Jury to weigh death penalty as Parkland shooter's penalty phase trial begins

The jury's decision must be unanimous to sentence Nikolas Cruz to death.

A jury will soon determine if confessed Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz will be sentenced to death.

Opening arguments began Monday in the penalty phase of Cruz's trial. The trial is expected to take several months. At the conclusion, the jury’s decision must be unanimous to sentence him to death.

Prosecutor Mike Satz said in his opening statement: "Three days before the massacre, Cruz made a video saying, 'My name is Nik. I'm going to be the next school shooter of 2018. My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15 and some tracer rounds. It's gonna be a big event and when you see me on the news you'll know who I am. You're all gonna die. ... I can't wait.'"

Satz described the shooting as a "planned, systematic ... mass murder."