Who is Dylan Kraemer? Parkland school shooting survivor testifies at Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial

The sentencing trial for Nikolas Cruz, the man charged in the Parkland School Shooting, began on Monday.

Day one of the trial saw opening statements being presented in front of the jury and witnesses testifying. The highlight of the day was one of the key witnesses in the case and one of the survivors of the shooting, Dylan Kraemer, 18, testifying against Nikolas Cruz.

Kraemer was the third person to stand witness on the first day of the trial, after Brittany Sinitch and Danielle Gilbert. While Sinitch was a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Danielle Gilbert was another student at the school at the time of the shooting.

Gilbert also recorded a video of the shooting, which was one of the major pieces of evidence in the case. The video was also played in the courtroom during Kraemer's testimony.

Kraemer recalled the day of the incident and said:

"We knocked down a file cabinet, and tried to get as many students behind it [as we could]. Eventually the shooter started shooting through the window [in the door] and bullets were flying through. I looked over and two people were dead and multiple people were shot."

Kraemer also told the jury that Cruz was wearing a hat and a vest, holding "a large AR-15."

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Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in the shooting

Nikolas Cruz is on trial for killing 17 people and attempting to murder more during the Valentine's Day shooting at Parkland School in 2018. A seven-man and five-woman bench is on jury duty for the case.

Nikolas had already pleaded guilty in a previous trial in October. The current trial will decide whether he'll get life without parole or the death penalty. It is to be noted that for a death sentence, the decision from the jury needs to be unanimous.

During the shootout, Kraemer was in classroom 1214 when he saw his six classmates getting killed by gunfire. In an old interview a few months after the shootout, Kraemer spoke about the day and the trauma he was left with after the incident.

Kraemer also talked about his PTSD and the therapy that he is undergoing for the same. He said:

“I try to normalize it as much as possible, but it’s never going to be the same as the life I used to have."

The sentencing trial for Nikolas Cruz will continue on day two with more witnesses and pieces of evidence lined up for the jury. It is expected to be a heavily emotional trial for the victims' families and two therapy dogs being used to help them with their anxiety and calm down.