Jury Recommends Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz Spends Life In Prison For 2018 Massacre

A jury has recommended that Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz should get life in prison without parole, RadarOnline.com has learned.

After hours of deliberations, the group ruled on Thursday that Cruz should spend the remainder of his years behind bars for senselessly killing 14 students and three school staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day in 2018.

Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will have the final say.

Parents in the gallery were shaking their heads "in disgust" after hearing that life in prison was likely, according to Law & Crime executive producer Cathy Russon.

Jurors had to reach a unanimous decision to recommend the death penalty.

If not, their recommendation was going to be life in prison with no parole.

Last year, Cruz, 24, pled guilty to 34 counts against him, including 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

His fate will be decided months after Assistant State Attorney Mike Satz showed the jury and the court the illegally-obtained AR-15 that was used in the tragic massacre.

Before deciding, jurors watched surveillance footage from the day of the horrific massacre, viewed graphic crime scene images and autopsy photos as well as listened to testimony from students and teachers who survived the deadly shooting.

They also heard from parents and other family members impacted by Cruz's actions.

His defense team detailed his upbringing throughout the emotional trial, mentioning his lifelong mental health disorders resulting from his biological mother's substance abuse during pregnancy.

"Because Nikolas was bombarded by all of those things, he was poisoned in the womb. Because of that, his brain was irretrievably broken, through no fault of his own," said public defender Melisa McNeill.