'Other' Nikolas Cruz, tired of comparisons to accused Florida shooter, is changing name

Nikolas Marciel Cruz, 18, lives in Sunrise and attended Divine Academy of Broward. Nikolas Jacob Cruz is accused of shooting and killing 17 people, including 14 students, at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018, the Sun-Sentinel reported. His trial is scheduled for next year, the newspaper reported.

Nikolas Marciel Cruz said he has been confused with the man who shares his name. He said the breaking point came when he offered a handshake to a man and introduced himself as Nikolas Cruz, the Sun-Sentinel reported. The man drew his hand back and said, "Oh, my God!" the newspaper reported.

The mother of the Cruz in Sunrise, Ivonne Moran, said she named her son after her favorite actor, Nicolas Cage, but changed the "c" to a "k" in his first name, figuring no one else would use that variation the Sun-Sentinel reported.

She was wrong.

Moran said on the day of the shooting, she was watching news reports of the shooting when she received a telephone call from a reporter from Univision. Other calls followed, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

“He’s not proud of his name anymore,” Moran told the newspaper, adding she kept her son out of school the day after the shooting because she was concerned about the reaction of his fellow students and parents.

Now that he is 18, Cruz can fill out an application and pay $400, the Sun-Sentinel reported. After a background check is completed, he will receive a hearing and change his name, the newspaper reported. He is waiting for the name change to become final before sending out applications to college.

The name he chose? Nikolas Rene Moran. "Rene" means rebirth, the newspaper reported.