Feb 27, 2018

Police responded to 45 calls about Florida shooter. Sheriff claims 23

Zachary Basu

Records, obtained by CNN, show that the Broward County Sheriff's Office responded to at least 45 calls relating to Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz or his brother between 2008 and 2017, despite Sheriff Scott Israel publicly insisting there were no more than 23.

Why it matters: Pressure continues to mount against Sheriff Israel and his officers for their handling of the Parkland shooting, with critics claiming they missed dozens of warning signs about Cruz's instability. This latest disparity calls into question how forthcoming Israel has been during his time in the national spotlight.

The Sheriff's Office did not respond to CNN's request for comment, but it did issue a statement on Saturday that included the following:

"Since 2008, BSO responded to 23 incidents where previous contact was made with the killer or his family. STOP REPORTING 39; IT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE. It was determined after a preliminary review there were no arrestable offenses."

— Sheriff Scott Israel

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Police responded to 45 calls about Florida shooter. Sheriff claims 23

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