Parkland Shooter’s Brother Zachary Cruz Visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas School to 'Soak it in,' Arrested for Trespassing

The brother of the accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz was arrested Monday for trespassing at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School.

Zachary Cruz, 18, said he had gone onto the school property to “reflect on the school shooting and to soak it in," an affidavit seen by ABC Action News states. 

According to a report from authorities, Zachary Cruz had been warned to stay away from the school property, but on Monday he “surpassed all locked doors and gates,” and skateboarded around the property at around 4:30 p.m., the Palm Beach Post reported.

His brother Nikolas could face the death penalty if he is found guilty of the February 14 attack at the high school, which left 17 people dead and a further 17 injured.

The alleged shooter has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.

Both Nikolas and Zachary were previously students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, although it is not clear whether Zachary was still a student in the lead-up to the shooting. Nikolas was not attending the school at the time of the attack.

According to authorities, following the deadly shooting Zachary was subject to a mental health evaluation and told police deputies he did not understand what had motivated his brother to allegedly carry out the attack.

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Zachary said he “doesn't understand why his brother would have done this,” adding: “It's not a realistic option to kill people,” The Palm Beach Post reported the authorities saying after speaking with Zachary.

Following the February shooting, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas have urged politicians to tighten gun control laws and prevent future attacks like the one that devastated their high school.