FBI Admits “Protocols Not Followed” with Parkland School Assassin

DIRECTOR:  “IT’S UP TO ALL AMERICANS TO BE VIGILANT”

by Sharon Rondeau

(Feb. 16, 2018) — On Friday morning, the FBI issued a statement indicating that it received not one, but two tips in regard to a 19-year-old who allegedly murdered 17 people and injured more at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the AP first reported that a tip had been called in by a YouTube channel owner in September who noted that a “Nikolas Cruz” had posted a comment on his channel stating, “Im [sic] going to be a professional school shooter.”

A spokesman for the FBI’s Miami field office acknowledged (see bottom video from link) later on Thursday that his office received a tip last fall about Cruz as a result of his comment on the YouTube channel but was “unable to further verify the person who actually made the comment.”

It is well-known that the FBI possesses a myriad of investigative tools to identify IP numbers, identities and locations of any individual who may pose a threat to public safety.

Facebook has a written policy regarding its cooperation with law enforcement in the event of a reported threat to public safety.  The social media outlet Twitter has a form which law enforcement can complete to request information.  Reddit also has a posted law-enforcement protocol, and Google’s Terms and Policies contains a section which states:

Google now owns YouTube.

Those deceased on Wednesday include three educators and 14 students.  As of Thursday, six students remain hospitalized, according to The Miami Herald.

The FBI press release on Friday indicates that on January 5, 2017, a more specific tip from someone “close” to Cruz was given to the FBI through its Public Access Line (PAL) but not forwarded to the Miami office.  “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,” the press release reads.

Both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI have advocated to the public, “If you see something, say something.”

Cruz is now in police custody and has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.  He has a lengthy troubled past and more than two dozen police encounters but was reportedly able to purchase a gun legally.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, President Trump’s choice after he fired James Comey last May, has been in place since August 2, 2017.   His statement within the news release on Friday reads:

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.