The 2018 Parkland School Shooting
Seventeen students and staff were killed and 17 other people were wounded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Nikolas Cruz later pleaded guilty to 17 murder counts and 17 attempted-murder counts.
What happened
On February 14, 2018, a former student attacked Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Fourteen students and three staff members were killed; 17 other people survived wounds. Cruz was arrested the same day. Later official records and reporting consistently identify the toll as 17 killed and 17 wounded.
Criminal case
On October 20, 2021, Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder. The remaining litigation concerned punishment rather than guilt.
On October 13, 2022, the penalty jury did not unanimously recommend death. Under the Florida law governing the case at that time, the result required life sentences. On November 2, 2022, the court imposed 34 consecutive life terms. The murder counts carry no possibility of parole.
Current status
This case is Solved / Adjudicated. The attacker was identified, pleaded guilty to every murder and attempted-murder count, and was sentenced. Later public-policy debates are separate from that criminal judgment.
Sources
- Broward State Attorney — Oct. 13, 2022 verdict statement
- Reuters — June 14, 2024 retrospective
- Associated Press — Parkland historical summary
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026