Zachary Cruz, the brother of Parkland, Fla., school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, has launched an initiative to stop school bullying.
Zachary, 18, hopes the initiative, called We Isolate No-one (WIN), will help end violence in schools.
"Kids see the hurt and the pain that bullying causes each and every day," Zachary told reporters at a news conference in Washington D.C., Thursday. "We can't solve this problem with new rules or laws alone."
Zachary's brother, 19-year-old Nikolas, is accused of killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Valentine's Day. If convicted, Nikolas could face the death penalty.
Speaking Thursday, Zachary urged more action to help students facing bullying.
"WIN... will provide a platform for kids to take a stand against bullying and bring kids out of the shadows and build positive places to learn," he said.
"If we don't do something to bring isolated kids out of the shadows," he added. "If we don't do something to help those kids build relationships with each other and with adults and find ways to fit in... if we don't train kids to handle these problems when they see them every single day, then we can't be surprised when the next bomb goes off."
The initiative includes a 24/7 toll-free hotline — 1-800-329-5507 — that students can call if they feel they need help. Trained counselors will answer the phones, logging every call that comes in.
Zachary is looking to open local and state chapters of WIN.
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