Conviction February 14, 2018 Mass Shooting

Parkland Shooting Victims

Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He was sentenced to life without parole.

Status
Conviction
Date
February 14, 2018
Location
Parkland, Florida
Victims
Multiple
Decade
2010s
Where the case stands
  1. Open
  2. Partly resolved
  3. Charges or trial
  4. ClosedConviction

At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.

Timeline to scale
Each dot is a dated event below; the distance between dots is elapsed time. The darker dot marks the incident.
February 14, 2018: Cruz kills 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.March 24, 2018: March for Our Lives rally draws hundreds of thousands.November 2, 2022: Cruz sentenced to life without parole.201820225 years from incident to latest development
Florida
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On February 14, 2018, Valentine's Day, nineteen-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle. He killed 14 students and 3 staff members and wounded 17 others.

Cruz had been expelled from the school the previous year for disciplinary reasons. Multiple warning signs had been reported to the FBI and local police before the shooting, but no preventive action was taken.

The shooting catalyzed the student-led March for Our Lives movement, which advocated for gun control legislation. Several Parkland survivors became prominent activists.

Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder in October 2021. On October 13, 2022 the jury recommended life without parole rather than the death penalty, a decision that drew criticism from victims' families; he was formally sentenced on November 2, 2022.

2010sschool shooting
  1. February 14, 2018
    Cruz kills 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
  2. March 24, 2018
    March for Our Lives rally draws hundreds of thousands.
  3. November 2, 2022
    Cruz sentenced to life without parole.

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About this entry

This case is recorded as conviction and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.

To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.

Entry last updated September 29, 2026.