FBI Director Andrew McCabe certainly did nothing to enhance the agency’s image when he admitted Friday that agents in Florida failed to follow up on a tip regarding Nicholas Cruz, the Parkland high school shooter.
But, would it have mattered if they did? Sadly, according to this report from the Associated Press, the answer is probably no.
The warnings around Nikolas Cruz seemed to flash like neon signs: expelled from school, fighting with classmates, a fascination with weapons and hurting animals, disturbing images and comments posted to social media, previous mental health treatment.
In Florida, that wasn't enough for relatives, authorities or his school to request a judicial order barring him from possessing guns.
In Florida, like 44 other states, there are no remedies available to prevent individuals who have not committed a crime from legally purchasing and possessing deadly weapons. In other words, the FBI could have sent a legion of agents to short circuit Cruz’ plans, and he could have politely listened (or not) and then told them to pound sand.
Lawmakers in California, Washington, Oregon, Indiana and Connecticut have tackled this issue head on with the the enactment of so-called “red flag” laws that give family members and law enforcement the opportunity to intervene when an individual displays threatening behavior and, at least temporarily, removed guns from his possession.
In California, the effort to enact a red flag law was a driven by grassroot organizing, led by a father who had experienced gun violence first hand.
My son Christopher was shot and killed in Isla Vista, Calif., on May 14, 2014. The gunman displayed numerous warning signs in the days and weeks leading up to his rampage. He made homicidal and suicidal threats. His parents alerted law enforcement, but police decided he did not meet the criteria for emergency commitment. He was able to keep his guns and use them in the killing spree that ended Christopher's life. The red flag mechanism wasn't in place to allow law enforcement to step in.
I turned my grief into action and fought in the California Legislature to pass the state's red flag law in Christopher's name. I was gratified when it was signed that September.
Richard Martinez
These reforms are happening at the state level and hopefully will spread. But it may take the kind of activism displayed by Richard Martinez to get it done.
For more information on red flag laws go to EverytownResearch.org