In a statement released Friday, the FBI says ‘protocols were not followed,’ to escalate a tip the bureau received about Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gunman Nikolas Cruz.
“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,” wrote FBI Director Wray.
On Jan. 5, a person close to Florida school shooting suspect contacted FBI tipline and provided info on the suspect’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,” added Wray
FBI: On Jan. 5, a person close to to Florida school shooting suspect contacted FBI tipline and provided info on the suspect'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." pic.twitter.com/gO2azVwnaP
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 16, 2018
Read full FBI statement below:
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.”
During the Thursday morning briefing, the local FBI chief made comments on the YouTube threat shooter Nikolas Cruz made online in 2017, reported The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft Thursday.
Nicolas Cruz posted this comment on YouTube.
The former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had previously been expelled for disciplinary problems prior to the mass shooting that left 17 people dead.
On Thursday morning the local FBI chief Robert F. Lasky responded to reports of the online threat by Cruz.
FBI Miami Chief Lasky: “I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the victims, the family, the friends, the entire community who suffered from this senseless and cowardly act. The FBI continues to standby the Broward County’s Sheriff’s Office, continue to support them. We want to give them every resource they need to investigate this heinous crime. in 2017 the FBI received information about a comment made on a YouTube channel.”
