Trump links FBI's 'missed signals' on Florida gunman to Russia investigation
The President accuses the FBI of spending "too much time" trying to prove Russian collusion with his election campaign.
Sunday 18 February 2018 11:27, UK
Donald Trump has criticised the FBI for missing "all the many signals" that could have prevented the Florida school shooting - and linked the oversights to the Russia investigation.
The US President said the agency had spent "too much time" trying to prove Russian collusion with his election campaign ahead of the 2016 presidential race.
"Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable," he tweeted.
"They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!"
The FBI received a tip last month that the Florida gunman, Nikolas Cruz, had a "desire to kill" and access to guns and could be plotting an attack.
The agency acknowledged that agents had failed to investigate.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Cruz was investigated by the state's child welfare agency after posting Snapchat videos showing himself cutting his arms and speaking of his intention to buy a gun.
According to records from the agency, obtained by the Miami Herald, the 19-year-old uploaded the self-harm clips to the social media app in September 2016.
The Florida department of children and families' abuse hotline was alerted to the footage, with Cruz having been listed as a victim of "alleged medical neglect and inadequate supervision" on the part of his adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, who died last year.
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According to the agency's subsequent investigation, Cruz - who suffered from depression - was planning to "go out and buy a gun" and had placed "hate signs" on his book bag.
One of them was a Nazi symbol and another was a racist message.
An assessment of his mental health found his depression "impaired his ability to cope with the demands of everyday life without the use of medication", and that he sometimes "lacked the motivation" to see to his own welfare.
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The latest revelations about Cruz's history came as thousands gathered at an anti-gun rally at Fort Lauderdale in Florida, some 25 miles from the school where 17 people were killed by Cruz on Wednesday.
Among those who attended on Saturday were survivors from the attack, which happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
One youngster, Emma Gonzalez, used the platform to call out Mr Trump over the $30m his election campaign received from the National Rifle Association (NRA) in 2016.
"To every politician taking donations from the NRA, shame on you," she cried, before prompting the crowd to chant in turn: "Shame on you! Shame on you!"
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She added: "If the President wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy and how nothing is going to be done about it, I'm going to happily ask him how much money he received from the NRA.
"It doesn't matter because I already know: 30 million. Is that how much these people are worth to you, Trump?"
She also criticised adults who knew the killer was mentally ill for not doing more to prevent him from owning a gun.
Shaking with emotion, Ms Gonzalez said: "We did (flag Cruz). Time and time again. Since he was in middle school. It was no surprise to anyone who knew him to hear that he was the shooter."
Cruz, who has admitted to police that he carried out the shootings, reportedly said he heard voices in his head telling him how to carry out the massacre.
The voices were described as "demons" by police sources, according to ABC News.
It was also reported that Cruz, who is in custody over the killings, "excelled" in an air-rifle marksmanship programme supported by funding from the NRA Foundation, which supports youth shooting clubs.
More protests over US gun control laws are still to come, with the Network for Public Education and the American Federation of Teachers calling on students, teachers and administrators to organise demonstrations for April 20 - the anniversary of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.
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