FBI investigates after YouTuber 'nikolas cruz' posted 'school shooter' comment in 2017

ByAlex Meier WABC logo
Friday, February 16, 2018
FBI: YouTuber 'nikolas cruz' posted 'school shooter' comment in 2017
The comment said, "Im going to be a professional school shooter."

PARKLAND, Florida -- The FBI received a tip in 2017 after a YouTube user with the Florida school shooter's name left a comment on a video that said, "Im going to be a professional school shooter."

An account with the name "nikolas cruz" posted the comment on Ben Bennight's account on September 24, 2017, Bennight said in a video posted Wednesday.

Nineteen-year-old Nikolas Cruz is accused of killing 17 and injuring 23 duringa shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Wednesday.

Bennight said he sent a screenshot of the comment to the FBI in September.

"I knew that I couldn't just ignore that," he said.

Bennight said FBI officers from Florida contacted him shortly after the Parkland school shooting. The FBI confirmed that they interviewed the tipster.

An FBI official said no other information on that comment indicated a time, location or true identity of the commenter.

"The FBI conducted database reviews, checks, but was unable to further identify the person who actually made the comments," the offical said in a press conference.

YouTube has since removed the comment. Bennight does not remember which video it was posted on.

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