Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Murder Charge Dropped in Feb. 22 Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Prosecutors said they could not disprove the defendant's self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt so they declined to pursue the murder charge.

Overview

  • The confrontation occurred just after 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 on the sidewalk outside Savoy Orlando and left 33-year-old Julien Cruz with a fatal gunshot wound.
  • Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder with a firearm after investigators said he retrieved a gun from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
  • In a court filing dated June 9 the State Attorney's Office said it would not file the murder charge because prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Borja's use of force was unjustified.
  • Borja's attorney, Mark O'Mara, relied on surveillance video reviewed in court to argue Cruz and others pursued Borja as he tried to leave, supporting a self-defense claim.
  • Cruz's family disputes parts of the official account and says another person may have fired the shot, and prosecutors say the case could be revisited only if new, compelling evidence emerges.