Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the response to the Parkland school shooting, as questions mounted over the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s handling of the tragedy that took 17 lives.
The announcement came just hours after Broward Sheriff Scott Israel appeared on CNN and refused any blame for his agency’s missteps and touted his own “amazing leadership.”
The governor’s office said in a statement Sunday that the investigation will begin immediately, the Sun Sentinel reports.
“There must be an independent investigation and that is why I asked the FDLE Commissioner to immediately start this process,” the governor said in a written statement, adding that he had discussed the matter with House Speaker Richard Corcoran. “I have spoken to the Speaker regularly since the shooting, and like me, he wants the families to have answers and for there to be full accountability. That’s what the victims and their families deserve.”