PARKLAND, Fla. (CBS NEWS/AP) — A Mississippi man tells CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues that he warned the FBI last September about a social media comment allegedly posted by Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz.
Ben Bennight says he saw a comment on a YouTube video that troubled him and notified the FBI in September, Pegues reports. Nikolas Cruz allegedly commented on Bennight's YouTube video saying, "I'm going to be a professional school shooter."
At Thursday morning's news conference in Parkland, FBI agent Rob Lasky told reporters it is investigating the YouTube comment, but could not immediately identify the user who posted it. Lasky says the agency did a database review, but couldn't determine the time, location or true identity of the person making the comment.
Police say Cruz opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon at Florida high school Wednesday, killing 17 people, injuring 15 and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets.
BuzzFeed News first reported that the YouTube vlogger says he made the warning.
Bennight, who BuzzFeed reports is a bail bondsman, spoke with the FBI last year for about 20 minutes, and there was no follow-up from the FBI after that initial conversation, Pegues reports.
Bennight told Pegues he spoke with the FBI Wednesday night again for about 20 minutes. They wanted to know if he knew anything more after first reporting the YouTube video last year. He said the same agent/agents he spoke with last year came to his home Wednesday.
The FBI was not commenting on Thursday morning, CBS News' Andy Triay reports. BuzzFeed reported that FBI officials would not say whether or not they confirmed the account that left the YouTube comment about being a school shooter belonged to Cruz.
The development comes just hours after Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel urged people to call law enforcement if they see something online "that is not right."
"Call up the FBI or the Broward Sheriff," he said. "You could prevent a major tragedy."
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FBI Investigates YouTube Comment Possibly Linked To Florida Shooter
/ KCAL News
PARKLAND, Fla. (CBS NEWS/AP) — A Mississippi man tells CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues that he warned the FBI last September about a social media comment allegedly posted by Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz.
Ben Bennight says he saw a comment on a YouTube video that troubled him and notified the FBI in September, Pegues reports. Nikolas Cruz allegedly commented on Bennight's YouTube video saying, "I'm going to be a professional school shooter."
At Thursday morning's news conference in Parkland, FBI agent Rob Lasky told reporters it is investigating the YouTube comment, but could not immediately identify the user who posted it. Lasky says the agency did a database review, but couldn't determine the time, location or true identity of the person making the comment.
Police say Cruz opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon at Florida high school Wednesday, killing 17 people, injuring 15 and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets.
BuzzFeed News first reported that the YouTube vlogger says he made the warning.
Bennight, who BuzzFeed reports is a bail bondsman, spoke with the FBI last year for about 20 minutes, and there was no follow-up from the FBI after that initial conversation, Pegues reports.
Bennight told Pegues he spoke with the FBI Wednesday night again for about 20 minutes. They wanted to know if he knew anything more after first reporting the YouTube video last year. He said the same agent/agents he spoke with last year came to his home Wednesday.
The FBI was not commenting on Thursday morning, CBS News' Andy Triay reports. BuzzFeed reported that FBI officials would not say whether or not they confirmed the account that left the YouTube comment about being a school shooter belonged to Cruz.
The development comes just hours after Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel urged people to call law enforcement if they see something online "that is not right."
"Call up the FBI or the Broward Sheriff," he said. "You could prevent a major tragedy."
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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