As more information comes out about the Parkland school shooting, it appears law enforcement had more than enough information to believe the eventual shooter was a real threat who needed to be stopped before he acted.
Now, the warnings an anonymous tipster left the FBI last month have been released.
What do they show?
According
to the New York Times, which obtained a transcript between the tipster and an FBI employee, the anonymous woman warned the eventual shooter was “going to explode.” The tip came in on Jan. 5. Less than six weeks later — just 40 days — the woman would be proved correct. From the Times:
Over the course of the January call, which lasted more than 13 minutes, the tipster warned the F.B.I. that Mr. Cruz had been adrift since his mother’s death in November. She said that Mr. Cruz had “the mental capacity of a 12 to a 14 year old.” The tipster provided four Instagram accounts for Mr. Cruz, which she said showed photos of sliced up animals and the firearms he had amassed. The caller, whose name was redacted on the transcript, said Mr. Cruz had used money from a life insurance policy after his mother’s death to purchase the weapons.
In addition to warning the FBI about multiple “flags,” the anonymous tipster said the shooter had a growing fascination with ISIS and Arabic words, and explained that he sometimes dressed in clothing similar to what ISIS militants or “ninjas” wear.
“It’s alarming to see these pictures and to know what he’s capable of doing and…and what could happen,” the tipster said.
“I just want to, you know, get it off my chest in case something does happen and I do believe something’s going to happen, but—” the tipster explained at the end of the call.
According to the Times, the tipster first called the Broward County Sheriff’s Office worried the shooter might kill himself. But the woman never heard back and “became increasingly alarmed” after the shooter posted online that he wanted to kill people.
Numerous
other concerns friends, family members, internet users and acquaintances reported to law enforcement and school officials went ignored.
Read the FBI tipster’s transcript
here.
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