Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Judge Wants Early 2020 Trial in Parkland School Shooting

What to Know

  • 20-year-old Nikolas Cruz is accused of killing 17 people and wounding 17 others in last year's massacre

A judge wants trial to begin in early 2020 for the suspect in a Florida high school massacre that left 17 people dead last year.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said at a brief hearing Thursday that she intends to set a definitive trial date soon for 20-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who faces the death penalty if convicted. No exact date has been set.

Cruz is accused of killing 17 and wounding 17 in the February 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He is also accused of assaulting a jail corrections officer while in custody.

Cruz's attorneys have said he will plead guilty in return for a life prison sentence, but prosecutors have refused that offer.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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