FBI says it did not properly follow-up tip on accused Florida shooter

Susan Stocker | Reuters

Nikolas Cruz (C) appears via video monitor with Melisa McNeill (R), his public defender, at a bond court hearing after being charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., February 15, 2018.

The FBI said on Friday that a tip it received about accused Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz should have caused him to be assessed as a threat, but proper protocols were not followed and the information was not sent to its Miami office for follow-up.

“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 FBI said in a statement. “We have determined that these protocols were not followed.”