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FBI Admits It Failed To Follow Up On Tip About Florida School Shooting Suspect

FBI Admits It Failed To Follow Up On Tip About Florida School Shooting Suspect

"We deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy"

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released a statement, acknowledging it failed to properly follow up on a tip about the online behaviour of the Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz.

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.

PA

"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."

The statement adds that a person 'close to Nikolas Cruz' contacted the FBI tip line, highlighting the 19-year-old's 'gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behaviour, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting'.

It says that standard protocol would have meant that type of call would have been sent to the Miami office and treated as a potential threat to life.

The FBI says, 'these protocols were not followed' and no follow-up investigation was conducted after that initial call.

Instagram/Nikolas Cruz
Instagram/Nikolas Cruz

This follows reports about Cruz's social media activity, with a YouTube user with the same name writing on a video that he wanted to be a 'professional school shooter'. His Instagram page is also littered with pictures of him holding weapons such as knives and guns.

Cruz has been accused of killing 17 people at a Florida High School, which has become one of America's worst school mass shootings. Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland have suggested that his actions had been 'predicted' by his classmates.

One student told CNN: "A lot of people were saying that it was going to be him. All the kids joked... saying he was the one that screwed up at school, but it turns out everyone predicted it. That's crazy."

According to the Guardian, the FBI receives tens of thousands of tips every year, with more than 10,000 investigations opened as a result of those calls.

Sources: The Guardian

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: School, Florida, FBI