Parkland Shooter's Brother Arrested at High School

Zachary Cruz told cops he was there to reflect
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 20, 2018 1:39 AM CDT
Updated Mar 20, 2018 5:03 AM CDT
Shooter's Brother Arrested at High School
This frame grab provided by WSVN shows Zachary Cruz crying as his brother, Nikolas Cruz, is arraigned at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.   (WSVN via AP, Pool)

The younger brother of Nikolas Cruz has been arrested for riding his skateboard across the campus where his brother killed 17 students and staff. Zachary Cruz, 18, was arrested and booked into jail Monday night for trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he is a former student, USA Today reports. A police report says Cruz, who had been warned to stay off school grounds, was seen in security footage on the Parkland, Fla., campus at 4:30pm, almost two hours after classes finished for the day. The report says the teen told deputies that he was there to "reflect on the school shooting and to soak it in."

Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie says there were four armed Broward Sheriff's Office deputies on campus at the time, the Sun Sentinel reports. Runcie says school gates are locked during the school day but open after hours. "It wasn’t some breach of security," Runcie says. “He came through whatever gate was open at the time. Somebody spotted him and reported him to BSO. They responded quickly." He adds: "It's kind of odd, and I understand it does creep people out." The Cruz brothers were adopted at birth from the same mother. Friends have described Zachary Cruz as nice, quiet, and a talented skateboarder who, unlike his brother, mostly stayed out of trouble, the Miami Herald reports. (Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz.)

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