Governor’s Office rejects FBI, DCF comparisons post-Parkland

Rick Scott speaks to the media outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

A spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott Sunday rejected comparisons between a 2016 state investigation into the Parkland school shooter and the FBI’s lack of follow-up on tips on his potential danger.

“It is absurd and irresponsible to compare the DCF’s investigation, completed nearly 18 months ago in response to allegations of caregiver abuse and neglect, with the FBI’s failure to do anything after receiving a tip last month that this individual would carry out a school shooting,” said McKinley Lewis, Scott’s Deputy Communications Director, in an email.

Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old now charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder for last Wednesday’s mass shooting at Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was in fact investigated by the Department of Children and Families.

Cruz reportedly was on the Snapchat social media and messaging service “cutting both of his arms,” according to reports, and had “stated he plans to go out and buy a gun.”

But, as the Miami Herald reported Sunday, DCF instead looked into the matter as then 18-year-old Cruz being an “alleged victim” of neglect and inadequate supervision by his now-deceased mother, 68-year-old Lynda Cruz, the “alleged perpetrator.”

A DCF spokeswoman also Sunday said “Adult Protective Services (APS) investigates if caregivers are committing abuse or neglect of adults” under state law.

“These investigations determine if an adult is safe and has access to necessary services.” Jessica Sims said.

“APS does not take adults into custody,” she added. “Also, only the court, a law enforcement officer, or a licensed clinician can initiate a Baker Act exam. In Florida, community mental health services are administered by providers independent of DCF and the state of Florida.”

DCF Secretary Mike Carroll separately said “the APS report related to this individual remains confidential pending a court order for release, (but) we have reviewed the circumstances surrounding the 2016 case.

“Mental health services and supports were in place when this investigation closed,” he said. “We look forward to Monday’s hearing, where we will ask that these records are released, so the public can have access to this important information.”

But Carol Marbin Miller, the Herald’s award-winning social services reporter, reported Sunday that DCF’s “investigation appears to have lacked rigor.”

“An exceptional student education specialist who worked with (the accused shooter) repeatedly declined to return phone calls from DCF’s adult protective services investigator.

“The school’s resource officer, a deputy,‘ refused to share any information’ at all, except to confirm that a mobile crisis unit had been out to the school to assess” the 19-year-old.

And the defendant “himself also wouldn’t cooperate, saying that ‘he talked about the situation enough.’ ”