Father of Parkland school shooting victim shares thoughts on upcoming trial

Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquin Oliver who was killed in the Parkland school shooting is getting raw and honest about his thoughts on the upcoming Nikolas Cruz trial.

LAUREN AD-LIB FOGLAUREN AD-LIB TOSS TO TRENAD-LIB WEATHER7:34it’s very convenient forcommunity (not only Parkland) toforget about things, remove itfrom our history and that’s notgonna happen.

We are going to bereminders that our kids losttheir lives in that placTODAY WE REMEMBER THE LIVES LOSTIN THE 2018 PARKLAND SCHOOLSHOOTING.AND ON THE MINDS OF PARENTS,FAMILY AND FRIENDS-- IS THELOOMING TRIAL OF ACCUSED SHOOTERNIKOLAS CRUZ.HE COULD GET THE DEATH PENALTYFOR MURDERING 17 PEOPLE TWOYEARS AGO TODAY.OUR JESSICA ALPERN IS SHARING AONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH TFATHER OF ONE OF THOSEVICTIMS... AND WHAT HE HOPESHAPPENS IN COURT.THE FATHER OF JOAQUIN OLIVER,ONE OF THE STUDENTS KILLED INTHE TRAGIC SCHOOL SHOOTING, ISGETTING RAW AND HONEST ABOUT HTHOUGHTS ON IT.AND HE’S SHARING THOSE EMOTIONSFOR THE FIRST TIME ON-CAMERA.TWO YEARS LATER, AND MANUELOLIVER TELLS ME EACH DAY ONLYGETS HARDER WITHOUT HIS SON.12:30It never goes away....Thememories, places I was withJoaquin and I go alone now and Isee an empty space... or lookito the future and never beingable to meet that awesome growup Joaquin.HE KEEPS HIS SON’S LEGACY ALIVETHROUGH A NONPROFIT, FOCUSED ONCREATING AWARENESS SURROUNDINGGUN CULTURE AND FIGHTING FORREGULATION.THAT’S WHAT HE AND HIS WIFE FEELIS IMPORTANT THAT THEY POURTHEIR ENERGY INTO.WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TRIALAGAINST NIKOLAS CRUZ, HE SAYSTHE FAMILY HAS TRIED TO STAYAWAY FROM IT AS MUCH ASPOSSIBLE.THEY LET THEIR LAWYERS HANDLETHAT... AND HERE’S WHY.3:45let me be honest with you andI’ve never said this ocamera...whatever happens tothat guy is not going to changeanything.

Even the death penaltyis not as painful as the deathpenalty that Joaquin received bya system that failedBUTT TO4:17No one’s gonna put this kid in abuilding full of studentrunning away from a shooter withsmoke in the air and peoplescreaming and blood everywhereand then finally shoot him foutimes and then spend 12 hourwithout letting his family knowanything.THAT’S HOW LONG MANUEL SAYS HISFAMILY WAITED AND WONDERED...ONLY TO FIND OUT THE DEVASTATINGNEWS THAT HIS SON WAS GONE.NOW IN THE AFTERMATH OF THEIRINCREDIBLE LOSS, AND THE LOSS OF16-OTHERS, MANUEL ADDS THISABOUT THE TRIAL...HE CONSIDERS IT SOMETHING QUOTE"HAPPENING ON THE SIDE."THE REAL FOCUS HE SAYS -- NEEDSTO BE ON MOVEMENTS LIKE HIS THATFIGHT FOR SOLUTIONS AND CHANGE.YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THEFAMILY’S ORGANIZATION WHI