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Scott Calls For FBI Director's Resignation In Wake Of School Shooting

WFSU | By Lynn Hatter
Published February 16, 2018 at 4:02 PM EST
Office of Gov. Rick Scott

Governor Rick Scott is calling on the FBI Director to resign after the agency didn’t take action on information received about the 19-year-old who killed 17 people at a South Florida High School.

Credit Office of Gov. Rick Scott
Florida Gov. Rick Scott

The FBI received information on January 5 from a person about the shooter's  gun ownership, behavior and social media messages, and his desire to kill people, but the agency didn’t investigate.

In a statement, Florida Governor Rick Scott says 17 people died because of that inaction, and says the agency’s apology, “isn’t going to cut it.” 

"Seventeen innocent people are dead and acknowledging a mistake isn’t going to cut it," he said. "An apology will never bring these 17 Floridians back to life or comfort the families who are in pain. The families will spend a lifetime wondering how this could happen, and an apology will never give them the answers they desperately need."

Meanwhile, state Sens. Anitere Flores, R-Miami and Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, are asking Senate President Joe Negron to convene a task force on shoring up school safety. Among the topics: increasing mental health and treatment in schools and hiring former military and police officers as guards.

"We should not allow the inaction of our federal partners to be the cause of our inaction in addressing the issues of violence in our schools and our community," Garcia and Flores said in a statement.

Following a visit to Broward County Friday, Negron said he's planning on also focusing on mental health and school safety. But he adds a third issue: keeping guns from people who have mental illnesses.

"The Governor has indicated that he would like a thorough review of state laws and meetings with stakeholders to determine what changes may be necessary  to improve reporting and communication between entities to ensure that when a person is identified as having a challenge with mental health, they do not have the ability to purchase a firearm. My Senate colleagues and I look forward to participating in that critically important process," he said in a statement.

Copyright 2020 WFSU. To see more, visit .

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GovernmentFBIRick ScottMarjory Stoneman Douglas ShootingLocal
Lynn Hatter
Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas. She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. When she’s not working, Lynn spends her time watching sci-fi and action movies, writing her own books, going on long walks through the woods, traveling and exploring antique stores. Follow Lynn Hatter on Twitter: @HatterLynn.
See stories by Lynn Hatter
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