Gov. DeSantis: Parkland Jurors' Decision a 'Miscarriage of Justice'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday criticized the legal system after Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was spared the death sentence and said the jury in the trial refusing to authorize a capital sentence "represents a miscarriage of justice."

Cruz, who last year pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of first-degree attempted murder in connection to the Feb. 14, 2018, killing of 14 students and three staff members at his former high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, was sentenced to life in prison without parole by a Florida jury.

"The only appropriate sentence for the massacre of 17 innocent people is the death penalty," DeSantis tweeted. "That the jury had a single holdout refuse to authorize a capital sentence represents a miscarriage of justice."

Cruz's sentencing date is set for Nov. 1. Under Florida law, the judge cannot depart from the jury's recommendation of life.

Parents of victims in the attack were shocked and devastated following the jury's decision.

"Coming in here today, we thought we were going to get justice. We thought that finally the Parkland murderer was going to be held accountable for his actions," Max Schachter, father of 14-year-old shooting victim Alex Shachter, said. "It's so upsetting."

Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter Alaina was killed in the shooting, told reporters the jurors "either didn't understand the facts in this case, or [were] dishonest with themselves when they signed up to become a juror, and would never have voted for the death penalty."

DeSantis said Cruz "is going to end up getting the same sentence of people who have committed bad acts but acts that did not rise to this level."

"I just do not think anything else is appropriate except the capital sentence in this case, so I was very disappointed to see that. I am also disappointed that we're 4 1/2  years after these killings and we're just now getting this? They used to do this — he would have been executed in six months.

"He's guilty — everybody knew that in the beginning, yet it takes years and years in this legal system that is not serving the interest of victims."

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