What to Know
- Anthony Borges is an avid soccer player who was shot five times in the Parkland school tragedy.
- His father spoke to NBC 6's Willard Shepard, discussing his son's recovery.
- Seventeen people were killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The father of Anthony Borges, the Parkland student shot five times while helping others, said his heroic son is doing better every day.
Anthony's father, Royer Borges, said his 15-year-old son is "making progress." Anthony, an avid soccer player, was shot while blocking a door so others could avoid gunfire.
The Borges family is working on his improvement. Anthony is the only victim injured in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to still be hospitalized.
"He’s able to eat something solid," Royer Borges said. "He’s in better condition. Every day, it's a little step and it gets to be a bigger step for us. It's like a goal every day."
Though Anthony's recovery was once in jeopardy, his father said Anthony's health is on the right path. Royer Borges said he also hopes the United States will be on the right path following the "March for Our Lives" event on Saturday.
The global event is calling for gun reform legislation and for an end to gun violence.
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"We have to stop this situation," Royer Borges said, referring to shootings. "It doesn’t have to happen again – this situation. I just want it stopped."
The father described his son as a "strong, young man."
The gunman accused in the deadly shooting is facing 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.
Royer Borges said he is unhappy with the judge who is presiding over the case, Elizabeth Scherer.
The family’s attorney, Anthony Arreaza, told the judge that the state attorney prosecuting the case and the public defenders who are defending the gunman should be removed because of a conflict of interest.
Arreaza said the conflict stems from a program put in place in 2016 that shifted Broward County students from being prosecuted when they got into trouble to other avenues outside of the traditional juvenile criminal justice system.
The program allowed the Parkland gunman to fall "through the cracks," Arreaza suggested.
"This particular agreement was not only signed by the sheriff and the school board but it was also signed by the state attorney Mike Satz and Howard Finkelstein, the public defender," Arreaza said. "This kid fell through the cracks multiple times, way more times than he should have, and it's really because of the atmosphere of the whole school."
Scherer on Wednesday ruled Arreaza could not intervene in the case for Anthony and his family because he did not have any standing or legal authority. Arreaza said he will keep working to force the recusal of those involved.
Royer Borges said Scherer's order has prevented him from participating in the case.
"My son ... five times shot and he fights for his life in the hospital and I don’t have a place and I don’t have a voice in this case," he said. "That’s crazy."
