Parkland Parent Reacts to Jury Stopping Short of Death Penalty: 'Gut Punch'

After a 12-person jury recommended that the Parkland school shooter spend life in prison on Thursday morning, parents of the victims spoke about their shock and pain at the decision.

The jury began its deliberations Wednesday on whether Nikolas Cruz would be sentenced to life in prison or death after he pleaded guilty to killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. He injured 17 others. Many of the victims' parents hoped Cruz would be sentenced to death. In order to invoke the death penalty, the jury had to vote unanimously.

Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was one of the 14 students killed, spoke about his disbelief in a press conference after the verdict reading.

"It is pretty unreal that nobody paid attention to the facts of this case, that no one remembers who a victim is and what they look like. I know every day because I have seen my beautiful daughter's face around our home, in my dreams, and I miss her very much," Montalto said in the press conference following the verdict's reading. "Today's ruling was yet another gut punch for so many of us who devastatingly lost our loved ones on that tragic Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School."

Montalto said the jury's recommendation puts all school children in jeopardy of school shootings.

"This shooter did not deserve compassion," he said.

Ilan Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa was murdered in the massacre, said he was disgusted with the jury's recommendation.

"I am disgusted with the system, that you can allow 17 dead and 17 others shot and wounded and not give the death penalty," Alhadeff said. "What do we have the death penalty for? What is the purpose of it? You set a precedent today. You set a precedent for the next mass killing that nothing happens to you. You'll get life in jail. I'm sorry, that's not OK. As a country, we need to stand up and say that's not OK.

"I pray that animal suffers every day of his life in jail. And he should have a short life," Alhadeff added.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was shot while running away down a hallway during the massacre, said he is waiting to read the news about the shooter dying in prison.

"I hope and pray he receives the kind of mercy from prisoners that he showed to my daughter and the 16 others," Guttenberg said. "He's going to go to prison, and he will die in prison. He should've received the death sentence today."

Guttenberg said the only way he will be able to move forward is by visiting Jaime's grave.

"The first thing I do moving forward is I go visit my daughter at the cemetery because he killed her," he said.

Next, Guttenberg said he would try to do everything he could to prevent another school shooting from happening.

During the news conference, some of the parents lauded the state for how prosecutor Mike Spatz argued the case and instead blamed the jury for viewing Cruz as a victim. Politico reporter Gary Fineout tweeted that Governor Ron DeSantis said he believes that one juror prevented the death penalty decision from being unanimous. Several of the parents said they believed that juror lied about their stance on the death penalty before the trial, since the jurors were required to have had an open mind about the death penalty prior to being selected.

Max Schachter, whose son Alex was killed in the shooting, tweeted his thoughts after the verdict was read.

"Prior to the shooting the Parkland murderer said he wanted to kill 20 people. He stopped after killing 17 including my sweet little boy Alex," Schachter tweeted. "Afterwards he didn't want to die. He wanted to live. Today he got everything he wanted. While our loved ones are in the cemetery."

Cruz will be sentenced at a hearing on November 1.

Update 10/13/2022, 1:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comments from the victims' parents.