A student who was caught up in the Florida school shooting last week is recovering in hospital after being shot multiple times as he used his body to shield his fellow classmates. Anthony Borges, 15, has been praised for his staggering bravery after protecting 20 students by holding himself up against classroom door to prevent gunman Nikolas Cruz from entering. In doing so, Borges took several high-velocity bullets from Cruz’s AR-15 rifle.
Borges was originally listed as “critical” but has now been upgraded to “stable.”
“None of us knew what to do, so he took the initiative to just save his other classmates,” recalled one student, Carlos Rodriguez, as reported by ABC News.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Anthony and his family.
Anthony is a victim of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. During this unspeakable tragedy, Anthony was able to save about 20 other students as he attempted to close and lock the door to a classroom. He was shot multiple times (both legs were shot, left upper thigh bone shattered and one bullet went through his back). He has a long road of recovery ahead of him but he is alive and stable.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Anthony and his family. Any help is very much appreciated.
The fundraiser had a goal of $5,000. Currently, it has accrued over $170,000.
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After he was struck by the bullets, Cruz texted a collection of words that no parent ever wants to hear: “Dad, somebody shot me in the back and my leg, too.”
His father, Royer Borges, called his son a “hero”, adding: “I only ask that people pray for him.”
Support for this brave young man has been pouring in on the GoFundMe page. “You are a true hero Anthony, my thoughts and prayers for a full recovery are with you!” one person wrote. “May God’s blessing continue to rain down on your son. A true American hero. It’s individuals like Anthony that make me proud to be an American. God Bless You!!!” another added.
Take a moment to pray for this brave young man today.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High principal Ty Thompson has offered his unwavering support to students following the massacre.
“I promise you I will hug each and every one of you as many times as you need,” he said in an emotional video released Saturday. “I will hold you as long as you need me to, for all 3,300 of you and your families,” said Thompson, his voice cracking. “We will get through this together.”
Thompson praised his staff and students for their astonishing bravery in the midst of the most horrific situation imaginable.
“As you can see in the media, my staff and my students are living our motto: Be Positive, Be Passionate and Be Proud To Be An Eagle,” the principal said.
“We are MSD Strong. Continue to send us your thoughts and prayers. And God bless the Stoneman Douglas Eagle Nation.”
From a hero to a coward. As Anthony Borges recovers from his gunshot wounds and as many funerals take place in this devastated Florida community, shooter Nikolas Cruz has made his latest appearance in court, shuffling to his seat and keeping his head down for the entire hearing. Cruz mumbled replies as he was being spoken to by his lawyers.
The hearing was regarding the defense’s request to keep the records pertaining to Cruz’s mental health and social care situation sealed – the decision was made in a separate court to publicly release the documents. Judge Elizabeth Scherer maintained this ruling, urging openness wherever possible.
The shooter’s lawyer Melissa McNeill told reporters Thursday that her client was “sad”, “mournful” and “remorseful.” She also stated that he was a “broken human being” who was fully aware of what was going on.
In related news, the Broward County Sheriff’s office today announced that deputies had detained a 15-year-old who was threatening to kill people at several Boward County schools.
“Just after midnight on Feb. 16, Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives were notified of a post on Instagram where the male poster said he was going to kill people and listed various schools. BSO Violent Crimes Unit detectives immediately launched an investigation into the threat, ultimately locating the suspect and taking him into custody that afternoon. The teen appeared to be remorseful and claimed his post was a joke aimed at scaring his cousin,” the Sheriff’s office said in a statement posted to its website.
The office added that the teen is “facing one count of sending a written threat to kill,” which is a third-degree felony in Florida.