Zachary Cruz, the younger brother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, was arrested for trespassing on Marjory Stoneman Douglas school grounds on Monday (March 19).
According to local outlet Palm Beach Post, Cruz, 18, had been spotted cruising through the campus on his skateboard. He reportedly "surpassed all locked doors and gates." Deputies say he went to the campus to “reflect on the school shooting and soak it in."
Currently, there is no evidence that Zachary had knowledge or involvement in the shooting carried out by his brother, which took the lives of 17 Majory Stoneman students and staff. However, it is confirmed that he did live with his brother at the time of the incident. Both Cruz brothers were taken in by a family friend who moved them into her mobile home after their mother’s death in November 2017. Both brothers were students at Stoneman Douglas at one point, and Zachary Cruz reportedly stopped attending since their mother's passing. The brothers were adopted at birth.
According to an earlier report, Zachary told authorities that he felt guilty about the shooting and thought he could have prevented it. "(He) explained that he and his friends, when they were younger, had bullied Nikolas, which he now regrets ever doing. (He) wishes that he had been 'nice' to this brother," the deputy wrote.
Nikolas Cruz is currently being held without bail at the Broward County Jail and faces the death penalty.
