Zachary Cruz to start Anti-Bullying Campaign + Updates

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The brother of the gunman who killed 17 people at a Florida high school says he wants to dedicate himself to ending bullying, and that he believes bullying contributed to his brother’s actions.

“Because my brother didn’t really fit in with a lot of people and I saw the effects of that, like, firsthand,” Zachary Cruz told CNN affiliate WPEC outside of an animal boarding house in Green Acres, Florida, on Sunday morning. “It’s a real issue so I just want to try to change that.”

Zachary Cruz previously told investigators he bullied his adopted brother Nikolas when they were younger, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s report. Two days after the shooting, Cruz said he felt guilty about it and thought he could have prevented it, a detective wrote. He echoed that sentiment on Sunday.

“There’s a lot of things I wish I could have did to prevent it,” he said. “I wish I could have stopped it somehow.”

Cruz told reporters he used to fight a lot with his brother when they were younger, but that they “made amends” and grew closer in their teenage years.

“I felt like I was bullying him a little bit at times, like I felt like I was a little too hard on him at times,” Cruz said of their childhoods. “He was a very, like, fragile person, so … my mom was always there for him.”

Their mother, Lynda Cruz, died in November 2017.

“I want to end bullying because it’s so dumb,” Cruz added Sunday. “Like, everybody, like, deserves to fit in. … You shouldn’t just, I don’t know, exclude someone because they’re different.”

Cruz spoke to reporters Sunday as he was picking up his and his brother’s dogs before moving to Virginia, after a judge ruled last week he could serve the rest of his probation there. He’s moving with the assistance of the legal rights group Nexus Derechos Humanos to Staunton, where he’ll participate in a program that provides counseling and will give him a job as a maintenance technician.

Cruz said he was looking forward to a fresh start in Virginia.

When asked what he hoped to do there, he said, “Finish high school, work on this bullying thing that I want to do, and just live my life.”





Clearly Zach is carrying around a HUGE amount of guilt for bullying Nikolas when they were younger. Let's see what he can make of this campaign.

Also glad to see that he didn't leave his and Nikolas's beloved dogs behind.

I hope the campaign is a success and incorporates aspects that helps reduce bullying because bullying needs to be heavily decreased as low as possible (bullying cannot be 100% exterminated only decreased) because it's impacted so many innocent lives negatively.

I relate to Zach with feeling guilt over past bullying because I bullied an innocent and sweet child to keep a friendship with a bully (I should've ended it and told a recess guard about the incident as it was happening) and immediately felt remorse and guilt over my action and still do (I'm glad I never bullied again because that was one of the worst feelings of my life and it's wrong).

PotholeAbyss wrote:

I hope the campaign is a success and incorporates aspects that helps reduce bullying because bullying needs to be heavily decreased as low as possible (bullying cannot be 100% exterminated only decreased) because it's impacted so many innocent lives negatively.

I relate to Zach with feeling guilt over past bullying because I bullied an innocent and sweet child to keep a friendship with a bully (I should've ended it and told a recess guard about the incident as it was happening) and immediately felt remorse and guilt over my action and still do (I'm glad I never bullied again because that was one of the worst feelings of my life and it's wrong).

Bullying will never go away, especially when the bully is some fucking meathead that gives the school attention by winning games and has rich parents. The school just ignores you.

Sounds like a noble goal he's taking up, although I'm not sure if he's the best guy for the job.

Well at least he's doing something good and admits guilt at being a bully unlike Emma Gonzalez.

QuestionMark wrote:

Sounds like a noble goal he's taking up, although I'm not sure if he's the best guy for the job.

I somewhat agree. Although if Zach is 100% going to do something like this, then his past experience as a bully would be helpful. Who better to talk about bullying then someone who used to be one, who knows how drastically it effected the person being bullied. I mean it was reported that Nikolas was sleeping with knives because he was so scared of his brother. In my opinion it takes a lot of abuse, bullying, etc. to get someone to that point.

If Zach can keep himself out of trouble, get his life headed in the right direction AND is serious about trying to be a anti bullying advocate, then I think it would be a good thing. Now with all that being said, I seriously don't thing becoming an advocate of a Anti Bullying campaign is going to help this kid live a normal life. Which is what he has said he wants to do.

Either way, I truly hope this legal rights group Nexus Derechos Humanos, has good intentions in his regard and actually helps him and isn't using him as a poster boy for some agenda. Their whole case they made for Zach's move to Virginia was mainly saying how Zach could never have a normal life in Florida because of what his brother had done, also all the trouble he had gotten himself into as well.

We will see in the following weeks/months just how much publicity Zach gets. If he starts getting paraded around like some show dog, then this Nexus group is more then likely trying to use him to gain media attention. I seriously hope this doesn't happen.

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about him yet. It just really makes me want Byron or Kevin to speak out.

I think James Holmes’ sister spoke out at some point. I actually think she’s a singer songwriter somewhere

I don’t know if Ryan Lanza has said anything after because I think he was initially was accused that day. Wasn’t his Facebook page just bombarded with really cruel horrible things?

Screamingophelia wrote:

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about him yet.   It just really makes me want Byron or Kevin to speak out.

I think James Holmes’ sister spoke out at some point. I actually think she’s a singer songwriter somewhere

I don’t know if Ryan Lanza has said anything after  because I think he was initially was accused that day. Wasn’t his Facebook page just bombarded with really cruel horrible things?

I don't really think it is a good idea for the moment. Many people want to see things all black or all white. I fear that people think it is either that campaign or either gun control. Both campaigns can work together, but would it be ok to see Zachary Cruz speak or walk with the Parkland survivors?

In fact, what bothers me is that he is the brother of Nikolas, so we can't help but think that he wants to show us how his brother was sad, was a victim, was bullied and so he shot the school... I can sympathize with the shooters, and so can most people on this forum, and still we know that nothing justify killing people, and we also feel very sad for the victims as well. But can others? Could they not think that Zachary Cruz is trying to manipulate them into thinking that bullying is the cause of the shooting, so Nik had some legitimate reasons? I fear that in reaction they will ignore the anti-bullying campaign out of principle. An anti-bullying campaign not directly linked to school shooting may have been better in my opinion, because at least there would be no suspicion that they are trying to excuse shootings. Especially because it is also a much more global issue, and linking it to school shooting might prevent people from identifying.

But I hope that I am wrong and that people can think more than I think they do. Maybe we will forget who Zachary Cruz is and he will be a powerful voice, I hope so even if I am rather pessimistic.

Neah wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about him yet.   It just really makes me want Byron or Kevin to speak out.

I think James Holmes’ sister spoke out at some point. I actually think she’s a singer songwriter somewhere

I don’t know if Ryan Lanza has said anything after  because I think he was initially was accused that day. Wasn’t his Facebook page just bombarded with really cruel horrible things?

I don't really think it is a good idea for the moment. Many people want to see things all black or all white. I fear that people think it is either that campaign or either gun control. Both campaigns can work together, but would it be ok to see Zachary Cruz speak or walk with the Parkland survivors?

In fact, what bothers me is that he is the brother of Nikolas, so we can't help but think that he wants to show us how his brother was sad, was a victim, was bullied and so he shot the school... I can sympathize with the shooters, and so can most people on this forum, and still we know that nothing justify killing people, and we also feel very sad for the victims as well. But can others? Could they not think that Zachary Cruz is trying to manipulate them into thinking that bullying is the cause of the shooting, so Nik had some legitimate reasons? I fear that in reaction they will ignore the anti-bullying campaign out of principle. An anti-bullying campaign not directly linked to school shooting may have been better in my opinion, because at least there would be no suspicion that they are trying to excuse shootings. Especially because it is also a much more global issue, and linking it to school shooting might prevent people from identifying.

But I hope that I am wrong and that people can think more than I think they do. Maybe we will forget who Zachary Cruz is and he will be a powerful voice, I hope so even if I am rather pessimistic.

I agree. I think with some of his past actions as well as it being way too soon after the tragedy. I don’t think he’s the one to start this campaign either . I guarantee you that if four months after Columbine Sue started to advocate for mental health people would look at her a whole hell of a lot different than now. Though I don’t think four months after Columbine Sue in any position to do anything I don’t think she was able to get out of bed

Not really sure wether Cruz was actually bullied, but Maybe Im wrong.

He was severely troubled, though, from the start. Simply thinking about this guy makes me sick to my stomach. Theres nothing more pathetic and low than cruelty to aminals.