Twenty-four-year-old Zachary Cruz, brother of the Parkland school shooter, has been apprehended and charged with trespassing on three separate school campuses in Virginia. Authorities in Augusta County reported that the incidents occurred on January 25th at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center Complex, Wilson Middle School, Wilson Memorial High School, and the Valley Career and Technical Center. The investigation, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, utilized surveillance footage showing Cruz trying to open exterior doors and peering into buildings, suggesting attempts at unauthorized entry.
Following his arrest on February 4th on three misdemeanor trespassing charges, a video surfaced online via Cruz's attorney. Law enforcement confirmed the video did not depict Cruz on any school grounds and was recorded while he was in custody at the Middle River Regional Jail. Cruz was subsequently released on February 6th.
This is not Cruz's first encounter with law enforcement for trespassing on school property. In 2018, he was arrested for trespassing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the site of the tragic mass shooting perpetrated by his brother, Nikolas Cruz. Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for the deaths of 17 students and staff members. Zachary Cruz's arrest report from the 2018 incident stated his intention was to "reflect on the school shooting."
