“Burn in hell”: Families of Parkland School shooting victims provides statement during Nikolas Cruz sentencing

On Tuesday, October 1, the families of the 2018 Parkland school shooting victims spoke out against convicted killer Nikolas Cruz at his sentencing.

Theresa Robinovitz, grandmother of Parkland massacre victim Alyssa Alhadeff, said:

“I’m too old to see you live out your life sentence, but I hope your every-breathing moment here on earth is miserable and you repent for your sins Nikolas and burn in hell."

The impassioned condemnation came more than 4 years after the massacre that occurred at Stoneman Douglas High school on February 14, 2018. Nikolas Cruz, 19 at the time of the killings, was a former student at the school who allegedly entered the premises armed with an assault rifle, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others.

On February 19, 2018, Cruz allegedly confessed to the massacre to Florida authorities.

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Parkland victims' family members condemn Nikolas Cruz

NPR reported that on October 13, 2022, a Florida jury agreed that Cruz should receive the death penalty, however this has not yet officially been imposed. If he is not executed, he will receive life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

During Nikolas Cruz's sentencing, several of the victims' family members spoke out against the convicted killer.

David Robinovitz, grandfather of Parkland victim Alyssa Alhadeff, said:

“It is my hope that you go somewhere to meet your maker. And Parkland murderer, I hope your maker sends you directly to hell to burn for the rest of your eternity."

Meghan Petty, sister of 14-year-old victim Alaina, also spoke out against Cruz, describing how traumatic it has been to mentally recover from the massacre. She said:

“This entire ordeal has pushed me to my emotional, physical and mental limits."

Anthony Montalto, the brother of Parkland victim Gina, said that Cruz deserves the death sentence for perpetrating the shooting. Recalling the fond memories he shared with his sister, Montalto said:

“I will never be able to watch TV with (Gina), talk about books with her. Every day I walk by her room and see that it’s empty. … Every day I wake up and I remember that she will not be there. He shouldn’t live while my sister rots in a grave."

According to ABC, Tony Moltanto, Gina's father, said that the decision not to give Cruz the death penalty was an irrational one:

“If the jury took in the evidence presented, there is only logical and fact-based outcome. Sadly, the jury ignored the facts and went with emotion."

He continued:

“Did they consider what kind of message their verdict sent to our nation’s students and teachers? Did they consider how they would explain their verdict to the siblings of the victims, as my wife and I struggled to do?”

According to the New York Post, many jurors voted against the death penalty due to Nikolas Cruz's history of domestic and mental health issues.