A 15-year-old Florida high school student is being hailed as a hero after he used his body as a shield to protect his classmates amid last week’s shooting.
Anthony Borges is currently recovering in hospital with multiple gunshot wounds after surviving the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead.
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Carlos Rodriguez, one of Borges’ classmates, recounted the experience in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
“None of us knew what to do. So, he took the initiative to just save his other classmates,” Rodriguez said.
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Rodriguez explained that Borges was trying to close the classroom door as alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz approached. Unable to close it on time, Borges stood in the doorway while he was being shot at in order to shield his 20 classmates.
Broward Sheriff’s Office wrote about Borges’ heroic actions on Facebook, posting a photo of the teen in a hospital bed.
“Sheriff Israel was honored to visit Anthony Borges, 15, in the hospital today,” the post read. “His family shared that Anthony was shot five times in Wednesday’s school attack. Fortunately, he is recovering — but has a long road ahead with more surgeries needed.”
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A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for the teen’s treatment, and has collected more than $111,000 so far.
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The teen’s father, Royer Borges, told ABC News that his son called him after the attack saying that he had been shot in the back and leg.
“He’s my hero,” the father said.
Several other stories of selflessness have emerged in the days following the shooting. Among them is of Aaron Feis, the school’s football coach who threw himself in front of students to protect them from gunfire.
Feis died in hospital.