Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday he has ordered an immediate review of the processes at the Department of Justice and the FBI, following the school shooting in Florida.
“It is now clear that the warning signs were there and tips to the FBI were missed. We see the tragic consequences of those failures,” Sessions said in a statement.
On Wednesday, 17 people died after a gunman attacked a Parkland, Florida high school. Sesssions’ comments come after the FBI acknowledged that it had received a tip about the suspect, but had not followed its own protocol for looking into such reports.
Earlier Friday, the FBI said a caller “provided information about 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.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement the agency is still investigating the matter and reviewing its process for responding to tips.
“We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy,” Wray said.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott called the FBI’s response to the tip “unacceptable” and called for Wray’s resignation.
“We constantly promote ‘see something, say something,’ and a courageous person did just that to the FBI. And the FBI failed to act,” Scott said in a statement.
