Apollo Crews is the latest wrestler to have his name changed. The WWE star has dropped the last part of his name and will now simply be known as “Apollo,” in an effort to distance himself from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter per Bianca Gracie.
WWE CEO Vince McMahon made the decision because the name sounds too similar to that of Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people last week in one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. Despite the names being spelled differently, McMahon reportedly never wants to hear Cruz’s surname again.
Cruz, who is 19 years old has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. This is the 18th school shooting in the United States in 2018. The FBI confirmed that they received a tip through their general call line regarding concerns about Cruz’s violent behavior back in September, and admitted they did not act on it.