In total, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office had 43 contacts with the Cruz family prior to the Parkland massacre, 21 of which involved Cruz alone or both him and his brother, according to official records. In the decade before the 2018 attack, Lynda appeared to struggle with both of her sons’ behaviour and called police to the family home dozens of times. Lynda, Nikolas, Roger and Zachary Cruz from left to right (Law & Crime) When Cruz was five and Zachary four, Roger died, leaving Lynda to raise the two boys alone. Unlike Zachary and Cruz, Danielle did grow up with Woodard, other biological relatives and lived in foster care. The brothers also have an older sister Danielle Woodard who also shares the same birth mother. When Cruz was born, he was adopted by the Cruz parents.Īround one year later, Zachary was born and was also adopted by the Cruz parents who raised the boys together. Woodard had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and a long rap sheet dating back to at least the 1980s. The boys’ birth mother was Brenda Woodard who, at the time of her pregnancy with Cruz, was homeless, an alcoholic, a drug addict and working as a prostitute. Zachary has the same biological mother as Cruz and was also adopted by Lynda and Roger Cruz. Here’s what we know about Cruz’s younger brother: Early life
#ZACHARY CRUZ NIKOLAS BROTHER TRIAL#
While the trial is casting more of a spotlight on Cruz and his actions leading up to the mass shooting, Zachary also hit headlines in the aftermath of the attack. On Valentine’s Day 2018, Cruz took an Uber to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, armed with an AR-15 style rifle and gunned down students and staff.įourteen students and three educators were killed in the massacre. Zacharay, who is 14 months younger than his 23-year-old murderer brother, has stood by Cruz ever since he carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history. Zachary Cruz, 22, is expected to testify for the defence in Cruz’s sentencing trial, where a jury will decide whether to give him to life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. The SunSentinel reports that her lawyer, Brian Reidy said everyone has “hit the fear button” and that he doesn’t “blame a kid for taking a weapon to school, quite frankly, these days.” _Īssociated Press writer Gary Fineout in Tallahassee contributed to this report.The brother of Parkland mass shooter Nikolas Cruz is believed to be starring in a reality show about his life and was previously charged with trespassing at the school where his brother murdered 17 innocent people. Mollica separately imposed a $12,500 bail Wednesday on a Stoneman Douglas student who officials say pulled a small knife on a boy she accused of harassing her and a friend.
Arreaza represents 15-year-old Anthony Borges, who was shot five times in the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people.Īrreaza had claimed the two offices have a conflict because both signed a 2016 agreement along with county school and law enforcement officials aimed at handling school disciplinary issues without involving law enforcement. Meanwhile, a judge rejected an attempt to remove Broward County prosecutors and its public defender from the Nikolas Cruz criminal case.Ĭircuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said in an order dated Wednesday that attorney Alex Arreaza lacks legal standing to make such a motion. Nikolas Cruz will plead guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder if prosecutors will waive the death penalty, his attorney has said. Lynda Cruz died in November and their father died some years earlier. Both were adopted at very young ages by Roger and Lynda Cruz. They shared the same biological mother but had different fathers. Zachary and Nikolas, 19, both attended Stoneman Douglas. “They must be assured that every necessary step is being taken to increase safety and ensure no unauthorized people are allowed on campus.” “Parents, students and teachers have recently endured one of the worst tragedies in Florida history,” Scott said.
An unspecified number of deputies, some armed with rifles, were added after the school reopened. Before the shooting, the school was patrolled by one armed deputy and unarmed guards. The troopers will be stationed at the school indefinitely, along with Broward County deputies, leaving an armed guard at every campus entrance point, Scott said in a statement.
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