Wearing black and saying she has been unable to stop crying for two weeks, the mother of Juan Carlos Rivera blamed the Miami-Dade County school system for her son's killing last month in a courtyard at Coral Gables High School.
Through tears, she said, "I ask the United States for justice for my son — my God. This could have been prevented. The school has maximum responsibility in this. More security is needed."
Anais Cruz, 42, spoke to the media for the first time Thursday about the tragedy she says has torn up her family's life.
On Sept. 15, 17-year-old Rivera was stabbed to death by a classmate at Coral Gables High. Andy Rodriguez, 17, stands charged with second-degree murder. The two possibly were fighting over a girl.
"This is the most terrible thing that has ever happened to us. I sent my son to study and he ends up being murdered like this so brutally over such a minor thing."
Flanked by her mother and brother and a team of attorneys she has hired to handle her case, Cruz said she does not want another family to go through what she has.
Michael Haggard, her attorney, said his firm is putting Miami-Dade schools on notice that there will be an investigation into what occurred at the school on Sept. 15 and a lawsuit might follow.
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