Does anyone know what would have happened if tip had been processed properly?

[LAS14]

As I understand it, the message never got from the tip line to the FBI office. If it had, it would have been passed on to local authorities. And, actually, the local authorities got multiple messages on their own. But what could they have actually done?

I've heard that some locations (states? municipalities?) have passed laws that allow authorities to take away guns for one year from anyone that a single other person has complained about as a possible threat. That seems like a good move to me, but I don't it's a law in Florida.

If you see something, say something. Then what?

[jberryhill]

1. Nothing - which is why this is simply a red herring

He wasn’t doing anything illegal. Anyone is allowed to say atrocious things and own guns.

The point of this herring is the old - “we don’t need to do anything, because we aren’t doing what we should be doing already” - in other words the false idea that there was a law enforcement mistake is just another excuse not to do anything.

I gather there are people who think that we somehow should be locking people up on the basis of anonymous tips or something.

[Squinch]

2. I've been wondering this too. They get the message, they pass it to local authorities

and it goes into the pile with the rest of the messages. The gun is legal, no one is pressing charges for the domestic abuse, so what are they going to do?

[LAS14]

3. Kicking in hope of more responses. The two I've gotten seem to be right on.

Yes, it rings true that making a fuss about law enforcement failures is like saying "our thoughts and prayers are with you." Distraction from the only thing that will really make a difference. Ban high capacity fire arms.

[yardwork]

4. I read that local LE responded 30 times to his home.

If nothing they saw or heard - including assaults on his adoptive mother - allowed them to do anything, I can't imagine what difference an anonymous post on a message board would have made.