Nikolas Cruz to plead guilty in Parkland school shooting, attorneys say The gunman who killed 14 students and three staff members at a Parkland, Florida, high school will plead guilty to their murders, his attorneys said Friday, bringing some closure to a South Florida community more than three years after an attack that sparked a nationwide movement for gun control. The guilty plea would set up a penalty phase where Nikolas Cruz, 23, would be fighting against the death penalty and hoping for life without parole. Attorneys for Cruz said that he will plead guilty Wednesday to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder. The pleas will come with no conditions and prosecutors still plan to seek the death penalty. That will be decided by a jury, but that trial has not been scheduled. Cruz was not initially present during the hearing, but later entered the Broward County courtroom to plead guilty to attacking a jail guard nine months after the shooting. #parklandshooting #marjoriestonemandouglas #guiltyplea