PARKLAND, Fla. — A jury began deliberations Wednesday on whether Nikolas Cruz should get the death penalty, or life in prison, as his punishment in the shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018.

Jurors are just getting started. The judge sent them jury into the jury room for their deliberations after she read them instructions on how they are to come up with a sentencing verdict.

The judge also excused several alternates, leaving the 12 jurors who will decide Cruz’s fate. The jurors have been involved with trial for more than six months.

In closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutors tried to convince jurors Cruz deserves the death penalty. But Cruz’s defense attorneys tried to convince jurors to show mercy, and choose life in prison as his punishment.

Cruz, 24, pleaded guilty to the killings of 17 people, 14 students and three staff members, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018.

Jurors must weigh several mitigating factors — such as the cruelty prosecutors said Cruz displayed during the killings — against aggravating factors, like the defense’s argument that Cruz’s numerous mental disorders stem from a traumatic childhood and led to his actions.

The jury's decision must be unanimous in order to recommend the death penalty.

“So it’s a high standard, but with a case like this, there are a number of statutory factors, aggravating factors that I would expect the jury could very easily find in terms of it being pre-meditated, in terms of it being particularly heinous or cruel,” said Jonathan Rose, criminal defense attorney.

As the judge read the jury instructions Wednesday morning, she had to repeatedly name the victims, many of whom had family members in the courtroom who were visibly emotional as the end of the long ordeal approaches.

For several weeks, prosecutors have presented evidence, much of it graphic images of the shootings. But his defense attorneys presented evidence Cruz’s mother drank heavily while pregnant with him, causing him to suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. They say that led to Cruz having erratic and violent conduct that ultimately culminated in the shootings.

In their closing argument, the defense argued choosing a death sentence would be choosing revenge, not justice.

“Because if that is where you’re at, you are more likely to sentence that young man to death,” said defense attorney Melisa McNeill.

“And the law that we all live by tells jurors we must not make decisions based on passion, emotion or anger.”

“Something to transport his rifle, something to transport the vest that contains the magazines, what else–you want to blend in right - so he gets his JROTC polo shirt to wear–all these details he thought of and he did it,” said prosecutor Mike Satz.

The state argues Cruz came up with a tactical and purposeful plan to carry out the shootings, a plan they say was cruel and warrants the death penalty as a punishment. The judge has ordered the jury to be sequestered at a hotel once they begin deliberations. Those deliberations could take several days, but how long ultimately depends on the jury.​