On the afternoon of February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, an affluent suburb about 30 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale. Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student, was dropped off at the school by an Uber driver at 2:19 p.m. and entered Building 12 carrying a rifle case and backpack concealing an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and multiple magazines. He assembled the weapon near a stairwell and began shooting in the first-floor hallway at 2:21 p.m., killing three students immediately and firing through classroom door windows to kill six more and wound thirteen others. He proceeded to the second and third floors, killing additional students and staff before dropping his rifle and fleeing the building by blending in with students evacuating. He was arrested without incident approximately one hour and twenty minutes later in the Wyndham Lakes neighborhood of nearby Coral Springs. In total, 17 people were killed—14 students and 3 faculty members—and 17 more were wounded, with the shooting lasting about six minutes and all victims shot within roughly four minutes.
The attack is described as the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in U.S. history, surpassing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Investigations afterward documented a lengthy history of disciplinary issues, threatening behavior, and warnings to authorities about Cruz, including calls to the Broward County Sheriff's Office over the preceding decade and a January 2018 tip to an FBI hotline that was reportedly not forwarded for investigation. Sheriff Scott Israel's office faced widespread criticism for its handling of prior warnings and for the response during the shooting itself, particularly the decision of on-duty school resource officer Scot Peterson to remain outside Building 12 rather than enter, and an order by Broward Sheriff's Office captain Jan Jordan for deputies to form a perimeter rather than confront the shooter. Israel was later removed from office, and several responding officers resigned. A state commission condemned the police inaction and recommended enhanced school security measures statewide.
Cruz pleaded guilty to all charges on October 20, 2021. Following a death penalty trial that began July 18, 2022, a jury on October 13, 2022, unanimously found Cruz eligible for the death penalty but deadlocked on whether to impose it, resulting in a recommendation for life imprisonment without parole. Cruz was formally sentenced to life without parole on November 2, 2022, under a Florida law requiring courts to follow the jury's recommendation absent unanimity for death; that unanimity requirement has since been changed by subsequent legislation.
Peterson was separately charged in June 2019 with 11 counts of child neglect along with culpable negligence and perjury for his conduct during the shooting; he pleaded not guilty and was acquitted on all charges on June 29, 2023.
The shooting prompted the survivor-founded advocacy group Never Again MSD, large-scale protests including the March for Our Lives demonstrations, and the Florida Legislature's passage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act in March 2018, which raised the minimum firearm purchase age to 21 and enacted other restrictions. Civil litigation followed, including a $25 million settlement from the Broward County School District and a $125–130 million settlement from the federal government related to the FBI's handling of the pre-shooting tip.
Jaime Guttenberg, Carmen Schentrup, Cara Loughran, Helena Ramsay, Chris Hixon, Joaquin Oliver, Peter Wang, Meadow Pollack, Anthony Borges, Scott Beigel, Nicholas Dworet, Alaina Petty, Martin Duque, Martin Anguiano, Alyssa Alhadeff, Gina Montalto, Alex Schachter, Aaron Feis, Luke Hoyer, Ashley Baez
Date
2018
Location
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2018-02-14
Nikolas Cruz opens fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others; he is arrested in Coral Springs about 80 minutes after fleeing the scene.
2018-02-16
FBI releases a statement acknowledging it received a tip on January 5, 2018 about Cruz that was not forwarded to the Miami Field Office for investigation.
2018-02-20
Florida House of Representatives rejects a bill that would have banned some assault weapons; victim Peter Wang is posthumously admitted to the United States Military Academy (West Point).
2018-03-09
Florida Governor Rick Scott signs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law.
2018-03-24
March for Our Lives demonstrations take place, including in Washington, D.C.
2018-05-30
Prosecutors release cellphone videos allegedly recorded by Cruz before the shooting.
2018-06-03
Stoneman Douglas High School holds its graduation ceremony, presenting posthumous diplomas to four slain seniors.
2019-03-17
Survivor Sydney Aiello dies by suicide, reportedly linked to survivor's guilt and PTSD from the shooting.
2019-03-23
Survivor Calvin Desir dies by suicide.
2019-06
Former school resource officer Scot Peterson is arrested and charged with child neglect, culpable negligence, and perjury for his conduct during the shooting.
2020-10-09
A replacement building opens at the school.
2021-10-20
Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to all charges.
2021-11
Families of victims reach a $125–130 million settlement with the federal government over FBI handling of tips about Cruz.
2022-07-18
Cruz's death penalty trial commences.
2022-10-13
Jury unanimously finds Cruz eligible for the death penalty but deadlocks on imposing it, recommending life without parole.
2022-11-02
Cruz is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
2023-05-31
Jury selection begins in Scot Peterson's criminal trial.
2023-06-29
Scot Peterson is found not guilty on all charges.
2024-06
Demolition of Building 12, the scene of the shooting, begins.
2024-08
Parents of several murdered students reach multi-million-dollar settlements with Cruz.
2025-12
Survivor Donovan Metayer dies by suicide, which his family attributed in part to trauma associated with the shooting.
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Remembering Parkland 2 years later
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Jaime Guttenberg
VICTIM
Student killed in the shooting; parents later filed a civil lawsuit against the rifle manufacturer and retailer.
Carmen Schentrup
VICTIM
Senior student killed in the shooting; posthumously presented a diploma at graduation.
Cara Loughran
VICTIM
Freshman student killed after being located by the shooter while sheltering.
Scott Israel
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Broward County Sheriff at the time of the shooting; removed from office after criticism of the office's handling of warnings about Cruz and the police response.
Helena Ramsay
VICTIM
Student killed in a Holocaust History class during the shooting.
Chris Hixon
VICTIM
School athletic director killed running toward the gunfire.
Joaquin Oliver
VICTIM
Senior student killed in the shooting; posthumously presented a diploma at graduation.
Peter Wang
VICTIM
Student killed while reportedly holding doors open for others to escape; posthumously honored with the ROTC Medal for Heroism.
Meadow Pollack
VICTIM
Student killed while trying to protect a wounded classmate.
Anthony Borges
VICTIM
Student shot five times while reportedly attempting to barricade a classroom door; last hospitalized victim, discharged April 4, 2018.
Scott Beigel
VICTIM
Geography teacher killed after unlocking a classroom for students to hide.
Nicholas Dworet
VICTIM
Student killed in a Holocaust History class during the shooting.
Alaina Petty
VICTIM
Student killed in the shooting; posthumously honored with the ROTC Medal for Heroism.
Jan Jordan
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Broward County Sheriff's Office captain who ordered deputies to form a perimeter rather than confront the shooter; resigned nine months after the shooting amid criticism.
Martin Duque
VICTIM
Student killed in the shooting; posthumously honored with the ROTC Medal for Heroism.
Martin Anguiano
VICTIM
Student killed in the first-floor hallway of Building 12.
Alyssa Alhadeff
VICTIM
Student and soccer club captain killed in the shooting.
Gina Montalto
VICTIM
Student killed in the first-floor hallway of Building 12.
Alex Schachter
VICTIM
Student killed in the shooting; parents later filed a civil lawsuit against the rifle manufacturer and retailer.
Aaron Feis
VICTIM
Assistant football coach and security guard killed responding to the shooting.
Luke Hoyer
VICTIM
Student killed in the first-floor hallway of Building 12.
Scot Peterson
ACQUITTED
Former Broward County Sheriff's Office school resource officer charged in June 2019 with 11 counts of child neglect, culpable negligence, and perjury for remaining outside during the shooting; found not guilty on all charges June 29, 2023.
Nikolas Cruz
CONVICTED
Pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021, to all charges related to the shooting; sentenced November 2, 2022, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Ashley Baez
VICTIM
15-year-old student wounded in the first-floor hallway of Building 12.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others. Cruz pleaded guilty in 2021 and was sentenced to life without parole in 2022.
Where did the shooting happen?
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida.
Who was convicted?
Nikolas Cruz (Pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021, to all charges related to the shooting; sentenced November 2, 2022, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.).
