On Tuesday, parents of a 17-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school student who was shot five times while shielding other students during a February rampage filed a lawsuit, making it the first such suit filed on behalf of one of the victims of the tragedy, according to Reuters.
The legal action was brought forth by the parents of high schooler Anthony Borges, who had been hospitalized for more than a month after getting shot twice in the torso and three times in the legs. The suit further details that Borges will be stuck in a wheelchair for the foreseeable future, and that his current condition requires constant care.
The suit is reportedly seeking a jury trial, as well as unspecified damages from seven defendants, including the mass shooting's accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz. The other defendants are made up of Cruz's late mother, a local couple who Cruz lived with just prior to the shooting, and a trio of mental health centers that previously evaluated and treated him. The suit is charging Cruz with assault and battery, while accusing the other six defendants of negligence.
Reuters adds that a judge is currently determining whether Cruz can fund his own defense in the criminal case brought against him, which includes 17 charges of first-degree murder in addition to 17 charges of attempted murder.
