Zachary Cruz, brother of alleged Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School Shooter Nikolas Cruz, announced We Isolate No-one “WIN” Thursday afternoon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
WIN plans to create youth-led student organizational chapters in schools across the country and has already unveiled a 24-hour anti-bullying hotline.
“I cannot sit by and watch another tragedy happen,” Cruz told reporters. “At the end of the day, bullying and isolation is a national crisis. Kids are dying. The kids know. Since we know, it’s our responsibility to make changes.”
The organization will receive $800,000 – $1,200,000 support from Nexus, a corporation that provides several services related to incarceration, criminal defense and due-process rights.
News2Share has extensively covered a number of activist events in the wake of the Parkland shooting focusing on further gun control to prevent school violence. Nexus CEO Mike Donovan told News2Share that Cruz feels differently about the solution.
“What he told me was ‘gun control is not gonna solve the problem,'” Donovan explained. “At least not always, and not fully. There are kids still killing themselves, every day. There are kids still turning to drugs and alcohol every day.”
“It may not be a mass shooting, but there are kids killing themselves everywhere. In every community. And gun control isn’t going to change that.”
Cruz echoed that sentiment to News2Share, saying that bullies themselves need to be aware of the damage they can cause. “We want them to look at what’s happening if you bully someone. You’re gonna have all this guilt if they do something really bad. You’re just gonna know inside, you did something to this person and they backlashed on everyone else.”
“Our schools all over the country have ticking time bombs,” he told reporters.
Cruz initially made contacted with Nexus Inc after being accused of trespassing on Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School’s campus. Nexus represented him, believing that the $500,000 bond placed on him was excessive. Cruz ultimately pled no-contest and was sentenced to six months probation.