JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Rick Scott called on FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign Friday in the wake of a stunning disclosure that the bureau mishandled a January tip about the suspected gunman behind the Parkland school shooting.
Scott's statement joined a chorus of voices criticizing the FBI. Earlier, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., issued a statement demanding congressional investigations into how the bureau responds to credible tips about potential threats.
Someone close to Nikolas Cruz called the FBI tipline Jan. 5 to report concerns about his gun arsenal, alarming social media activity and the potential for him to carry out a school shooting, according to the FBI. No one followed up.
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In a blistering statement, the governor called the mistake "unacceptable," saying merely acknowledging the failure "won't cut it" and that an apology won't bring the shooting's 17 victims back to life.
"'See something, say something' is an incredibly important tool and people must have confidence in the follow through from law enforcement. The FBI Director needs to resign," Scott said.
Rubio slammed the agency for not forwarding the tip, which amounted to a "potential threat to life," to the FBI's Miami division, which would have been charged with pushing the investigation forward.
"In this tragic case, people close to the shooter said something, and our system utterly failed the families of seventeen innocent souls," he said.
For his part, Wray said the FBI continues to investigate the facts of the case to find out why the system did not work as intended.
“We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy," he said.