The picture of Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz is getting clearer — and weirder:
PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) _ Leader of white nationalist group has confirmed suspect in Florida school shooting was member of his organization.
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) February 15, 2018
According to the AP:
The leader of a white nationalist militia says Florida school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was a member of his group and participated in paramilitary drills in Tallahassee.
Jordan Jereb told The Associated Press on Thursday that his group wants Florida to become its own white ethno-state. He said his group holds “spontaneous random demonstrations” and tries not to participate in the modern world.
Jereb said he didn’t know Cruz personally and that “he acted on his own behalf of what he just did and he’s solely responsible for what he just did.”
The Anti-Defamation League has more details:
BREAKING: Nikolas Cruz, alleged perpetrator in the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was associated with white supremacist group Republic of Florida & participated in the group’s training exercises, according to the group’s leader. More info: https://t.co/eTCTx1fUdP
— ADL (@ADL) February 15, 2018
From ADL.org:
A spokesperson for the white supremacist group Republic of Florida (ROF) told the Anti-Defamation League on Thursday, February 15, that Nikolas Cruz, the man charged with the previous day’s deadly shooting spree at a Parkland, Florida, high school, was associated with his group.
…
After self-described ROF members claimed on the discussion forum 4chan that Cruz had also been a member, the Anti-Defamation League called the ROF hotline and spoke with an ROF member who identified himself as Jordan Jereb.
…
Jereb said that Cruz was associated with ROF, having been “brought up” by another member. Jereb added that Cruz had participated in one or more ROF training exercises in the Tallahassee area, carpooling with other ROF members from south Florida.
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And then there’s this:
UPDATE: Classmates tell ABC News that Cruz was a member of Republic of Florida, a white supremacist group and was seen with its leader Jordan Jereb.
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 15, 2018
This is likely going to get a lot messier before all is said and done.
Look, if white supremacist pieces of shit want to claim this guy, I'm not going to stop them and I think the FBI should take it very seriously and raid those pieces of shit.
— RBe (@RBPundit) February 15, 2018
***
Update:
Law enforcement is now saying it hasn't found any ties between the Parkland shooter and that white nationalist group. (Keep in mind, the story is still fluid.) https://t.co/nHqZWUn2uq
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 15, 2018
More from the Tallahassee Democrat:
Leon County law enforcement sources told the Tallahassee Democrat that they could not find information linking Cruz, 19, to the Republic of Florida Militia, as first reported by the group’s self-proclaimed leader Jordan Jereb.
The claims to the Anti-Defamation League and The Associated Press by ROF leader Jereb, who is no stranger to Tallahassee law enforcement, set off a firestorm Thursday at about midday that Cruz was connected to the alt-right, white nationalist group.
Leon County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Grady Jordan said investigative work Thursday did not yield any connections.
“We are still doing some work but we have no known ties between the ROF, Jordan Jereb or the Broward shooter,” Jordan said.
And then there’s this:
Jordan Jereb, the ADL's source on the Florida shooter's ties to white supremacist groups, is now backtracking on Gab, claiming that he lied, or was underslept and made a mistake.
Local law enforcement are now saying there are "no known ties" between Cruz and Jereb. pic.twitter.com/wvU4wN2B1z
— Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) February 15, 2018
I have a headache. pic.twitter.com/xOkUHdY5Ja
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) February 15, 2018
Yeah … so do we.
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