Guttenberg, the begetter of slain pupil Jaime Guttenberg, wipes his eyes arsenic Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz pleads blameworthy to each 17 counts of premeditated execution and 17 counts of attempted execution successful the 2018 shootings, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, astatine the Broward County Courthouse successful Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

PARKLAND, Fla. – More than 3 years aft the deadly wide shooting astatine a precocious schoolhouse successful Parkland, the 23-year-old gunman pleaded blameworthy connected Wednesday to 17 counts of first-degree execution and each 17 counts of attempted murder.

The onslaught devastated the families of the 17 victims who were killed and traumatized those who were injured, portion subsequently fueling nationalist discussions astir schoolhouse security, intelligence wellness and weapon control.

Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz pleaded blameworthy Wednesday successful the 2018 massacre astatine Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

After the pleas were entered, immoderate of the families of his victims reacted connected societal media, galore of them expressing contempt, heartbreak and a tendency for the harshest punishment.

During the hearing, the shooter was allowed to marque a connection to the families, which helium utilized to connection an apology.

“I americium precise atrocious for what I did and I person to unrecorded with it each day,” the confessed slayer said. “If I were to get a 2nd accidental I would bash everything successful my powerfulness to effort to assistance others, and I americium doing this for you, and I bash not attraction if you bash not judge me.”

The apology rang hollow to the families of the victims, including Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter, Gina, was killed successful the attack.

“I judge it was 1 of the astir ridiculous things I’ve ever heard successful my life,” Montalto told News4Jax. “If you wanted to bash thing for the families, you should person started by not murdering our loved ones, not taking them from the emotion of their household and their community. Absolutely ridiculous to beryllium forced to perceive to that, rather frankly.”

Montalto described the plea proceeding arsenic the second-most uncomfortable acquisition of his life.

“My woman and I were precise uncomfortable being successful the country with the murderer of our daughter,” Montalto said. “Sadly, he’s besides the crushed for the archetypal astir uncomfortable happening successful my life, which was erstwhile I held my daughter’s cold, dormant body. This antheral is simply a acold and calculating murderer.”

Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son, Alex, died successful the attack, released a connection connected societal media, calling for the decease penalty.

“I find nary bid successful today[’s] blameworthy plea,” Schachter said. “Alex’s murderer is simply a sadistic slayer that deserves to die. He should beryllium afforded the aforesaid mercy helium gave the MSD17. Justice volition NOT beryllium served until helium nary longer breathes the aerial connected this earth.”

My statement:

“I find nary bid successful contiguous blameworthy plea. Alex’s murderer is simply a sadistic slayer that deserves to die. He should beryllium afforded the aforesaid mercy helium gave the MSD17. Justice volition NOT beryllium served until helium nary longer breathes the aerial connected this earth.”

— Max Schachter (@maxschachter) October 20, 2021

David Hogg, who was a pupil astatine Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the attack, has been 1 of the astir vocal advocates for weapon betterment successful the aftermath.

“One time we volition extremity weapon unit successful this state and stories of schoolhouse shootings/every time weapon unit volition beryllium near successful our past books- not our headlines,” Hogg said successful a tweet Wednesday.

One time we volition extremity weapon unit successful this state and stories of schoolhouse shootings/every time weapon unit volition beryllium near successful our past books- not our headlines.

That time volition travel erstwhile Americans of each parties and generations unite for peace- for our close to not beryllium shot.

— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) October 20, 2021

“You know, arsenic overmuch arsenic we attraction astir closing this chapter, and getting justness for what happened successful Parkland, our No. 1 precedence is making it truthful that this doesn’t hap again successful the future,” Hogg told News4Jax Wednesday. “The world is, if we had a well-functioning government, a genuinely typical one, I wouldn’t beryllium talking to you close now, the shooting wouldn’t person happened due to the fact that these things would person ended mode earlier Columbine.”

Debra Hixon, the widow of the school’s diversion director, Christopher Hixon, told reporters aft the plea proceeding that the gunman’s apology fell level with the families of his victims.

“Hearing each of those radical and however they died, ‘12 shots, 8 shots, 3 shots...,’” Hixon said. “That’s not idiosyncratic who was astatine each remorseful for what helium was doing. He was adding up points.”

Several household members of the victims person since launched organizations advocating for weapon reform, accrued schoolhouse safety, intelligence wellness practices among different platforms. A database of links to immoderate of those organizations is below:

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