Brother of Parkland shooter arrested for trespassing at MSDHS

March 20 (UPI) -- The half-brother of South Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz was arrested this week for trespassing at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, authorities said.

Officials said Zachary Paul Cruz "surpassed all locked doors and gates" and rode a skateboard through school grounds Monday when he was charged with trespassing. He was held on a $25 bond.

Cruz, 18, told police he wanted to "reflect on the school shooting and soak it in," despite being warned by school officials to stay away from the Parkland, Fla., campus where his half-brother killed 17 people with an AR-15 assault rifle on Feb. 14.

Zachary Cruz was spotted on school grounds late Monday afternoon after classes let out for the day.

Students at the school had mixed reactions to the visit.

"That's crazy," junior Josef Bagiv told the Sun Sentinel. "Just weird."

Other students, like junior John Mansfield, said Zachary Cruz may have been "trying to understand" the tragedy.

Nikolas and Zachary Cruz were adopted at birth by Lynda and Roger Cruz, from the same biological mother.

Earlier this month, a judge in Nikolas Cruz's case entered a not guilty plea for the gunman after his lawyers said the 19-year-old would not talk at the arraignment -- and decline to enter a plea on the 34-count indictment.

Nikolas Cruz faces 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of first-degree attempted murder. If convicted, he could be put to death.