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links: https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/nikolas-cruz-sentencing-decision/index.html
"It's important that we as a community respect" the jury's decision, public defender says
After a Florida jury recommended life without the possibility of parole on all counts against Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz, public defender Gordon Weekes said it's important to respect the jury's decision.
"It's important that we as a community respect the jury's verdict and recognize that the jury's verdict is final," he said Thursday at a press conference.
"This day is not a day of celebration, but a day of solemn acknowledgement, and a solemn opportunity to reflect on the healing that is necessary for this community — the healing of the trauma that occurred on Valentine's Day, February the 14th, the healing of the loss of the families."
He defended Cruz's attorney, saying the team "appreciates, respects and understands" the loss of the victims' families.
"With the greatest bit of sympathy, we attempted to prepare this case and present this case in the most professional and legal manner as we could," he said.
Weekes declined to comment when he was asked if Cruz had a reaction to the decision today.
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"If not now the death penalty, then when?" Parkland shooting victim's family asks
Parkland school shooting victim Joaquin Oliver's family expressed shock and disgust after shooter Nikolas Cruz avoided the death penalty as a jury recommended life without the possibility of parole on all counts against him.
"How is this even possible?" his sister said, adding that the family believes Cruz should have gotten the death sentence. "If not now the death penalty, then when? When?"
Oliver's mother, Patricia, said the family was not expecting this decision and added that the families of victims and the entire community of Parkland and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are suffering.
She asked why the shooter's massacre that left 17 dead and inflicted trauma on the community does not deserve the death penalty.
"We are in a state where the death penalty is an option," she said. "What's that for? That's my question."
She added that she wants to reconcile with this post-decision reality and not let the shooter take more of their lives away from them.
"Now, we gotta keep going, and we gotta keep living. And we have to work our best to find our peace. We don't want to let the defendant take more from us than he's been taking during all this time," she said. "This is something that we have to digest. we need to live with this new reality."
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