Hero of the high school massacre
Boy, 15, shot 5 times as he held class door shut
A TEENAGER shot five times in the Florida school massacre has been hailed a hero after holding a door shut to save his classmates.
Anthony Borges, 15, was cut down by bullets as he fought to keep out gunman suspect Nikolas Cruz.
One shot went through his back, he was hit in both legs and his left upper thigh bone was shattered.
Anthony was the last student to flee into a classroom as Cruz, 19, rampaged through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The massacre last week left 17 dead. As brave Anthony struggled to lock the door, he became a human shield, blocking bullets from Cruz’s AR-15 type semi-automatic rifle and saving up to 20 others.
His friend, Carlos Rodriguez, said: “None of us knew what to do. So he took the initiative to save other classmates.”
Anthony then rang his father to tell him he had been shot. Royer Borges said: “He called me and says, ‘Dad, somebody shot me in the back and my leg.
“He’s my hero. I only ask that people pray for him.” Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said he was “honoured” to shake the teenage boy’s hand when he visited him in hospital. “Fortunately, he is recovering,” the sheriff ’s office said. “But he has a long road ahead with more surgeries needed.
“Please join us in praying for the swift recovery of Anthony and all the other victims of this horrific criminal act.”
A GoFundMe page has so far raised more than $106,000 (£75,000) for Anthony and his family. One poster said: “Thank you for being the kind and loving person you are!”
Cruz, who had been expelled from the school, appeared in court yesterday for a brief procedural hearing. Cruz did not look up or speak. He faces 17 counts of murder. His appearance in Fort Lauderdale came as funerals for victims continued near the school. Alaina Paige, 14, was buried at her Mormon church. Later 15-yearold Luke Hoyer’s funeral took place. The shooting was the country’s worst school massacre since Sandy Hook six years ago that left 26 dead.