SENTENCING THE PARKLAND KILLER | DAY 16

Here are updates from Day 16 in the sentencing trial of confessed Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, 23; a jury will decide if he will be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole. He pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

■ No stopping: Jury selection continued Wednesday, even as lawyers disagreed whether the Texas school shooting should be discussed directly or left for jurors to bring up. Three jurors said the newest school shooting had an effect on their views and were dismissed. “We all know what happened yesterday,” one potential juror said. “I send my kid to school expecting my kid to come back home.”

■ Moving to final phase: Nine people questioned Wednesday will return next month for the final phase of jury selection. So far, 36 potential jurors are cleared for phase three, meaning they are able to sit on a jury for about four months and did not express views on the death penalty that disqualify them from service.

■ Victims’ families: Tom Hoyer and Scott and Annika Dworet, parents of two students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, were back in the courtroom, where they’ve been regularly during jury selection. Hoyer, whose wife Gena also frequently attends, said sitting in court is difficult but necessary. “I cope by knowing that this is a chapter of my life that will soon be closed,” Hoyer said in the hallway. “I don’t know what the outcome is going to be. But I’d like to see the chapter closed.” The Dworets, who are also parents of a student who was injured, have declined to comment.

■ Quote of the day: “There was a shooting yesterday. And there will be more,” Assistant State Attorney Carolyn McCann said. “The defendant [Cruz] is not special. He is not unique. He is not extraordinary. This is a crime that has happened before and it will happen again. And we cannot break every time something terrible happens.”

■ Looking ahead: Courts are closed Monday for Memorial Day. Jury selection is scheduled to resume June 6.

Go to SunSentinel.com/parkland-shooting for complete coverage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy and ongoing coverage of the sentencing trial.