On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, the gunman accused of the mass shooting in the US high school in Parkland, Florida back in 2018 which killed at least 17 students and the staff was formally sentenced to life in prison.&nbsp;

The 24-year-old Cruz, responsible for one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history was sentenced by Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer after hours of testimonies by the family members of the victims.&nbsp;

The former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland student had pleaded guilty to the attack last year following the defence’s argument that his mother’s use of drugs and alcohol had permanently damaged his brain. According to reports, Cruz had fired more than 140 shots from an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle for nearly seven minutes in the school.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Parkland shooter gets life imprisonment, jury spares capital punishment

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The sentence is also after the jury could not unanimously vote last month if the gunman was 19 years old at the time of the attack and deserved the death penalty or not with a 9-3 vote on October 13. The judge had also agreed to the prosecutor’s request to allow the family members of the victims to speak in court before the sentence, many of whom criticised the state law which requires all 12 jurors to be unanimous for a convicted person to be executed.&nbsp;

“He has escaped this punishment because a minority of the jury was given the power to overturn the majority decision made by people who were able to see him for what he is…a remorseless monster who deserves no mercy,” said Meghan Petty, who lost her 14-year-old sister Alaina. This hearing marked the end of a trial that went on for more than four years.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/burn-in-hell-family-members-of-victims-of-parkland-shooting-confront-nikolas-cruz-at-sentencing-530341">'Burn in hell': Family members of Parkland shooting victims confront Nikolas Cruz at sentencing</a>

Cruz barely spoke during the hearing and only addressed the judge when asked questions pertaining to the proceedings. During the two-day hearing, he sat wearing red prison overalls and handcuffs as well as a Covid-19 mask which he later removed when one of the victims’ mothers said it was disrespectful.&nbsp;

The judge did not interact with Cruz beyond what was required while calling the victims’ families and the wounded strong, graceful and patient. She added, “I know you are going to be OK because you have each other.”

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, the gunman accused of the mass shooting in the US high school in Parkland, Florida back in 2018 which killed at least 17 students and the staff was formally sentenced to life in prison.

On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, the gunman accused of the mass shooting in the US high school in Parkland, Florida back in 2018 which killed at least 17 students and the staff was formally sentenced to life in prison. The 24-year-old Cruz, responsible for one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history was sentenced by Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer after hours of testimonies by the family members of the victims. The former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland student had pleaded guilty to the attack last year following the defence’s argument that his mother’s use of drugs and alcohol had permanently damaged his brain. According to reports, Cruz had fired more than 140 shots from an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle for nearly seven minutes in the school. Watch | Parkland shooter gets life imprisonment, jury spares capital punishment × The sentence is also after the jury could not unanimously vote last month if the gunman was 19 years old at the time of the attack and deserved the death penalty or not with a 9-3 vote on October 13. The judge had also agreed to the prosecutor’s request to allow the family members of the victims to speak in court before the sentence, many of whom criticised the state law which requires all 12 jurors to be unanimous for a convicted person to be executed. “He has escaped this punishment because a minority of the jury was given the power to overturn the majority decision made by people who were able to see him for what he is…a remorseless monster who deserves no mercy,” said Meghan Petty, who lost her 14-year-old sister Alaina. This hearing marked the end of a trial that went on for more than four years. ALSO READ: 'Burn in hell': Family members of Parkland shooting victims confront Nikolas Cruz at sentencing Cruz barely spoke during the hearing and only addressed the judge when asked questions pertaining to the proceedings. During the two-day hearing, he sat wearing red prison overalls and handcuffs as well as a Covid-19 mask which he later removed when one of the victims’ mothers said it was disrespectful. The judge did not interact with Cruz beyond what was required while calling the victims’ families and the wounded strong, graceful and patient. She added, “I know you are going to be OK because you have each other.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US: Parkland school mass shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole

A 16-year-old student from US’ Florida high school was arrested for carrying a loaded gun on the premises, police officers said, as schools remained on high alert over a disturbing nationwide TikTok trend.

A police team was deployed at Miramar High School on Friday after a staff was notified “about a social media post reportedly depicting an East High School student holding a gun”, according to a statement from the Salt Lake police

A 11th grade student was detained by police due to his demeanour. While searching him, a loaded firearm was found in his small bag that was not allowed due to testing in classrooms, according to police.

The student was then taken into custody, police said.

No other information was provided about the student or the case, or what the student’s possible intentions could have been.

The investigators have not found any evidence of threats posted online by the teen, and it wasn’t&nbsp;clear whether this case had anything to do with the TikTok threats.

In a letter to parents, Salt Lake School District administrators praised the actions of other students who saw the threat and reported it, according to local media reports.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-schools-cancel-classes-due-to-shooting-threats-on-tiktok-437837">US schools cancel classes due to shooting threats on TikTok</a>

"Those who reported what they knew did the right thing today, and I can't stress enough how important it is for students, parents, and staff to say something when they see something. Please talk to your students about this. For any students who may not feel comfortable approaching staff directly, I strongly urge you to download the SafeUT app," the letter stated. "

This app has the potential to save lives, and we encourage all our community members to download it."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michigan-school-shooting-15-year-old-student-ethan-crumbley-charged-as-an-adult-433393">Also read |&nbsp;Michigan school shooting: 15-year-old student, Ethan Crumbley, charged as an adult</a>

Schools across the US have been on heightened alert after a TikTok video went viral on Thursday that was preaching gun violence in school.

Some schools sent warnings to parents and stepped up security, while others cancelled classes.

TikTok said that it was working with law enforcement to investigate reported videos discussing an upcoming school shooting, but had “found nothing”.

“If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we'd remove and report it to law enforcement,” it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 16-year-old student from US’ Florida high school was arrested for carrying a loaded gun on the premises, police officers said, as schools remained on high alert over a disturbing nationwide TikTok trend.

A 16-year-old student from US’ Florida high school was arrested for carrying a loaded gun on the premises, police officers said, as schools remained on high alert over a disturbing nationwide TikTok trend. A police team was deployed at Miramar High School on Friday after a staff was notified “about a social media post reportedly depicting an East High School student holding a gun”, according to a statement from the Salt Lake police A 11th grade student was detained by police due to his demeanour. While searching him, a loaded firearm was found in his small bag that was not allowed due to testing in classrooms, according to police. The student was then taken into custody, police said. No other information was provided about the student or the case, or what the student’s possible intentions could have been. The investigators have not found any evidence of threats posted online by the teen, and it wasn’t clear whether this case had anything to do with the TikTok threats. In a letter to parents, Salt Lake School District administrators praised the actions of other students who saw the threat and reported it, according to local media reports. Also read | US schools cancel classes due to shooting threats on TikTok "Those who reported what they knew did the right thing today, and I can't stress enough how important it is for students, parents, and staff to say something when they see something. Please talk to your students about this. For any students who may not feel comfortable approaching staff directly, I strongly urge you to download the SafeUT app," the letter stated. " This app has the potential to save lives, and we encourage all our community members to download it." Also read | Michigan school shooting: 15-year-old student, Ethan Crumbley, charged as an adult Schools across the US have been on heightened alert after a TikTok video went viral on Thursday that was preaching gun violence in school. Some schools sent warnings to parents and stepped up security, while others cancelled classes. TikTok said that it was working with law enforcement to investigate reported videos discussing an upcoming school shooting, but had “found nothing”. “If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we'd remove and report it to law enforcement,” it added. (With inputs from agencies)

TikTok challenge: 16-year-old student detained for carrying loaded gun to school in US

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US: Parkland school mass shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole

TikTok challenge: 16-year-old student detained for carrying loaded gun to school in US