Florida school shooting: Nikolas Cruz signs the FBI missed

DONALD Trump has accused the FBI of missing key warning signs about the accused school shooter — and it turns out it did screw up.

THE FBI has admitted it failed to act on crucial information it received ahead of the recent Florida school massacre which left 17 people dead.

The agency said it mishandled a tip-off it was given just last month from a person close to accused shooter Nikolas Cruz who was concerned over his intentions.

“The caller provided information about Cruz’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,” the FBI said in a statement.

Cruz is accused of opening fire on staff and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, before being arrested by police.

President Donald Trump has called the FBI’s mistakes “unacceptable”, claiming the intelligence agency is spending too much time investigating his presidential campaign and should “get back to the basics”.

Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018

While Mr Trump has a point about the FBI missing signals, there is no evidence to support his assertion that the agency’s mistakes were due to its focus on the Russia investigation.

The FBI officials who failed to act on the tip about the shooter were based in Miami, and have not been linked to the investigation of Russia’s election interference.

Broward Health North hospital’s Dr Igor Nichiporenko with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they visit first responders and victims from last week’s shooting. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

Many on social media also criticised the President for drawing attention away from gun control and onto himself.

Others pointed out both issues were investigated by different parts of the FBI.

Parkland students are hammering @realDonaldTrump for his Russia tweet. A few examples: pic.twitter.com/29bpUIILZe

— Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) February 18, 2018

This - and I don't say this lightly - is your worst tweet. You are exploiting the deaths of young children to dismantle the American justice system in order to save your lying orange skin. Enough.

— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) February 18, 2018

You’re as ignorant as your leader. Totally different departments of the FBI. Btw, he’s toast when Mueller is done.

— JoAnn Stephens (@JStephens8156) February 18, 2018

FBI gets thousands of leads about wannabe shooters. Maybe try supporting the FBI by increasing Department of Justice’s budget so FBI can chase down more leads. Trump’s budget for DoJ is $400 million less than Obama’s. https://t.co/QNNW3p4pBo

— Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) February 18, 2018

WARNING MISSED

Broward County public defender Howard Finkelstein, whose office is representing Cruz, said there were so many warning signs that the 19-year-old was mentally unstable and potentially violent.

Cruz was investigated as far back as 2016 after slashing his arm in a social media video, and saying he wanted to buy a gun, but authorities determined he was receiving sufficient support, according to media reports.

The January tip-off to the FBI is unrelated to a previous YouTube comment by someone named as Nikolas Cruz who said: “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.”

The FBI has acknowledged getting that tip as well but failing to connect it to Cruz.

“Under established protocols, the information provided by the caller should have been assessed as a potential threat to life,” the FBI said.

“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.”

Children approach a vigil post in Parkland, Florida to honour the 17 people who were killed by a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Picture: CM. Guerrero/The Miami Herald/AP

FBI director Christopher Wray said the matter was still under investigation.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Speaking to news.com.au last week, Lowy Institute nonresident fellow and University of Sydney history professor James Curran said it was difficult for any law enforcement agency to act on every single tip.

Mr Trump speaks with Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel following last week’s deadly shooting. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

RED FLAGS

It also emerged other warnings had been raised about Cruz in the past.

A maths teachers at the school, Jim Gard, said Cruz had been previously identified as a security threat and had been informed last year that he wouldn’t be allowed on campus with a backpack.

“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” Mr Gard told the Miami Herald.

“There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel confirmed Cruz was a former student who had once been expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons.

The Sheriff also said police had found disturbing material on his social media accounts.

Another student told WSB-TV: “Everything he posts (on social media) is about weapons. It’s sick.”

The New York Post also reported Cruz was involved in more than 30 violent assaults on his adopted mother.w

Details of the incident reports revealed the teen hit his adoptive mother Lynda Cruz with a vacuum cleaner hose, and called her “a useless b**ch”.

— With Reuters

[e-mail]