"I’m trying not to freak out": Parkland survivor Alex Dworet who lost brother in mass shooting testifies at Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial 

On Tuesday, Parkland massacre survivor Alex Dworet testified against Nikolas Cruz, the 23-year-old suspect charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for his alleged role in the attack.

On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz, a former student at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, entered the school premises and reportedly attacked students while being armed with an AR-15 style rifle and several magazines. He was arrested in Coral Springs while fleeing from the shooting scene.

Cruz's trial began on Monday when several survivors testified against him. In a harrowing account, Alex Dworet, a former student injured in the shooting, described his experiences of the day in court. His brother, 17-year-old Nicholas Dworet, died in the attack.

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Alex Dworet testifies against Nikolas Cruz

In his testimony against Nikolas Cruz, Alex Dworet described what he saw on the day of the Parkland massacre, where he watched one of his classmates die.

The New York Post reported that while Stoneman Douglas high school, like many schools in America, had shooter drills to prepare students for potential attacks, Alex Dworet told the court that when he first heard gunfire, he thought it was the school band.

Dworet testified that even as he was shot, he was in denial that his school might be under attack.

He said:

“I remember feeling trickling down the back of my head and onto my chest. It was all bloody. That’s when I realized something’s wrong. But I didn’t want to believe it was a shooting.”

Dworet described how, as he and the other students got down on the ground, he witnessed the death of fellow student Alex Schachter.

He said:

“I looked straight ahead of me and I saw Alex Schachter passed away. There was a metal bar on his desk and half his body was off the bar and the other half was kind of in his seat. I saw a pile of blood forming under him.”

In an emotional moment, he proceeded to describe how as Schachter died in front of him, he was woken up from his denial of what was occurring around him.

He said:

“I saw his body. Not spasming, but trying to take his final breaths. At that moment it started getting more real.”

Alex Dworet revealed that in the aftermath of the shooting, he discovered that Nikolas Cruz had allegedly shot him in the back of the head, though he was successfully treated for the injury. His brother, Nicholas Dworet, died on the scene in a nearby classroom.

During an interview with Sandy Hook Promise, an organization advocating for victims of mass shootings, Alex Dworet had a message for his brother.

He said:

"If I could say one thing to my brother, it would probably be that I love him and I miss him a lot."

Alex Dworet told the court that after he completed his high school degree, he attended a technical school. He is currently an employee of Audi.