Parkland Shooting FBI Tip Ignored: “He wants to kill people” and “he’s so into ISIS”
Law Enforcement Failures Mount, including Report Multiple Broward Officers Waited Outside
As details of the Parkland school shooting slowly trickle out, the story grows worse.
Every single sign was there.
Repeatedly, law enforcement officials, both local and federal, failed to respond to repeated warnings that Cruz was going to shoot up a school.
FBI Tip “He Wants to Kill People” and “he’s so into ISIS” completely ignored
Friday, the New York Times published a transcript of a call made to the FBI on January 5th.
A woman who called an FBI tip line in early January described a young man — the eventual Florida shooter — with an arsenal of knives and guns who was “going to explode” and said she feared him “getting into a school and just shooting the place up.” https://t.co/L82llMCoNq pic.twitter.com/PhmrdeIlhg
— CNN (@CNN) February 23, 2018
The call lasted 13 minutes and the caller, whose name is redacted, explained “Mr. Cruz had used money from a life insurance policy after his mother’s death to purchase the weapons,” according to the NYT.
The transcript:
Before reaching out to the FBI, the same caller attempted to get in touch with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, but she didn’t hear back from them.
You would think “he’s so into ISIS” might encourage the FBI to take Cruz seriously. If “there’s a dude that wants to kill people and he’s into ISIS” doesn’t motivate the FBI, what will?
Broward County deputies received at least 18 calls warning them about Nikolas Cruz over the span of 9 years
The FBI was not the only law enforcement agency to blow off repeated warnings about Cruz. The Broward County sheriff department blew received 18 calls specifically warning about Cruz from 2008 to 2017.
From Naples Daily News:
Broward County deputies received at least 18 calls warning them about Nikolas Cruz from 2008 to 2017, including concerns that he “planned to shoot up the school” and other threats and acts of violence before he was accused of killing 17 people at a high school.
The warnings, made by concerned people close to Cruz, came in phone calls to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, records show. At least five callers mentioned concern over his access to weapons, according to the documents. None of those warnings led to direct intervention.
In February 2016, neighbors told police that they were worried he “planned to shoot up the school” after seeing alarming pictures on Instagram showing Cruz brandishing guns.
About two months later, an unidentified caller told police that Cruz had been collecting guns and knives. The caller was “concerned (Cruz) will kill himself one day and believes he could be a school shooter in the making,” according to call details released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Records of those calls are here:
Coral Springs Police Officers were the first to enter the school, not Broward County
The Coral Springs Police Chief sent an email to officers who were miffed that Broward County was receiving praise and attention for entering the school when it was the Coral Springs PD who did the dirty work.
Coral Springs Police Chief Anthony Pustizzi sent out this email to his staff on Feb 16 because, per source, some officers under his command were upset that Broward Sheriff’s Office wasn’t acknowledging that Coral Springs Police were first to charge into MSD High School: pic.twitter.com/G3DcbB3lwB
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 23, 2018
That email is here:
Three Broward County Sheriff’s Deputies (not including the now retired Peterson) were behind their cars, guns drawn, when Coral Springs PD arrived on the scene
And now we know why they were ticked. A total of four Broward County Sheriff’s Deputies were outside of the school, weapons drawn, while Cruz was busy murdering 17 people inside. Four.
CNN has that report:
When Coral Springs police officers arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14 in the midst of the school shooting crisis, many officers were surprised to find not only that Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson, the armed school resource officer, had not entered the building, but that three other Broward County Sheriff’s deputies were also outside the school and had not entered, Coral Springs sources tell CNN. The deputies had their pistols drawn and were behind their vehicles, the sources said, and not one of them had gone into the school.
With direction from the Broward deputies who were outside, Coral Springs police soon entered the building where the shooter was. New Broward County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, and two of those deputies and an officer from Sunrise, Florida, joined the Coral Springs police as they went into the building.
Some Coral Springs police were stunned and upset that the four original Broward County Sheriff’s deputies who were first on the scene did not appear to join them as they entered the school, Coral Springs sources tell CNN. It’s unclear whether the shooter was still in the building when they arrived.
What these Coral Springs officers observed — though not their feelings about it — will be released in a report, likely next week. Sources cautioned that tapes are currently being reviewed and official accounts could ultimately differ from recollections of officers on the scene.
The resentment among Coral Springs officials toward Broward County officials about what they perceived to be a dereliction of duty may have reached a boiling point at a vigil the night of February 15, where, in front of dozens of others, Coral Springs City Manager Mike Goodrum confronted Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. A source familiar with the conversation tells CNN that Goodrum was upset that the Broward deputies had remained outside the school while kids inside could have been bleeding out, among other reasons.
Thursday, when news broke that Peterson, the school officer on duty, stayed outside during the shooting, it was also announced that two other officers were placed on restricted assignment pending an investigation. We don’t know if the suspensions were handed down to two of the officers who also remained outside during the bloodbath.
When the government fails to do the jobs we pay them to do, it’s up to us to protect ourselves
Every step of the way, every single agency involved failed Cruz and failed the innocent lives he took, and the suggested remedy is to deprive law-abiding citizens of the means to protect themselves? Get bent.
If anything, this particular incident proves that only you can protect yourself and your family. No one, especially not the government, will come to your rescue. You are your best defense. And a 9mm helps too.
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Comments
A completely preventable massacre, and the idiot lefties blame the NRA, President Trump and law abiding gun owners.
It’s enough to make me want to punch a gun-grabbing proggie in the throat.
What do you expect from a fascist movement, honesty?
Speaking of fascists – Wasn’t it just three short weeks ago that the left was still in an uproar about the Nazi/fascist in the White House? Weren’t they concerned because he was a tyrant, and that his policies were “literally committing genocide”?
And now these same people are begging this Nazi’s government to please, please, please take our guns.
Does this make sense? I remain convinced they are totally unfamiliar with the meaning of the word “irony” and am equally convinced that they are all batshit crazy and suffering from severe cognitive dissonance.
I have the sense that the Left’s propaganda machine, Think Progress an Center for American Progress and others, have a PACKAGED response (like an obituary package for a celebrity) just waiting for the next tragedy. Blame the NRA and the Second Amendment.
Anyone who thinks that their goal is anything other than REPEAL of the Second Amendment and total confiscation of firearms is fooling themselves.
Absolutely they do. And they also sat around in some “strategy session” and probably ran “focus groups” to come up with the idea of astroturfing with the teenagers. It’s disgusting. I wonder if they realize what the end game will look like if they push far enough.
The attack on the NRA was so blatantly obvious in that they were trolling social media and comment sections of conservative websites with their pre-packaged propaganda within minutes of the news of the shooting hitting the newswires
So, now on top of the shock and unimaginable grief at the murder of their loved ones, parents must deal with the outrage that three or four persons who if they were not able to prevent any deaths could have minimized the number failed to act, as precious seconds and minutes passed. It’s difficult for me to comprehend any way in which this could be justified.
Prayers for the families, relatives, and friends as even more wrong is fostered upon them.
Re: Die Just As Happy:
I just got off the phone with a retired law enforcement friend of mine in Georgia. He told me after Columbine, a new training policy was adopted called “Active Shooter Training.”
Under “Active Shooter” training, officers are to take a position outside the building and wait for reinforcements before going in. Evidently, that’s what they did. My friend didn’t know if they in Broward County had had this particular protocol in their training.
If they did, it’s useless training. Why pay someone to sit outside and wait for it all to be over?
People in positions of authority aren’t serious about this. They need to get serious. I suspect Trump will be serious and efficient in policies he advocates, although this is truly one of THE most local issues I can imagine: local government schools.
Thanks for the insight about the “Active Shooter Training.” In this case, there were four of them on the scene. How many more were needed before they would take action? Granted the training seems to amount to officers carrying “rape whistles” instead of firearms.
Agreed that localities and states need to take action now, not wait for the federal government. I’m sure that President Trump will bring to bear his problems solving skills and this matter will not languish as in the past with the insistent calls for gun control.
Not quite accurate. Active shooter training requires areas to be cleared and secured systematically. I was a pretend corpse at the last local active shooter training. Even one officer can clear and secure a scene. They are trained to systematically approach gunfire, not stand and wait with guns drawn, at least up here in Montana which has federal supervision running it’s program. You look into and clear each potential room and path as you approach the gunfire, on the chance there is more than one shooter. You can also direct civilians to retreat or to provide medical aid. This hardly slows down the officer as it can be done quickly in most school layouts.
Re: TLComm2 & Others on “Active Shooter” Training:
I may have misunderstood him. He did mention doing a systematic check of space on the way to the shooter, and he disapproved of it.
As far as school shootings go, Columbine seems to be the exception where there was more than one shooter. Therefore, checking each room instead of going to where you hear shots will in most cases cost lives.
Thank all of you for your additional information on this.
They were specifically training one and two man response teams when I was there.
“Under “Active Shooter” training, officers are to take a position outside the building and wait for reinforcements before going in”
I’m not a LEO but I do have close friends and service mates who are, and that description is what they DID at Columbine; from everything I’ve heard and been told the new standard is that if you’re the first officer on the scene you are to try to locate and engage the shooter.
The Active Shooter Training that my department ran was just the opposite. A responding officer did not wait for back-up, if the shooting was ongoing, unless that backup was seconds away. If it was minutes away, the initial officer went in alone and back-up officers caught up with him, or her.
Prior to, and at the time of the Columbine shooting in 1999, the accepted response was to have the first responders secure the perimeter of the building and either wait for SWAT or SRT or, make a tactical entry only upon the direct order of a superior officer. As I said, after the Sheriff caught all the flack for that response at Columbine, the procedure changed to immediate entry, locate and engage/neutralize. LEOs were not expected to hang around outside the building and wait for reinforcements while the shooter was active.
We really haven’t heard anything about the officer on site. What was his level of training and what was the response protocol? Was the problem with his training or his execution? Was he parked there with inadequate training because it was a ‘safe’ place where nothing happens and he couldn’t screw up? The training and execution of the whole dept over years is shown to be shoddy, why should his be any different? Let’s not focus too much on him when the entire dept bears a lot of blame – as well as the FBI, etc.
Having said that, I bet the sheriff is a great schmoozer with the pols and gets on the right side of every political issue.
I worked in a top-tier cop shop for nearly 9 years and your friend is completely wrong. The lesson from Columbine was exactly the opposite – you can’t wait to go in, you must go in immediately. I agree with ticomm2.
Since Columbine, officers have been taught to go in and take the fight to the shooter.
While it was a house and not a school, that is what a Plano PD cop did last September when he arrived on the scene of an active shooter. It was all over before the second officer arrived.
“‘He made entry, and that’s when he observed several victims inside and then engaged the suspect,’ said Officer David Tilley, a police spokesman. The officer fatally shot the gunman…”
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/09/10/8-reportedly-shot-death-plano-home-suspect-killed-police
This is an active shooter training program from Israel. HT David
https://youtu.be/zejHztW2OL0
Basically, it demonstrates to students that they can and should fight back… It reminded me of the three men on that train in France.
Interesting video
Fed, What you describe as “Active Shooter” SOP for Law Enforcement seems to be the standard antiquated pre-Columbine SOP.
In American policing, confronting active shooters is divided into two eras: before Columbine, and after Columbine. Before the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, police strategy was to wait for the SWAT team to arrive and then attack en masse with precise force. But after the two shooters in Columbine roamed the school for nearly 50 minutes, killing 13 and wounding 21, THE POLICE APPROACH CHANGED: ENTER NOW. WHOEVER IS THERE WITH A GUN, WHETHER A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR THE FIRST PATROL OFFICER TO ARRIVE, SHOULD GO AFTER THE SHOOTER.
“WE TEACH THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY WHEN YOU COME ON SCENE IS TO STOP THE KILLING,” said Pete Blair, executive director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University and one of the nation’s top experts on active shooter training. “The number one driving force is gunfire. If there’s gunfire, WE TEACH THE OFFICERS TO ISOLATE, DISTRACT AND NEUTRALIZE. WE WANT PEOPLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOUNDS OF THE GUNFIRE.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/02/23/police-are-trained-to-attack-active-shooters-but-parkland-officer-didnt-would-armed-teachers-help/?utm_term=.d01b3ba95861
It’s developing that it’s more than a coincidence that Broward rhymes with Coward.
They didn’t fail to respond.
They INTENTIONALLY CHOSE not to respond because of an idiotic policy that had been in place for a few years that they wouldn’t log incidents or arrest students because too many minority students were getting arrested.
The FBI may have dropped the ball through an accident or single person’s incompetence.
Broward County INTENTIONALLY CHOSE to ignore dozens of incidents – several of which are FELONIES that should have seen him arrested and with a record that would have prevented him from buying guns.
Meanwhile the weasel shitbag Israel goes on CNN and whines about guns when he knew his cowards in uniform did nothing to stop them.
This is the single greatest gun commercial ever made. Liberals want only the government to have guns so they can cower outside in the parking lot while you die.
The disease of liberalism, obamaism – call it whatever you like.
But it is a disease, and it’s taken it’s toll.
But there is a cure. It’s called: us.
Yea, wasn’t that a policy that was handed down by Obama’s DOE?
Yes. Betsey Devos and Jeff Sessions need to review these policies- and NOW!
http://prospect.org/article/reversing-broward-countys-school-prison-pipeline
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/02/23/broward-county-sheriffs-office-did-not-miss-warning-signs-or-make-mistakes/#more-146176
Sheriff Israel FAILED on EVERY level- from ignoring tips on Cruz, to reporting to the Children and Families Services investigator what they knew about him, to PROTECTING the children by having the deputy immediately go into the school, to having the deputies immediately go into the school.
Then, he claimed CREDIT for his department and blamed the NRA, while knowing full well that Coral Springs police went in to the school before HIS deputies got out from behind their cars!
Insane. The deputy thought he did a good job.
From the New York Post:
The sheriff’s deputy who failed to engage the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School “believed he did a good job” because he called in the location of the massacre and gave a description of the shooter, a top union official said Thursday.
School resource officer Scot Peterson, who resigned in disgrace from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, was “distraught” about the shooting that killed 17 people — but believed he did his duty, according to the president of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association.
“He believed he did a good job calling in the location, setting up the perimeter and calling in the description (of Cruz),” said the union official, Jim Bell.
sounds like the everybody gets a trophy crap
More like a pension check.
A “participation medal”….
Wait, Wait, Wait, if he gave a description of the shooter that means he saw the shooter and didn’t engage him.
he “believes he did a good job” because he actually woke up enough to brush the donut crumbs off his belly and run away.
Not necessarily. If other students came out and told him that Cruz was shooting kids, since he worked at the school he probably knew Cruz and would be able to give a description.
Parkland doesn’t have it’s own police department. Instead, they’ve entered into a contract with the Broward Co Sheriff’s office to provide them with police services in exchange for 6.5 million dollars per year. It certainly doesn’t sound like they’re getting their money’s worth.
Small point to add…
The killer was apprehended outside the school grounds after he had gone to McDonalds and Subway. He was able to escape by blending in with the other students fleeing the campus.
If law enforcement had entered the school building and seen the shooter they would have been able to apprehend him much sooner.
I’m most shocked by the school resource officer’s behavior. Was he waiting for backup? This whole thing stinks.
Video of one of the high school kids who saw deputy Peterson standing behind cover with his gun pointing in no direction. The school coaches were massive heroes.
https://twitter.com/BrianEntin/status/967180482998751232
Even as liberal as Broward County is, I am shocked there isn’t an active movement to force Sheriff Scott Israel to step down. His department ignored many, many warning signs regarding Nikolas Cruz, his department did nothing to stop the shooter when it had an opportunity and Israel has a history of placing friends and relatives of supporters into well-paying jobs.
There isn’t because he successfully directed the stupid lemmings at the NRA because he knew if he didn’t he was toast.
Add to that the Prog/Leftist mind is easily diverted from one emotion to another. They are agenda driven and that agenda of the day is the favorites of gun control and NRA. Lastly, the Dem Party officials will cover for them. Lemmings is being kind to them. Party before people… no sacrifice is too much for the journey to perfection. We are talking high functioning Asperger variant here.
I understand the media interest in the FBI but really this was a Broward County problem. We cannot expect Washington DC based law enforcement to handle thousands of mentally deranged people across the country.
I don’t expect them to handle thousands of people, however what I do expect them, when someone calls them up and says “hey, there’s this kid who’s got a gun and he says he’s going to shoot up a school soon, and here’s his name and here’s where he lives, and I really think he’s gonna do it”…. well when someone calls up and tells them that, I expect a little bit more than “AlRIGHTY then! Isn’t that special! Have a nice day!!!”
Exactly, big difference when the person is reported directly to them.
I don’t think I can mention my connections to law enforcement other than to note the one node with a web site.
https://www.epic.gov/
I was Navy. None of my training involved standing outside. I can guarantee you at least a stun grenade and an assault. Whether you take my captain hostage or the newest seaman recruit, we want them back.
Cadet Haab, if that’s his name, should have been allowed to ask his question about hiring veterans as security guards.
The cadet’s speech about having vets as guards at the school is not what the left wants. They want guns gone. His speech did not fit their agenda, ergo, no speech allowed.
I can see why.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/12/lt-gen-kelly-on-the-two-that-stood-their-ground.html
“…The mission orders they received from the sergeant squad leader I am sure went something like: “Okay you two clowns, stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.” “You clear?” I am also sure Yale and Haerter then rolled their eyes and said in unison something like:
“Yes Sergeant,” with just enough attitude that made the point without saying the words, “No kidding sweetheart, we know what we’re doing.” They then relieved two other Marines on watch and took up their post at the entry control point of Joint Security Station Nasser, in the Sophia section of Ramadi, Al Anbar, Iraq.
A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way-perhaps 60-70 yards in length-and sped its way through the serpentine f concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both catastrophically…”
lest you be led to believe that kind of courage is confined to the Marine Corps, and I can assure you the Marines are not, attention to citation:
“CITATION:
For heroism while serving at Naval Station Norfolk Security Detachment, Norfolk, Virginia on 24 March 2014. While performing his duties as Chief of the Guard, Petty Officer Mayo was alerted to a suspicious individual walking towards USS MAHAN (DDG 72) on Pier 1, Naval Station Norfolk. Petty Officer Mayo pursued the individual up the brow of the ship while both he and the Quarterdeck watch-standers directed the individual to stop and provide identification. Failing to comply, the individual approached the Quarterdeck, attacked and disarmed the Petty Officer of the Watch. After boarding the ship, Petty Officer Mayo realized that the Petty Officer of the Watch no longer had control of her weapon. With complete and total disregard for his own personal safety, Petty Officer Mayo immediately placed himself between the Petty Officer of the Watch and the assailant. While fearlessly engaging the assailant and shielding the Petty Officer of the Watch, Petty Officer Mayo was fatally wounded. His exceptionally brave actions saved the lives of four watch-standers and ensured the safety of the entire crew of USS MAHAN (DDG 72). By his courageous and prompt actions in the face of great personal risk, Petty Officer Mayo prevented the loss of lives, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
For the President,
JONATHAN W. GREENERT
Admiral, United States Navy”
The people who want to see me as a racist are just going to do it.
To give you an idea of how old I am…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Adams-class_destroyer
I completed my initial ship’s security reaction force training on an Adams class.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14057_ppr_ch2.pdf
A good friend of mine, a Green Beret, told me once you can’t be a leader of men if you can’t d0 100 pushups. I’ve let myself go, America, since I retired ten years ago. Yesterday I dropped and could only pump out 23. Sorry, America, I’ll do better in the future.
America’s enemies were quivering at the thought I might get old.
“…Petty Officer Mayo realized that the Petty Officer of the Watch no longer had control of her weapon. With complete and total disregard for his own personal safety, Petty Officer Mayo immediately placed himself between the Petty Officer of the Watch and the assailant. While fearlessly…”
HER, gottit, HER. Keep that in mind when you hear about too few SEALs.
I’m going to catch hell, but this guy managed to circumvent eight or nine layers of security. And then the last layer was a chick with a gun. None of which I like.