I just can't be here.' In memory of Carmen SchentrupCarmen Schentrup My name is April Schentrup. So we lost bathroom privileges at certain hours. They have to prove that there are 17 murders and 17 attempted murders, Ms. Levine said. Gina Montalto (1st floor hallway, east end): Multiple gunshot wounds to legs/torso. Schentrup, who was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Central Florida when his sister was killed, remembers her as a brainy and ambitious teenager, someone whose focus was doing well in. Carmen was one of the school's 10 National Merit Scholar semifinalists And were not all in opposition. You do feel like that. Theyll make the decision that they make. It just seems like it's a problem that can't be ignored anymore. And, as they explain during my visit, they want to share their "hard story" in hopes it will spark some positive change. But hes not confident his own position will prevail in jurors minds, telling CNN he believes the sentence will be death. Since 1977 when executions were reintroduced, nearly 300 Black defendants have been executed for the murder of a White victim, while just 21 White defendants have been executed for the murder of a Black victim, according to a 2020 report by the Death Penalty Information Center. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. To shield heartsick families from the most macabre details of how their loved ones were murdered in a mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the court handling the gunmans sentencing trial has taken an extraordinary step: Graphic videos and photographs are shown only to the jury, so that victims relatives and others in the courtroom gallery do not have to endure them. The witness said specifically: "the woman on 911 asked me to standup and see if I saw anymore and I said there was a boy hanging over his desk with blood dripping out of his head and he was like hyperventilating and trying to catch his breath and then all of a sudden he stopped and went limp." Three years ago, when defense attorneys said the gunman would plead guilty for a life sentence without parole, Michael B. Schulman whose son, geography teacher Scott Beigel was one of three staff members killed wrote an op-ed for the South Florida Sun Sentinel calling for prosecutors to accept the plea. When Carmen decided she wanted to learn German, she taught herself. Carmen Schentrup, 16, suffered five wounds, including a lethal shot to the brain. Philip talks with Evelyn before leaving for work. Schentrup was looking forward to what their relationship would be like when they were older, believing they would have the same strong bonds he sees between his parents and their own siblings. ABOUT Carmen. Last summer, their son Robert, who is in college, joined Evelyn on the Road to Change bus tour, registering new voters and promoting gun violence prevention. So typically, if you're not shot in the head, spine, or chest, you'll be ok? Discovery Company. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 2. While son Robert remained in Florida to attend college, the rest of the family moved to Washington state. "And then come tell me why we can't do things to keep our kids safe. After Carmen was killed, Philip recalls what he heard from a close relative: "'Sorry, but this is the way it is. Cruz has already pleaded guilty, and the state is asking the jury to send the 23-year-old to Florida Death Row for execution. ", Evelyn and April sit below a portrait of Carmen. 2023 Cable News Network. This year's anniversary comes in the wake of the court's decision to spare the shooter, 24-year-old Nikolas Cruz, from the death penalty, charging him with life in prison without parole for 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, to which he pleaded guilty. Alyssa Alhadeff (Room 1216): Shot in the heart, hand, femoral artery, and in the spine five times. from Refinery 29: But also, because we discover that he's not with us. Her parents, Philip and April, speak with soft wonder as they share memories of their daughter, who showed she was gifted from an early age. And they have seen autopsy photographs of almost all of the victims, most of whom were shot more than once. The Schentrups also contend with this: the troubling sense that their sharp, individual loss has been swallowed up, overtaken by the post-Parkland movement. Robert Schentrup Mar 05, 2018 University of Central Florida Julie Halpert February 14: Valentine's Day. what happened to jaime guttenberg what happened to jaime guttenberg (No Ratings Yet) . Cruz walked up to him and subsequently shot him several times before finishing him off with a single shot to the head. After her son shared his statement on Twitter expressing his opposition, April Schentrup retweeted it, writing, I love but disagree with my son., If police did their job that day the shooter wouldve been killed at MSD. We dont have control over whats going on in the courtroom with the jury, she said. "It's not fair that she's not with us," Jacqueline said. [2] [3] [4] Cruz, a former student at the school, fled the . "I think I even tried 'I have one in college, and one here with me, and my other one is in heaven,' " she continues, through tears. She saw your daughter get shot. The family moved mostly for Philip's job; he works for a tech company based in the Pacific Northwest. April finds that now in a new city, on a different coast, meeting new people the simplest questions can be the hardest to answer. Crawled a few feet over to another student (Cara Loughran) who had already been shot, in a bid to protect/shield her. Police arrested 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz for killing 17 people at the high school. Since the shooting and moving with her family across the country, Evelyn has struggled with anxiety and enrolled in online high school classes. "I just felt this urgency," Lundy says. According to Why Meadow Died, Feis had gunshot residue/burn marks on his hands indicating that he may have tried to make a grab for Cruz's rifle barrel since he was fairly close to Cruz. Was shot 3 times initially when Cruz first shot into the room and then was shoot approximately 7 more times when he came back the second time. from Reuters: Those abilities will come but they're still not with . "You search for normalcy, a 'new normal,'" he says, then pauses. hide caption. hide caption. She wanted to get into the best colleges she could.". hide caption. hide caption. No one could tell them anything. Parkland high-school student Alaina Petty was just 14 years old, and weighed just 105 pounds. Some sources say he was killed before he could get up from his desk but other sources say that he was killed when him and a group of students hid in a corner that was in the direct line of sight of the door. "I think it was just hard for them being around so many reminders of her," she says. ", "It's unimaginable, but I think we need to imagine it," April says. hide caption. The bathroom doors were locked due to students vaping so he couldn't get in. A Jury Has Spared The Parkland Shooter From The Death Penalty. They'll be joined by many other Parkland families, as well as clergy and members of their Episcopal church, St. Mary Magdalene of Coral Springs, Fla., where Carmen was a youth group leader. "But again, it just didn't feel right. ", Across The Country, Students Walk Out To Protest Gun Violence. hide caption. The family has no special plans that day. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and making others laugh. "It felt like, here's this mom who's grieving or vocal about all these issues, and let's just give her a job and make it seem to the public like they're doing a good thing. In a general sense he felt he was opposed to it. The Schentrup family in 2016: Philip, Robert, April, Carmen and Evelyn. Membership Signup; Member Login, etc. And as the trial proper got underway this summer, he wanted to make that known. Since the video is blurry and doesnt focus on the body I could see how someone could mistake it for being someone else who died in the hallways (such as Joquain). A couple minutes, Boiko said. Carmen Schentrup (Room 1213): Shot in the abdomen. They blow up like a snowstorm, he said of the bullets, which left large exit wounds. I think it may have been Martin Duque since when they found him he was alive but he died soon after they took him out of the school. At least one family walked out of the courtroom during Dr. Boikos testimony. Follow our live coverage of the decision in the Parkland shooting trial. Satz again asked about the significance of the high-powered bullets. FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - The parents of Carmen Schentrup walked into the Broward School Board building Tuesday with heavy hearts and specific complaints about the way the school district. Jurors heard the difficult testimony and viewed graphic autopsy photos to conclude the first week of trial as prosecutors sought to illustrate the cruelty of Cruzs targeted rampage through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018. She doesn't want to remember her that way, but instead as the genuine and intelligent girl she was. Here are the victims: Alyssa Alhadeff, 14 Alyssa, 14, was. Carmen was 15. Benjamin Wikander: Shot in the right upper arm, Justin Colton: Shot in the lower back and arm, Andrea Kowalski-Rospierski: Teacher, grazed on the cheek by a bullet, Samantha Mayor: Shot once in the left knee/leg. Where are Nikolas Cruz's parents, Linda and Roger Cruz? And it's sad to think that I'm thankful that one out of two of my children came home from school.". It sounded promising, like a way to make real change. On Valentine's Day 2018, my world forever changed. Carmens murder was hard, Schentrup said, for him and his family. April says when she tells people where they moved from, "They'll say 'Ohhhh! We have to want to. While he believed that Mr. Cruz deserved death, Mr. Schulman wrote, pursuing that sentence would involve reliving the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting over and over again. Dr.. There, a photo of her in the graduation cap and gown she would never get to wear. Her senior year in high school, she signed up for six Advanced Placement classes, even though her father suggested she lighten her load and have more fun. "It was hard in the beginning, and it's still hard," she says, her voice trembling, "because we miss [Carmen]. And if we can do some little thing that prevents people from going through that, I think we'll consider this worth the time and effort. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Unlike his parents, he opposes the death penalty for the gunman. On that day, my youngest daughter would survive the mass shooting in Parkland, FL and her 16-year-old sister, Carmen, would be left for dead in her AP Psychology class. Carmen pushed herself to do her best in school, piano, and learning new things, such as German. Until Friday, the first week of trial testimony has largely been marked by harrowing accounts from teachers and students who dodged bullets, suffered gunshot wounds and saw their classmates shot dead inside classrooms of the freshman building. Dr. Boiko described autopsies of four students, and the details were gut-wrenching. And when rescue came, they didn't take her with them.'". At the Parkland Trial, Families Must Endure Grisly Evidence on Repeat, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/us/parkland-school-shooting-trial.html. And the fact that its super awkward and people dont know how to talk about it I also still dont know how to talk about it just makes it that much more difficult and makes the conversation that much harder.. Robert Schentrup, whose 16-year-old sister Carmen was killed in the shooting, opposes the death penalty altogether. I also want to make sure that Carmen's not forgotten. And if so, live through that.. Carmen was in her AP Psychology class, just minutes from finishing the school day and returning home to our family. Late in the night, she received a devastating phone call from the sister of one of Carmen's classmates. So I don't know. Testimony from other medical examiners made some victims relatives cry. RT @RobSchentrup: Since Carmen's death: over 200,000 Americans have died from gun violence over 380,000 people have been shot and are living with injuries As we mark this five-year milestone, we must reflect on how far we have come and how far we have left to go. "Since February 14, this is every day. My Account; Password Reset . 2/21/01-2/14/18. Peter Wang Allen Breed / AP Peter Wang was. Another witness stated in regards to the 911 operator asking them whether he was in his chair or not: "Yeah he was still sitting on the chair. She was one of 10 Douglas students to. Carmens murderer deserves the death penalty.. Nicholas Dworet (Room 1214): Was killed by a shot to the head. Luke Hoyer (1st floor hallway, east end): Multiple gunshot wounds (instant/near-instantly fatal). Do you have a link to the tweet about it though by any chance ? Carmen, 16, a senior, was in her AP Psychology class in room 1213, near a podium, when she was shot three times and died of her wounds, according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Mike Satz. They talk about their views with family members who are gun owners and NRA members, and admit that those conversations can be painful. Cruz waived his right to be present at the viewing. A subreddit centered on the phenomenon of mass murder and the perpetrators who commit them, their motivations, crimes and the psychology of these individuals. If the projectile hit the kidney or the arteries connected to it, that would also be quickly fatal. And hopefully that doing something creates a change for the positive. Carmen was born in Hollywood, FL at the same hospital her dad had been born many years before. You should try to comprehend your daughter who you are so proud of, and who was just beginning to live her life being riddled by bullets. 'I just want to know where my daughter is'. Such is the nature of capital punishment: Pursuing a death sentence, even against a defendant whose guilt has never been in doubt, requires putting a community that has already survived an unthinkable tragedy through more agony. The program for a concert in memory of Robert Schentrup's sister Carmen Schentrup. The teen was shot eight times and would have stayed alive for a short time. If we choose to wait, there will just be more parents like us. The damage is very significant.. Meadow Pollack, 16, was shot nine times, at close range, including shots to the head and torso, which damaged lungs and spinal cord. It's definitely not easy. Was frozen in fear after being trapped in the third floor hallway. Our beautiful daughter Carmen was murdered on Valentine's Day 2018, one week before her 17th birthday. On Monday, Nikolas Cruz's defense team was found guilty of killing 17 people and injuring 17 others in a fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, and began to submit his case. Even so, Ms. Risher said she does not regret attending the trial, which she described as some of the hardest days of her life. "But we hope for them.". I was thinking it could've been him or Kyle Laman but Kyle escaped and the body stayed put in the video. Funeral Home Services for Carmen are being provided by Kraeer Funeral Home and Cremation Center of Coral Springs, Florida. Carmen Schentrup (Room 1213): Shot in the abdomen. ", April always wears bracelets in honor of Carmen and the 16 other victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. April Schentrup is a survivor fellow with the . I had a bad gut feeling about it, testified Wilford who would later learn that his sister, Madeline, was wounded in the attack by the very teen whod been pestering him for a ride. Alyse Young for NPR But if that is true, I dont think its been publicly avalible at least. They have become vocal advocates for gun violence prevention measures they hope will prevent another tragedy like theirs. I wasnt in the safe spot. ", April Schentrup can imagine what that feels like. Asked for comment, Broward County schools spokeswoman Nadine Drew replied that April Schentrup's appointment "was intended to be short-term to provide a resource to focus on safety and security issues while waiting for staffing recommendations from Safe Havens." 2/21/2001 - 2/14/2018. Robert Schentrup, 23, lost his younger sister Carmen in the Parkland shooting. "We've always been private people," Phil explains. Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old child was gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14 . or 'the Parkland activists!' I also feel a certain responsibility to let it be known, he added, so people can if theyre saying, well, I defer to the victims make an informed choice about their own feelings on this issue.. Was killed after running to the scene of the shooting in an attempt to neutralize Cruz. The gunman shot out a window in the class door. They. After the killer pleaded guilty last year, Tony Montalto, the father of 14-year-old Gina Montalto, told CNN he deserves as much of a chance as he gave my daughter and everyone else on February 14 of 2018. The father of 17-year-old Joaquin Guac Oliver, Manuel Oliver, also believes the killer deserves death, telling CBS News, The fact that Florida has the death penalty, if its not for these kinds of cases, I dont know why do we have it.. Carmen was a beautiful, caring, talented, smart, and witty 16 year old. Where was Bourges when he was shot? Some of the relatives of those murdered, listening in court, grimaced, shook their heads or put their hands to their faces as he explained the internal damage caused by the bullets. Aaron Feiss body was also partially in a entrance to the building so his body may have also been seen as being on the sidewalk maybe. Photos of the Schentrup family and their daughter Carmen fill the living room of the family's new home. The jury must be unanimous to recommend death. A small number of people connected to the tragedy have publicly opposed capital punishment, in part because the very process of securing a death penalty verdict and waiting out the inevitable years of appeals would be so difficult. ", "This happened 19 years later after Columbine, five years later after Sandy Hook," April adds. They'll be adding their voices to a chorus of demands that political leaders act to reform gun laws. I believe there is a typo in Gina's blurb. 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