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The jury that will decide if convicted school shooter Nikolas Cruz will receive the death penalty for a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has been selected.
The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, was announced Tuesday, concluding a nearly three-month selection process that included more than 1,800 potential candidates.
The potential juror field was repeatedly narrowed as prosecutors and defense attorneys questioned them on general hardships and their views on the death penalty.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
(Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)
The lengthy process, which started on April 4, was extended due to the severity of the case as well as health and illness-related delays.
JURY CAN TOUR PARKLAND, FLORIDA SCHOOL WHERE SHOOTER KILLED 17, JUDGE RULES
The final jurors were selected from a group of 53 remaining candidates and eight of the 10 alternates were also finalized when Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer adjourned the court on Tuesday.
The jury will officially be finalized Wednesday when the remaining alternates are chosen.
Judge Elizabeth Scherer participates in a sidebar discussion via headset during jury selection in the penalty phase of the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)
On Wednesday, the defense and the prosecution are also expected to express peremptory challenges, which could alter the final jury.
WHAT HAPPENED AT PARKLAND: THE STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING
Cruz, now 23, pleaded guilty in October to the murders of 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
The jury will determine if Cruz should receive a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jurors must unanimously agree to sentence Cruz to death. Any defection — even a single vote — would override a death sentence, resulting in him serving life in prison.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is shown at the defense table during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)
(Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)
The jurors on the main panel consist of two banking executives and two technology workers, a probation officer, a human resource professional, a Walmart store stock supervisor, a librarian, a medical claims adjuster, a legal assistant, a customs officer, and a retired insurance executive.
At least five jurors are gun owners.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz fixes his collar as he speaks with Assistant Public Defender Melisa McNeill during jury selection in the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)
Judge Scherer previously ruled the jurors will be allowed to tour the high school where the shooting took place.
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Opening statements are scheduled for July 18, where jurors are expected to be presented with graphic evidence, including crime scene photos and victims’ autopsies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
