fbi logoIn the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a Texas Church on November 5th, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies failed to immediately ask Apple for help unlocking shooter Devin Patrick Kelley's iPhone, reports Reuters.

According to a source that spoke to Reuters, the FBI did not contact Apple for about 48 hours after the shooting, missing a critical window where the iPhone in question might have been easier to unlock.

If the iPhone had Touch ID enabled, the shooter's finger might have been able to be used to unlock the device. But that unlocking method would have needed to be used within a 48 hour window, as Touch ID is disabled after 48 hours have passed since it was last activated or when the iPhone is powered off.

Christopher Combs, head of the FBI's San Antonio field office, said on Tuesday that the shooter's smartphone is being transferred to the FBI's crime lab in Quantico, Virginia as authorities have not been able to unlock it.

Little is known about the shooter's smartphone at this time. Sources told the Washington Post that it's an iPhone, but it's not known which iPhone it is nor which version of iOS it's running. It's also not known if Touch ID was indeed enabled on the phone at this point.

As we learned with the San Bernardino case, Apple will not provide authorities with the tools to unlock the iPhone, but the company can and will provide iCloud data if compelled by court order. It is not known if Apple has already received a court order asking for iCloud information.

Update: Apple has provided a statement on the situation with the smartphone owned by the Texas shooter.

We were shocked and saddened by the violence in Texas last Sunday, and we join the world in grieving for the families and the community that lost so many loved ones.

Our team immediately reached out to the FBI after learning from their press conference on Tuesday that investigators were trying to access a mobile phone. We offered assistance and said we would expedite our response to any legal process they send us.

We work with law enforcement every day. We offer training to thousands of agents so they understand our devices and how they can quickly request information from Apple.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: Apple-FBI, FBI

Top Rated Comments

Septembersrain Avatar
103 months ago
And somehow it'll still be Apple's fault, as usual :rolleyes:
No it's the freaking shooters fault. It's the military and their lack of competence to ensure this guy couldn't buy them legally. Sure, he might have still bought guns illegally. He might have still found a way. However, we will never know now, will we?

The lives he took couldn't be saved by looking through his phone. We can't undo the loss he rained upon my friend and her daughters. It won't change a damn thing now.

We know his motive, we know he bought guns legally for some asinine reason, and we know that we need to look into the reason why our gun laws failed here.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
103 months ago
After last time I can see why. Apple is not willing to do anything out of the ordinary to unlock these devices and I agree with that stance to be honest.

Also the guy is dead and the motive is pretty much that he had a grudge with a family member and acted alone so I doubt there's much of any evidence on the phone leading to a larger conspiracy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
103 months ago
Too bad FBI, you’re on your own now. Do your job.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Septembersrain Avatar
103 months ago
The law didn't fail, the Air Force failed.
Had they provided the data after his conviction, the NICS system would have denied the sale.

Even the NRA is backing the "Fix NICS" bill that's been sitting in Congress for years now.
The bill adds additional reporting requirements to the NICS system by courts and law enforcement agencies.
The mental health issues still have HIPPA laws preventing some data from hitting the NICS system. That's going to be a tougher fight to get that data added.
You're right. The Airforce should be paying for every funeral right now. They should be combing over every single person they discharged who has crime history like this guy.

I've got a mental illness and I don't care who disagrees but no one with one should be anywhere near a gun.

That's how I've felt all along. Even before I lost my friend and her daughters to this senseless tragedy.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjohnstone Avatar
103 months ago
No it's the freaking shooters fault. It's the military and their lack of competence to ensure this guy couldn't buy them legally. Sure, he might have still bought guns illegally. He might have still found a way. However, we will never know now, will we?

The lives he took couldn't be saved by looking through his phone. We can't undo the loss he rained upon my friend and her daughters. It won't change a damn thing now.

We know his motive, we know he bought guns legally for some asinine reason, and we know that we need to look into the reason why our gun laws failed here.
The law didn't fail, the Air Force failed.
Had they provided the data after his conviction, the NICS system would have denied the sale.

Even the NRA is backing the "Fix NICS" bill that's been sitting in Congress for years now.
The bill adds additional reporting requirements to the NICS system by courts and law enforcement agencies.
The mental health issues still have HIPPA laws preventing some data from hitting the NICS system. That's going to be a tougher fight to get that data added.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Septembersrain Avatar
103 months ago
Really sorry for your loss...
Thank you. It's still really hard to grasp just how quickly a life can be taken away. One day you are reading their post about wanting to go to a picnic, the next their family is writing that they are gone.

I can't be mad at Apple, the FBI, right now I'm mad at the guy. I'm frustrated with the military. I'm sad that I know this event isn't the first, nor will it be the last either.

How I wish it was.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...