FBI Admits It Flubbed January Tip on Florida Suspect

A tip about one "Nikolas Cruz" had been investigated by the FBI back in September, though nothing seems to have come out of it. Now CBS News and NBC News are reporting on a new admission from the FBI that "protocols were not followed" for a separate tip about the Parkland shooting suspect received early last month. Someone said to be close to Cruz called the FBI's Public Access Line on Jan. 5 and offered info on "Cruz's gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting," per an FBI release. However, although the info from that call should have placed Cruz on a "potential threat to life" list, spurring further local investigation, that never happened.

"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," FBI Director Christopher Wray says. He adds that the FBI has spoken with survivors and victims' families and "deeply [regrets] the additional pain this causes." The FBI currently has a dedicated webpage set up regarding the shooting for people to send tips to. (More Parkland school shooting stories.)