Nikolas Cruz, the gunman responsible for the massacre that killed 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, pleaded guilty in a Florida courtroom Wednesday morning.
Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder and now faces a minimum of life in prison and the possibility of the death penalty.
The 23-year-old confessed gunman addressed the court and apologized to the victims after entering his plea.
“I am very sorry for what I did, and I have to live with it every day. If I were to get a second chance, I would do everything in my power to try to help others,” he said. “I am doing this for you, and I do not care if you do not believe me. And I love you, and I know you don’t believe me, but I have to live with this every day, and it brings me nightmares, and I can’t live with myself sometimes, but I try to push through because I know that’s what you guys would want me to do,” he continued.
