A Florida jury’s decision to recommend life in prison for the shooter who killed 17 students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drew strong reaction from the families who lost sons, daughters and spouses in the attack, many of whom were outraged that the jury rejected the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz.
Now, the White House is weighing in, offering condolences to the families while saying that Thursday brought a “measure of justice and accountability” for the families affected by the 2018 Parkland high school massacre.
“President Biden is thinking today of the families in Florida who lost loved ones in the Parkland shooting, all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed, and all Americans who have lost loved ones to gun violence,” principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton told McClatchy and the Miami Herald. “While today’s verdict brought a measure of justice and accountability for this tragic crime, it won’t bring back the 14 students and 3 educators that the shooter brutally murdered nearly five years ago.”
