Broward superintendent now admits Parkland shooter was admitted to PROMISE Program

After months of denials to politicians and media members (including this reporter), WLRN’s Jessica Bakeman reports that Broward County Public School officials now acknowledge Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz had been admitted to the PROMISE Program before he carried out his February massacre.

Some background: After the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed, it was widely reported that the shooter had several prior instances of criminal behavior, including threats to other students, that did not end in his arrest.

Experts have said Cruz could have been charged for at least some of these offenses. That may have allowed authorities to confiscate Cruz’s guns before the shooting, or at the very least put him under surveillance.

That left many in the community wondering how school and law enforcement officials missed so many signs leading up to this tragedy?

One possible explanation was Broward County’s PROMISE Program. An agreement, which you can view here, was made between Broward County Public Schools and several law enforcement agencies, including the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office.

The goal of the program is to reduce the arrest rate of students for certain misdemeanors by disciplining them within the school system. According to the agreement, “arrests and referrals to the criminal justice system may decrease a student’s chance of graduation, entering higher education, joining the military, and getting a job.”

The goal of protecting students’ futures is a noble one. But was it possible the program allowed Cruz to slip through the cracks by keeping him out of the criminal justice system?

The answer from Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) was a resounding “no.”

WLRN’s report details many of those denials, including a quote from Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie that Cruz “had no connection to the PROMISE program.” He called any reports suggesting otherwise a “fictitious narrative.”

Sen. Marco Rubio also says: “I was repeatedly told that the Parkland shooter was never in the [PROMISE] Program I was asking questions about.” There were similar denials after contacting BCPS for previous reporting on this story.

Now, BCPS admits to Bakeman that Cruz was in fact placed in the PROMISE Program after vandalizing a bathroom while attending middle school in 2013. Spokeswoman Tracy Clark noted Cruz did not attend the required three-day disciplinary measure.

We will continue to provide the best information we have at any point in time. The independent review will be completed in a few weeks & we will share additional information at that time. Thanks @WLRN for sharing this information. https://t.co/xVhAGfwd4A

— Supt Runcie (@RobertwRuncie) May 7, 2018

Anthony Borges, a victim of the Parkland shooting, has attempted to have prosecutors and defense attorneys disqualified from the Cruz case because their offices were parties to PROMISE. As of now, that motion has been denied but is being appealed. Borges has also filed a separate civil suit.

Broward school board members said at a recent meeting they don’t plan on getting rid of the PROMISE Program. A 16-member commission has been put together to both investigate the lead-up to the shooting and find a way to prevent future tragedies.