Everyday Real Heroes

The Parkland Shooting

On February 14, 2018, the sound of gunfire erupted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. While chaos reigned and students fled, 15-year-old Anthony Borges found himself in a hallway with a group of terrified classmates. They were trying to squeeze into a classroom to hide, but the shooter was approaching fast.

The Human Shield

Anthony was the last one to make it to the door. Realizing that the shooter was seconds away and that the room was not yet secured, he decided to lock the door and brace his body against it. He refused to move. The shooter fired through the door. Anthony was hit five times, in both legs and his back. Despite the agony and the shock, he held his ground and kept the door sealed.

Iron Man

Because Anthony refused to move, the gunman could not enter the room and eventually moved on. His actions saved the lives of the 20 students hiding behind him. Anthony survived, though he required numerous surgeries and months of recovery. He was nicknamed 'Iron Man' by his classmates, not for a comic book suit, but for the unbreakable will he showed in the face of death.

The World Without Him

Had Anthony chosen to hide in the corner of the room instead of blocking the door, the gunman would have been able to enter the classroom. The 20 students huddled inside would have been defenseless targets. The death toll of the Parkland shooting, already tragic, would likely have been significantly higher if not for the physical barrier of one boy's body.