Parkland parent says he's 'sick' to his stomach after confessed shooter registers to vote from jail

Lauren Holter
A Parkland parent speaks out about the confessed shooter registering to vote from prison. (Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
A Parkland parent speaks out about the confessed shooter registering to vote from prison. (Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

The father of a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victim is “sick” over the fact that the man who confessed to killing his daughter in February registered to vote while behind bars.

Andrew Pollack, the father of 18-year-old Meadow Pollack, tweeted a screenshot of Nikolas Cruz’s voter registration form over the weekend. It showed that the 20-year-old registered to vote as a Republican in July, listing his address as the Broward County Jail.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” Pollack wrote, referring to Cruz only as an “animal” and by his criminal case number, “18-1958.”

Cruz confessed to opening fire in the high school, saying in a police video that a “a voice” and a “demon” told him to “burn, kill, destroy.” Meadow was one of 14 teenagers Cruz killed on Valentine’s Day 2018, sparking a national movement of gun control activism that culminated in a nationwide voter registration campaign.

Florida law also gives Cruz the right to vote — for now, at least. Criminal defendants can legally vote in the state as long as they haven’t been convicted. Cruz waived his right to a speedy trial in April, as CNN reports, and it’s unclear when his trial will begin.

“Taking away the voting rights of an eligible person awaiting trial is illegal,” Broward Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright told NBC affiliate WFLA. She added that voter registration is overseen by the Supervisor of Elections Office, not the sheriff.

Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine agreed with Pollack, though, tweeting that allowing Cruz to vote is “just outrageous and so hurtful to the victims and the families.”

Unlike the Parkland survivors who launched March For Our Lives, Pollack has defended the president, spoke out in support of the National Rifle Association (NRA), and advocated for arming teachers.

Florida also drew attention last week for voting to restore voting rights for people convicted of a felony who have served their sentences. Cruz is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, however, rendering him unable to vote in any future elections.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.