FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A significant legal dispute has been resolved between one of the most severely injured survivors of the tragic 2018 Parkland school shooting and several families of the victims who lost their lives in the incident. The agreement, reached on a recent Monday, ensures that all parties will share equally in the rights related to any publicity generated by the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, as well as an annuity he may inherit.
Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips oversaw the settlement which now grants survivor Anthony Borges, along with the families of deceased students Meadow Pollack, Luke Hoyer, and Alaina Petty, as well as fellow student survivor Maddy Wilford, joint control over any profits Cruz might seek from his identity, be it through interviews or other means. Each individual or family now holds veto power over these decisions.
Moreover, they will divide a potential $400,000 annuity that Cruz may receive, which was designated to him by his deceased mother. Should it materialize, the families and Wilford have expressed intentions to donate their portions to charitable organizations, while Borges requires the funds to assist with forthcoming medical expenses.
This settlement came just a day before the parties were scheduled to appear in court to contest the validity of a prior agreement made between Borges, his family, and Cruz in June. That agreement would have awarded Borges complete ownership of Cruz’s name and image, alongside authority over his interviews. Borges faced severe injuries during the shooting, having been shot five times and enduring multiple surgeries to recover.
Wilford, who also survived the attack after suffering four gunshot wounds, had her attorneys quickly counter Borges’ claims with a separate settlement proposal of $190 million against Cruz, although they acknowledge that they will likely never see that amount come to fruition. The families expressed feeling blindsided by what they describe as the sudden resolution with Borges. They believed there had been a mutual agreement to collaborate on their legal efforts against Cruz, unlike some other families who chose not to pursue litigation.
“The aim of the Borges settlement was to prevent Cruz from making public statements. Now, that authority is shared with the other family members, which was never a contentious issue,” remarked Borges’ attorney, Alex Arreaza.
Meanwhile, David Brill, who represents the families of the slain students and Wilford, claimed that the Borges family’s legal team had given in easily. He pointed out that the new agreement confirms that all parties involved now have a say regarding any public appearances or statements made by Cruz.
The dispute became quite public during a September court session, with both sides accusing one another of dishonesty. Judge Phillips remarked on the nature of their quarrels, likening it to an argumentative divorce case, and urged both sides to consider negotiating a settlement instead.
The friction began during discussions about how to allocate a $25 million settlement that was reached in 2021 with the Broward County schools. The families of the 17 people who lost their lives argued that Borges should receive $1 less than them to reflect their deeper sorrow. This led Arreaza to propose that Borges should be entitled to $5 million from that pool due to his significant ongoing medical costs, a stance that ultimately excluded Borges from the group discussions when he refused to compromise. Additional contentious negotiations arose during talks over a separate $127 million settlement with the FBI concerning its shortcomings in investigating Cruz’s intentions prior to the shooting. Ultimately, the Borgeses reached their own settlement agreements.
In addition to these legal matters, the families, survivors, and others who experienced emotional trauma from the shooting are also pursuing a lawsuit against Scot Peterson, a former sheriff’s deputy who was stationed at the school during the attack. They contend that he failed to intervene during the six-minute rampage. Peterson was acquitted of criminal charges in the previous year. Four other defendants, which include the sheriff’s office and two ex-school security officers, are also part of ongoing legal actions.
A trial date for this particular lawsuit has yet to be determined. Cruz, now 26, admitted guilt for the shootings in 2021 and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 2022 after the jury opted against imposing the death penalty.