FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer announced on Oct. 13 that a divided jury recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole as punishment for the Parkland school shooter on count five of first-degree murder.
Count five of 17 in the penalty phase is for the murder of Alaina Petty who Nikolas Cruz killed on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to Scherer.
Alaina, 14, a freshman, was in classroom 1216 when she was shot four times and she died of her wounds, according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Mike Satz.
Dr. Iouri Boiko, who performed the autopsy, said during his testimony in court on July 22, that Alaina suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
Alaina was a member of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and of The Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Interactive graphic: Understanding the choices jurors made on the verdict form
Alaina’s father Ryan Petty reacts to the verdict
Videos of some of the testimony in court related to her case:
Alaina’s mother Kelly Petty reads her victim impact statement
Alaina’s sister Meghan Petty reads her victim impact statement
Interactive graphic on the penalty phase