Officials probing whether retired fed agent had advance notice of Buffalo mass shooting, report

Law enforcement officers are reportedly investigating whether a retired federal agent had about 30 minutes advance notice of a mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store earlier this month in which 10 people were killed.

The alleged investigation is being reported by the Buffalo News, based on what the news outlet says is information from two law enforcement officials. 

Authorities think the former agent — believed to be from Texas — was one of at least six people who regularly communicated with accused gunman Payton Gendron in an online chat room in which racist hatred was discussed, the newspaper reports, based on information from the two sources, who reportedly have direct knowledge of the investigation.

They said the six were asked by Gendron to read about his May 14 mass shooting plans and the target location about 30 minutes before he opened fire at the Tops market.

The newspaper says it could not determine whether the retired agent accepted the invitation.

One of the sources said the FBI has verified that none of the six called law enforcement to warn them about the shooting and that the agency's database shows no advance tips that the shooting was about to happen.