Jurors tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas along massacre route

The grisly tour has begun.

The jury in the penalty phase of the trial of admitted mass murderer Nikolas Cruz is touring the building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., roaming the same halls he did and peering into the same classrooms and stairwells where he aimed his gun.

The walls are still riddled with bullet holes, and the floors are splattered with bloodstains.

The jury is deciding whether Cruz, now 23, gets life without parole, or the death penalty.

Cruz has formally waived his right to accompany the tour, reported WPLG-TV.

Such a visit is rare, since crime scenes are usually returned to their normal use after an incident and can’t furnish accurate information.

But the three-story building has been sealed off since Cruz murdered 14 students and three staff members back on Valentine’s Day 2018. Under heavy security, the seven-man, five-woman jury plus 10 alternates were bused the 30 miles from the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale to the school.

Police were also sealing off the area so protesters could not interrupt or endanger the jury panel’s safety, AP said.

With News Wire Services