Dozens of family members of victims of the Parkland school shooting were in court Monday as prosecutors prepared to possibly wrap up their case this week.
The families were expected to read victim impact statements as soon as Monday in the sentencing trial of gunman Nikolas Cruz.
The statements will describe to the jury how unique each of the 17 lives lost in the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were and what their stolen futures mean to the community.
Monday's hearing began with testimony from Dr. Terrill Tops, a former employee of the Broward Medical Examiner's Office who performed victim autopsies.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Tops, like his colleagues before him, described the massive wounds the killer's high-velocity rifle inflicted on the victims, including 15-year-old student Luke Hoyer.
Hoyer's mother Gena wiped tears away as she and her husband, Tom, listened to how their son died.
The gunman, now 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the shooting.
Local
The jury will be deciding whether he is executed or receives a sentence of life without parole.
Click here for complete coverage of the Parkland school shooting sentencing
