The FBI might have been able to prevent Wednesday’s horrific high school massacre. Someone tipped off the agency last month that shooter Nikolas Cruz was a deranged madman capable of violence.
However, no one bothered to investigate.
The stunning admission enraged a lot of people. Cruz’s bloody rampage claimed the lives of 17 innocent people, most of them students. The FBI’s sole job is to protect us from threats like Cruz and investigators dropped the ball.
Someone called the agency in January to report that Cruz had a “desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts.” Instead of acting on the information, agents did nothing.
We are still investigating the facts,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
“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… we must act properly and quickly.”
The agency violated its own protocols when it failed to act on the tip against Cruz.
On Thursday Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that the only way to stop mass shootings was for law enforcement to do their job. Existing gun control laws must be forced and potential monsters must be identified.
Wray tried to shift focus away from the agency’s mistakes.
“We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy,” Wray said.
“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.”
People are demanding answers. If the FBI had acted responsibly, January’s tip would have been forwarded to its Miami offices.
(Source: NPR)