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The sentencing hearing for Nikolas Cruz, the 23-year-old suspected shooter in the 2018 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, is currently underway. New footage from that day has revealed that the alleged gunman went to a McDonald's immediately after the massacre.
Thursday, July 21, was the fourth day of the suspect's sentencing trial, where jurors were shown footage of Cruz sitting across from John Wilford at a McDonald's. Wilford is the brother of Madeline Wilford, who was shot and killed during the massacre by Cruz.
The trial is expected to last several months and the hearing will determine whether Nikolas Cruz receives a life sentence or death penalty.
On February 14 2018, then 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered his former high school in Parkland, Florida, armed with an AR-15 and multiple magazines. He was convicted of attacking students and members of the staff, killing 17 and injuring 17 others.
Nikolas Cruz at McDonalds after the attack
After the attack, Nikolas Cruz managed to flee the scene while blending in with other students, who did not realize that the shooter was among them.
As he fled the school with the crowd, surveillance footage showed Cruz first going to a nearby Subway, where he purchased a drink at the counter. Following that, he went to a McDonald's where the brother of one of his victims, Madeline Wilford. was sitting.
John Wilford claimed that Cruz was interacting with other evacuated Stoneman Douglas students at the fast food restaurant. In his testimony, Wilford claimed that Cruz spoke casually to him, even asking for a ride.
Wilford said:
"Everyone was kind of panicked, not knowing what was going on. I was trying to get a hold of my sister and she wasn't picking up, so I called my mother to meet her at McDonald's."
Adding that he tried to speak to Cruz, who was quiet and apprehensive, Wilford said:
"I told him, `This is so chaotic, it´s crazy with all these helicopters and squad cars. What do you think this could be?' He didn't say much. He had his head down."
Wilford said he denied Cruz's request for a ride as he was trying to get in contact with his sister. He said many students had gone to the McDonalds to regroup after the attack.
Wilford noted:
"(Nikolas Cruz) was pretty insistent on (getting a ride). I wasn't really thinking much of it. I just wanted to get home and my sister wasn't answering her phone."
Last October, Cruz pleaded guilty to his role in the massacre. During the ongoing hearing, several survivors and their family members testified against him, discussing their experiences during the course of the shooting.
