Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Anthony Borges, Stoneman Douglas Shooting Hero, Calls Out Broward Sheriff

Hero Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Anthony Borges appeared at a news conference Friday where he called out Broward Sheriff Scott Israel and Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie in a statement.

Borges, who is still wheelchair-bound and didn't speak, had the statement read by his attorney, Alex Arreaza, at the news conference.

The teen said he appreciated Israel and Runcie visiting him in the hospital but said they failed him and the other victims of the Feb. 14 shooting at the Parkland school.

"I want to say that both of you failed us, students, teachers and parents alike, on so many levels," Arreaza said while reading the statement. "I am a 15-year-old that was shot five times while Broward Sheriff's deputies waited outside and decided that they weren't going to come in the building."

Borges was released Wednesday morning from Broward Health Medical Center after nine surgeries. The teen is credited with saving the lives of 20 classmates by attempting to close and lock a classroom door during the shooting.

His family has filed notice that they will sue authorities to seek money to cover the cost of his recovery.

"I understand it, they have an absolute right to do it, they've been through horrific tragedy, they're suffering enormous pain," Runcie said last month after learning the family was planning to sue.

Borges said officials should have known that shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was a threat.

"You knew he was a problem years ago and you did nothing. He should have never been in school with us," the statement read.

Israel has said that his agency will fully cooperate with a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Investigation into the shooting.

"We will find the truth," Israel said last month. "If the deputies did nothing wrong, then we move forward. If the deputies made mistakes, I’ll act accordingly and handle it appropriately."

Borges thanked the community for their support and said he is still in mourning for the victims.

"I don't know why I survived and they didn't," he said. "We have the responsibility to tell the world what happened here."

Contact Us