FBI got tip on Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz in January, but didn’t 'follow protocols'

PARKLAND, Fla. — Less than six weeks before Nikolas Cruz committed one of the deadliest school shootings in American history, someone who knew him called an FBI tip line to complain about him, the agency revealed on Friday.

But no one followed up.

Cruz allegedly fatally shot 17 people and injured many more in a Wednesday attack on his former school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

More on the Florida shooting

In a statement, the FBI said "a person close to" Cruz called the agency's public tip line on Jan. 5 and left information on 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."

The tip should have been "assessed as a potential threat to life" and forwarded to the bureau's Miami field office for investigation. "We have determined that these protocols were not followed," the agency said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in that statement that the bureau is trying to figure out how the mistake occurred, particularly because the bureau asks the public to "be vigilant" against threats and share them with authorities.

He also acknowledged the suffering the revelation will cause victims, survivors and their families.

“We have spoken with victims and families, and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy," Wray said.

Chris Grady, a 19-year-old senior who survived the shooting, said the victims "might be alive today if they had done their job."

“Our government is failing us,” Grady said. “They need to do their freaking jobs. I’m sorry, but this is so infuriating.”

Ryan Servaites, a 15-year-old freshman who was trapped in the school auditorium when the shooting started, said, “It makes everybody here really, really angry that the FBI didn’t follow the proper protocols. This should never have happened.”

Since the shooting, students and teachers and former neighbors have described a troubled, recently orphaned young man fascinated with guns and killing animals with a history of "disturbing" social media posts and who had been expelled from Douglas for fighting and carrying bullets in his backpack.

And a YouTube user in Mississippi came forward to say that he reported to the FBI a comment left on one of his videos by a person who called himself "nikolas cruz" who wrote, "Im going to be a professional school shooter."

The FBI responded to that September tip, interviewing the YouTube user the day after he reported the comment, but was not able to identify the person behind it, Robert Lasky, the special agent in charge of the Miami office, said Thursday.

There was no indication the gunman had an accomplice or accomplices, federal and local authorities told NBC News.

Corky Siemaszko reported from Parkland, Florida, Michael Kosnar from Washington and Jon Schuppe from New York.