This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/fbi-nikolas-cruz-shooting.html

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
F.B.I. Was Warned of Florida Suspect’s Desire to Kill but Did Not Act F.B.I. Was Warned of Florida Suspect’s Desire to Kill but Did Not Act
(35 minutes later)
The F.B.I. failed to act on a tip in January from a person close to Nikolas Cruz warning that he owned a gun and might conduct a school shooting, the bureau acknowledged on Friday, in its first admission that it might have been able to prevent the deadly attack at a Florida high school. The F.B.I. failed to act on a tip in January from a person close to Nikolas Cruz warning that he owned a gun and might conduct a school shooting, the bureau acknowledged on Friday, an admission that prompted Gov. Rick Scott of Florida to call for the bureau’s director to resign.
Gov. Rick Scott of Florida called for F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, to resign over the failure. The bureau, which was already under considerable political pressure because of its investigation into President Trump, faced calls for even more scrutiny following the massacre at a high school in Parkland, Fla.
“The F.B.I.’s failure to take action against this killer is unacceptable,” said Mr. Scott. “The F.B.I. has admitted that they were contacted last month by a person who called to inform them of Cruz’s ‘desire to kill people,’ and ‘the potential of him conducting a school shooting.’ Mr. Scott said that Christopher A. Wray, the director of the F.B.I., should step down and that the bureau’s failure to act on the tip about Mr. Cruz was “unacceptable.” “Seventeen innocent people are dead and acknowledging a mistake isn’t going to cut it,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “The F.B.I. Director needs to resign.”
In an unusually sharp public rebuke of his own agents, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday that the missed warnings had “tragic consequences” and that “the F.B.I. in conjunction with our state and local partners must act flawlessly to prevent all attacks. This is imperative, and we must do better.”
Florida Congressman Ted Deutch said that he will be in “close communication with the FBI” and said the F.B.I. and Congress needed to conduct a full oversight investigation of the FBI’s processes and procedures.
Senator Marco Rubio also asked for Congress to investigate how the F.B.I. mishandled this tip.
The revelation comes at a particularly difficult time for the bureau, which for the past several months has faced relentless criticism for political bias in its handling of investigations of both President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.The revelation comes at a particularly difficult time for the bureau, which for the past several months has faced relentless criticism for political bias in its handling of investigations of both President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.
The F.B.I.’s admission that it did not act on a tip that Mr. Cruz had a “desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts,” could open up a new avenue of attack for political opponents seeking to discredit the bureau’s work.The F.B.I.’s admission that it did not act on a tip that Mr. Cruz had a “desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts,” could open up a new avenue of attack for political opponents seeking to discredit the bureau’s work.
In an unusually sharp public rebuke of his own agents, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday that the missed warnings had “tragic consequences” and that “the F.B.I. in conjunction with our state and local partners must act flawlessly to prevent all attacks. This is imperative, and we must do better.”
The work of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel’s office overseeing the investigation into Russian election interference, has been the focus of much of the attacks on the bureau. After the shooting, conservative news media said that the F.B.I. could have prevented the attack if it had not been spending so much time looking into Russian election interference.The work of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel’s office overseeing the investigation into Russian election interference, has been the focus of much of the attacks on the bureau. After the shooting, conservative news media said that the F.B.I. could have prevented the attack if it had not been spending so much time looking into Russian election interference.
Mr. Mueller released another indictment Friday alleging Russian nationals and companies committed federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system.Mr. Mueller released another indictment Friday alleging Russian nationals and companies committed federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system.
On January 5, a tipster reached out to the F.B.I. regarding Mr. Cruz and advised of “the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” the agency said in a statement.On January 5, a tipster reached out to the F.B.I. regarding Mr. Cruz and advised of “the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” the agency said in a statement.
The information should have been assessed and forwarded to the Miami F.B.I. field office, the agency said. But those protocols were not followed, the Miami field office did not get the information, and no further investigation was conducted, according to the F.B.I.The information should have been assessed and forwarded to the Miami F.B.I. field office, the agency said. But those protocols were not followed, the Miami field office did not get the information, and no further investigation was conducted, according to the F.B.I.
“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,” said Mr. Wray, the director of the F.B.I., in a statement. “We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”“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,” said Mr. Wray, the director of the F.B.I., in a statement. “We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
This is not the first time that the F.B.I. has come under fire for being aware of a threat and failing to stop an attack. Congress criticized the bureau for failing to stop the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, where the shooter was known to the F.B.I. The F.B.I. also knew of one of the brothers who carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, but did not stop that attack.This is not the first time that the F.B.I. has come under fire for being aware of a threat and failing to stop an attack. Congress criticized the bureau for failing to stop the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, where the shooter was known to the F.B.I. The F.B.I. also knew of one of the brothers who carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, but did not stop that attack.
After those fumbles, F.B.I. investigators compared themselves to hockey goalies, who are fielding a relentless barrage of pucks. Sometimes, they said, they cannot keep things from making the net.After those fumbles, F.B.I. investigators compared themselves to hockey goalies, who are fielding a relentless barrage of pucks. Sometimes, they said, they cannot keep things from making the net.
“The public expects the F.B.I. to keep them safe and in the overwhelming majority of the instances, the F.B.I. does just that,” said Lauren C. Anderson, a former top F.B.I. official in New York.“The public expects the F.B.I. to keep them safe and in the overwhelming majority of the instances, the F.B.I. does just that,” said Lauren C. Anderson, a former top F.B.I. official in New York.
The tip appears to have been the second time the F.B.I. was alerted about Mr. Cruz. A bail bondsman in Mississippi told the agency last September about a worrying comment left on his YouTube channel from a “nikolas cruz” saying “Im going to be a professional school shooter.”The tip appears to have been the second time the F.B.I. was alerted about Mr. Cruz. A bail bondsman in Mississippi told the agency last September about a worrying comment left on his YouTube channel from a “nikolas cruz” saying “Im going to be a professional school shooter.”
While Ms. Anderson described the scenario as a “tragic failure,” she also said that the past 18 months have been extremely difficult for the F.B.I. and that people should still have confidence in the bureau.While Ms. Anderson described the scenario as a “tragic failure,” she also said that the past 18 months have been extremely difficult for the F.B.I. and that people should still have confidence in the bureau.
Agents from the F.B.I. Jackson, Miss., field office looked into the comment but could not identify who had posted it from database and open-source searches, the F.B.I. said. The F.B.I. was also reviewing what happened after the agents received the information.Agents from the F.B.I. Jackson, Miss., field office looked into the comment but could not identify who had posted it from database and open-source searches, the F.B.I. said. The F.B.I. was also reviewing what happened after the agents received the information.