Nikolas Cruz Was 'School Shooter In The Making,' Mass. Tipster Warned
BOSTON (CBS) – A Massachusetts tipster warned police that Nikolas Cruz "could be a school shooter in the making" just months before authorities say he killed 17 people inside a Florida high school, newly released records show.
The Broward Sheriff's Office released details of nearly two dozen calls police received in the years before authorities say Cruz committed the deadliest school shooting in Florida's history at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Read: Calls To Police About Nikolas Cruz
Records show that someone from Massachusetts alerted police in November 2017 that Cruz was collecting guns and knives.
The caller was concerned Cruz would kill himself one day and "believes he could be a school shooter in the making."
A Florida deputy contacted the Massachusetts caller via telephone, but no report was initiated. The deputy said he referred the caller to the Palm Beach Sheriff's office because the tipster claimed Cruz was no longer living in Parkland and had moved to Lake Worth.
In previous calls, Cruz showed other signs of dangerous behavior. In September 2016 a caller told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school resource officer that Cruz allegedly drank gasoline and was cutting himself.
About one month before the Massachusetts tipster called police, a family member called to report that Cruz had rifles. The woman, a cousin of Cruz's mother who had recently died, asked the Broward Sheriff's Office to recover the weapons.
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A deputy responded and a "close family friend" agreed to take possession of the weapons.
After the deadly school shooting, the woman was re-interviewed and said she did not have any knowledge of actual guns.
"She indicated she was only aware of BB guns and denied requesting guns be taken from residence," police said.
Of the 23 calls to police about Cruz, two remain under internal investigation to determine if protocol was violated.
The call from Massachusetts remains under investigation.
Police are also looking into a February 2016 call. During that incident, a caller said they received third hand information from a neighbor's son that Cruz posted a photo of guns on Instagram and planned to shoot up the school.
