PARKLAND, Fla. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday acknowledged that it mishandled a January tip that the 19-year-old man accused of killing 17 people at a Florida high school had guns and the desire to kill.
READ MORE: Florida school shooter had extra ammo in backpack, went to McDonald’s after shooting
A person close accused gunman Nikolas Cruz called an FBI tip line on Jan. 5 to warn that he owned guns, had made disturbing social media posts and had the potential to conduct a school shooting, the FBI said in a statement.
This tip appears unrelated to the previously reported YouTube comment in which a person named Nikolas Cruz said “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.” The FBI acknowledged getting that tip as well but failing to connect it to the accused gunman.
“Under established protocols, the information provided by the caller should have been assessed as a potential threat to life,” the FBI said in its statement on Friday. “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.”
Following the statement, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he ordered an immediate review of how the Justice Department and the FBI respond to warnings about potential violence, such as the mass shooting at a Florida high school this week.
READ MORE: Football coach ‘died a hero’ after shielding students from gunfire
“This includes more than just an error review but also a review of how we respond,” Sessions said in a statement. “This will include possible consultation with family members, mental health officials, school officials, and local law enforcement.”
WATCH: The FBI admits it didn’t follow proper protocol after a tip came in about alleged Florida high school shooter Nikolas Cruz
Wednesday’s massacre also raised concerns about potential failures in school security and stirred the ongoing U.S. debate about gun rights, which are protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“We are still investigating the facts,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the statement. “We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
Cruz, who had been kicked out of high school for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, made a brief court appearance on Thursday and was ordered held without bond.
READ MORE: These were the victims of the Florida school shooting
WATCH: President Trump says they will do ‘whatever they can’ for Florida school shooting victims
“He’s a broken human being,” his lawyer, public defender Melissa McNeill, told reporters. “He’s sad, he’s mournful, he’s remorseful.”
Wednesday’s shooting ranks as the greatest loss of life from school gun violence since the 2012 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 first-graders and six adult educators dead.
Comments