Florida mass school shooter agrees to donate brain to science in stunning settlement
Florida mass shooter Nikolas Cruz has agreed to donate his brain to science in a "unique" civil settlement reached with one of his victims, according to court papers and experts.
Cruz used an AR-15 assault rifle to massacre 17 students and staffers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in the nation's history.
An attorney for Anthony Borges, 21, who was shot five times in the attack, proposed the unusual stipulation.
Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Anthony Borges shows his gunshot wounds to the jury on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. He was shot five times. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is being tried in the penalty phase
"I figured if scientists studied his brain they might be able to figure out what created this monster," Borges' lawyer, Alex Arreaza, told Fox News Digital. "Maybe there was some kind of imbalance that caused this that we can prevent in the future."
Parkland school shooting to be re-enacted as part of civil lawsuit before building is demolished
Berkeley-based attorney Scott Herndon, who has represented victims of mass shooters, called the settlement novel.
"I’ve never heard of anything like this before. It's pretty unique," he told Fox News Digital. "It underscores the feeling of those left behind that whatever can be done to avoid these massacres in the future should be done."
The new settlement agreement also gives Borges the right to Cruz's name for use in movies, books and other media.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 2: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz sits at the defense table after his sentencing at the Broward County Courthouse November 2, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cruz, who plead guilty to 1
The 25-year-old killer, who is serving life in prison, can't profit from his crime and must obtain permission from Borges prior to giving any interviews.
"We didn't want him to be able to continue torturing the families," said Arreaza, referencing O.J. Simpson's book "If I Did It" as a cautionary tale.
Herndon noted that it's not uncommon for a perpetrator to give up the rights to his name as part of a settlement.
The agreement was hammered out in a Zoom meeting between Borges' father Rory Borges, Cruz and Arreaza. Anthony Borges, who is suffering from PTSD, didn't feel comfortable joining the discussions, Arreaza said.
"You could see what a psychopath he is," Arreaza noted. "He looked at Rory when we were all done and asked if he could apologize, and Nikolas apologized to him like they had been in a car accident together. It was just very cold and weird."
Borges, then 15, was one of 17 victims who barely survived the merciless onslaught. He barricaded a door with his body to keep Cruz from entering the classroom where he cowered with other terrified students.
PARKLAND, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 14: Emma Cabak places flowers on a memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to honor those killed during a mass shooting on February 14, 2022 in Parkland, Florida. Four years ago on February 14, fourteen
Florida deputy acquitted of all charges for failing to act during Parkland school shooting
The once promising soccer player suffered severe wounds to his legs and torso, and endured more than a dozen surgeries.
The settlement also assigns Anthony Borges $430,000 that Cruz is expected to receive from a relative's life insurance policy.
In a prior settlement, the Broward County Public School District paid $26 million to victims of the shooting, $1.25 million of which went to Borges. An undisclosed settlement from the FBI for their inability to prevent Cruz's rampage also went to Borges.
He and other victims have pending lawsuits against School Resource Officer Scot Peterson and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting continues to haunt the young man, who's happy the site of the massacre is being torn down. "Every time he drove by there, it brought back memories," Arreaza said.
Ashley Papa contributed to this report.