Current:Home > FinanceSurvivor of Parkland school massacre wins ownership of shooter’s name in lawsuit settlement -Finovate
Survivor of Parkland school massacre wins ownership of shooter’s name in lawsuit settlement
View
Date:2025-04-12 16:06:14
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The most severely wounded survivor of the 2018 massacre at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School now owns shooter Nikolas Cruz’s name, and Cruz cannot give any interviews without his permission, under a settlement reached in a lawsuit.
Under his recent settlement with Anthony Borges, Cruz must also turn over any money he might receive as a beneficiary of a relative’s life insurance policy, participate in any scientific studies of mass shooters and donate his body to science after his death.
The agreement means that Cruz, 25, cannot benefit from or cooperate with any movies, TV shows, books or other media productions without Borges’ permission. Cruz is serving consecutive life sentences at an undisclosed prison for each of the 17 murders and 17 attempted murders he committed inside a three-story classroom building on Feb. 14, 2018.
“We just wanted to shut him down so we never have to hear about him again,” Borges’ attorney, Alex Arreaza, said Thursday.
Borges, now 21, was shot five times in the back and legs and collapsed in the middle of the third-floor hallway. Video shows that Cruz pointed his rifle at Borges as he lay on the floor, but unlike most of the other victims he walked past, did not shoot him a second time. Arreaza said he asked Cruz why he didn’t shoot Borges again, but he didn’t remember.
A promising soccer player before the shooting, Borges has undergone more than a dozen surgeries and still lives in pain. He received donations, a $1.25 million settlement from the Broward County school district and an undisclosed settlement from the FBI for their failures in preventing the shooting. Arreaza said it is difficult to say whether Borges has received enough money to cover his future medical expenses.
Several other families also sued Cruz, and a mini-trial had been scheduled for next month to assess damages against him. That trial has been canceled, Arreaza said. David Brill, the attorney representing the other families, did not return a phone call and two email messages seeking comment.
Florida already has laws that prohibit inmates from keeping any proceeds related to their crimes, including any writings or artwork they might produce in prison. In addition, Judge Elizabeth Scherer, when she sentenced Cruz, ordered that any money placed in his prison commissary account be seized to pay restitution to the victims and their families and all court and investigation costs. In total, that would be millions of dollars.
Arreaza said he feared that without the settlement, Cruz could find a way around the law and the judge’s order or assign any money he might receive to a relative or other person.
Borges, the families of those Cruz murdered and other survivors are also suing former Broward County sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson, the sheriff’s office and two former school security guards, alleging they failed to protect the students and staff. No trial date has been set. Peterson was acquitted of criminal charges last year.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- After cuts to children's food aid, 4 in 10 poor families are skipping meals, survey finds
- Lahaina death toll remains unclear as Hawaii authorities near the end of their search
- 6-foot beach umbrella impales woman's leg in Alabama
- Sam Taylor
- Manchin and his daughter pitching donors on a centrist political group, source says
- John Legend Reflects on Special Season Ahead of His and Chrissy Teigen's 10th Wedding Anniversary
- Nonconsensual soccer kiss controversy continues with public reactions and protests
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- As Israel pushes punitive demolitions, family of 13-year-old Palestinian attacker to lose its home
Ranking
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Tropical Storm Idalia descends on North Carolina after pounding Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
- Memphis plant that uses potentially hazardous chemical will close, company says
- Trump inflated his net worth by $2.2 billion, NYAG says in filing
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Panama Canal's low water levels could become headache for consumers
- Jada Pinkett Smith Welcomes Adorable New Member to Her and Will Smith's Family
- Death of woman following attacks on North Carolina power stations ruled a homicide
Recommendation
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Death of woman following attacks on North Carolina power stations ruled a homicide
Saudi man sentenced to death for tweets in harshest verdict yet for online critics
Watch thousands of octopus moms use underwater 'hot tubs' to protect their nests
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
For DeSantis, Hurricane Idalia comes at a critical point in his campaign
Bear cub with head stuck in plastic container rescued by park manager, shared on Instagram
Georgia sheriff dies after car hits tree and overturns