FBI says protocols 'not followed' for tip about Florida school shooting suspect
PARKLAND, Florida (WABC) -- The FBI determined that "protocols were not followed" after a person contacted the agency with a tip about Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, according to a statement released by the FBI.
On Jan. 5, a person contacted the FBI's tipline to report concerns about Cruz, the statement said. (Scroll down to see the full statement).
The caller provided information about Cruz's gun ownership, social media posts, desire to kill people and erratic behavior. The caller also mentioned his potential to conduct a school shooting.
"Under established protocols, the information provided by the caller should have been assessed as a potential threat to life. The information then should have been forwarded to the FBI Miami field office, where appropriate investigative steps would have been taken," the statement read.
The FBI continues to investigate the facts, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the statement.
Cruz is charged in connection with 17 deaths following a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Wednesday.
In a statement, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called on the FBI director to resign, ABC News reports.
"The FBI's failure to take action against this killer is unacceptable," he said. "... We constantly promote 'see something, say something,' and a courageous person did just that to the FBI. And the FBI failed to act. 'See something, say something' is an incredibly important tool and people must have confidence in the follow through from law enforcement. The FBI director needs to resign."
Here's the full statement from the FBI:
On January 5, 2018, a person close to Nikolas Cruz contacted the FBI's Public Access Line (PAL) tipline to report concerns about him. The caller provided information about Cruz's gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting.
Under established protocols, the information provided by the caller should have been assessed as a potential threat to life. The information then should have been forwarded to the FBI Miami Field Office, where appropriate investigative steps would have been taken.
We have determined that these protocols were not followed for the information received by the PAL on January 5. The information was not provided to the Miami Field Office, and no further investigation was conducted at that time.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said:
"We are still investigating the facts. I am committed to getting to the bottom of what happened in this particular matter, as well as reviewing our processes for responding to information that we receive from the public. It's up to all Americans to be vigilant, and when members of the public contact us with concerns, we must act properly and quickly.
"We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy. All of the men and women of the FBI are dedicated to keeping the American people safe, and are relentlessly committed to improving all that we do and how we do it."
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