FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — For the 17 who lost their lives, the gunman was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
For the 17 whose flesh was torn by powerful bullets fired from an AR-15-style rifle but somehow managed to survive, the gunman was sentenced to life in prison under the state’s 10-20-life statute.
The sentences are to be served consecutively, a symbolic gesture. The defendant, Nikolas Jacob Cruz, 24, will never see the light of day as a free man again.