FBI Ends Search Of Lake Near Scene Of San Bernardino Terror Attack

Federal investigators on Monday said they believe the two San Bernardino shooters had been radicalized, but don’t know who may have been behind the drift towards extremism or how it occurred.

What We Know So Far

  • San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik, 29, posted a Facebook message pledging allegiance to ISIS around the time the massacre began, the FBI said.
  • The agency is now investigating the Wednesday shooting at a social services center — which killed 14 and injured 22 — as an "act of terrorism." The FBI has also officially taken the role as lead investigators.
  • FBI Director James Comey said there is "indication of radicalization by killers and potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organization" but "no indication these killers are part of an organized larger group or cell."
  • Malik reportedly removed the message. Facebook identified the account in an investigation and removed it.
  • Police identified the other attacker as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, Malik's husband.
  • Farook and Malik were married and had a 6-month-old baby.
  • The shooters entered the center during a holiday function wearing tactical gear and opened fire, before leaving in a black SUV. The shooter later died exchanging gunfire with police.
  • Thousands of rounds of ammunition and 12 pipe-bomb-type devices were recovered from the shooters, their car, and their home in Redlands.

Updates

Posted at

FBI ends search of lake near shooting scene

The FBI has concluded its search of a lake near the San Bernardino shooting scene, spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told BuzzFeed News on Saturday.

Eimiller confirmed that divers ended the search but did not comment on whether any items that were found are linked to the case.

The FBI previously said Lake Seccombe Park was related to the shooting but did not elaborate.

Posted at

First funeral for San Bernardino attack victim held as investigation continues

Yvette Velasco was the first of the San Bernardino shooting victims remembered during an outdoor funeral Thursday.

The 27-year-old was one of 14 people killed at the Inland Regional Center when Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire at a holiday party.

Like most of the victims, Velasco was a county employee and Farook's coworker.

Friends, family, and a several uniformed officers gathered at the service Thursday, where Velasco was remembered as the baby of her family.

"She was more than our sister," Erica Porteous, her sister said, the Associated Press reported. "She was our soul mate."

Read more, here.

Posted at

FBI dive team searches lake near San Bernardino shooting scene

A team of FBI divers searched a lake for hours Thursday little more than two miles from where two shooters killed 14 people last week.

David Bowdich, the FBI assistant director in charge, said the search at Lake Seccombe Park was related to the shooting, but declined to specify how.

"We are searching for evidence that has to do with this crime," Bowdich told reporters at a news conference. "There is no belief there is anything dangerous as a result of this case at this place."

Federal investigators believe Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were at the park the day of the shooting, Bowdich said. Agents have already cleared the rest of the park, but the search at the lake could take days.

Law enforcement officials at the scene included members of a bomb squad, as well as an underwater search and evidence response team.

Meanwhile, Bowdich said agents are trying to build a timeline of Farook and Malik's every minute the day of the shooting.

The number of injured people increased to 22 after a woman checked herself into the hospital when she realized she had been injured during the Dec. 2 attack, Bowdich added.

Authorities have already met with some of the families of the people killed and those who were injured.

"They have been through a tremendous amount in the last week," Bowdich said. "The emotional and physical scars suffered by them will take years to get over and many of them will never get over it."

Posted at

Investigators meet with victims and their families

Federal and local investigators met Wednesday with victims of the San Bernardino attack and their families to allow them to ask questions and offer support.

"Today I stood with my local and federal partners, including the U.S. Attorney, in a humbling experience, with the family of victims and victims of this tragic crime," said Michael Ramos, the San Bernardino district attorney. "We assured them that they would have all the resources needed to get their lives back in order."

A family assistance center will be open through the end of the week to provide information and resources for victims.

"We understand this is going to be a long healing process," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said. "I want to emphasize to the victims that we are here for them and will provide support, as well as the resources available to us."

FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director David Bowditch said a thorough investigation of the attack is ongoing.

"We owe that to the victims and their loved ones, and they have our full commitment," he said.

Posted at

Official: Friend of San Bernardino shooter said the two plotted 2012 attack

Enrique Marquez, the friend and former neighbor of Syed Rizwan Farook who purchased two assault rifles used in the deadly San Bernardino shooting, plotted a 2012 attack with the shooter, a U.S. official said Wednesday.

"People are still trying to sort out whether it was detailed or whether it was a generality," Sen. James Risch, a Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said of the plot on CNN. "It was far enough that apparently he's admitted that this was a specific plot they were going to carry out."

Farook and Marquez didn't go through with the attack at the time after counterterrorism agents made unrelated arrests in the area and the two men "got cold feet," Risch said.

Marquez has been cooperating with authorities and is not in custody. "I would not expect that lasts very long," Risch said.

In November 2014, Marquez married Mariya Chernykh, whose sister, Tatiana, is married to Syed Raheel Farook, brother of Syed Rizwan Farook, the New York Times reported.

Marquez converted to Islam about five years ago after attending the Islamic Society of Corona-Norco, the Times said. After his attendance started to wane, Marquez offered little explanation when questioned by Azmi Hasan, the facilities manager at the Islamic Society.

Neighbors told BuzzFeed News that Marquez and Farook grew up next door to each other in Riverside, California, their homes separated by a low brick wall. Both enjoyed taking cars apart and fixing them.

Shortly after the shooting, officials said Marquez checked himself into a mental institute. Days later federal investigators conducted a raid at his home, tearing apart his garage door with blowtorches and questioning family members for hours.

A neighbor said Farook and Marquez appeared to have a falling out in 2012, noting the pair would ignore each other despite being feet apart.

Posted at

Malik's father openly condemns her actions to the media

Gulzar Ahmad Malik, father of shooter suspect Tashfeen Malik, told the Associated Press that he regretted his daughter's actions and was "very, very sad."

He added that he had recorded his statement with Saudi intelligence.

Malik's father had been a resident of the Saudi kingdom since the 1980s, according to the AP.

"I am in such pain that I cannot even describe it," he said.

Posted at

FBI director: suspects "were radicalized before they started courting"

FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress Wednesday during an oversight committee hearing to deliver a new update to his team's investigation on the mass-shooting in San Bernardino.

"Our investigation to date shows that [shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik] were radicalized before they started courting or dating each other online," Comey said. "As early as the end of 2013 [they] were talking to each other about jihad and martyrdom before they became engaged and married and were living in the U.S."

Comey also fielded questions from senators that ranged from encrypted communications the pair used to the media storming on Friday of the suspects' home.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley asked Comey about the bureau's communication with major tech industries regarding how to deal with encrypted messages in light of the slew of terrorist attacks.

Grassley to ask FBI Director Comey about the "going dark" problem of encrypted comms, wants to hear about FBI convos with Tech indusry execs

FBI Director Comey: Encryption is not a technical issue but a ? of business models. Encryption is getting in the way of safety on the net

Comey provided examples of past incidents in which coded messages were used between individuals plotting terrorists attacks; One was a thwarted attempted in Garland, Texas, where the attacker had sent 109 encrypted messages.

The FBI director argued that example showed the importance of tech companies working with federal authorities to work out a system to provide access to encrypted messages.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham sought from Comey more information about whether or not the marriage of the two suspects was arranged by ISIS.

Comey said he did not yet know the answer, but acknowledged that if it was, it would be a "game changer."

Dianne Feinstein, California senator, asked Comey to once again explain the process by which dozen of members of the media stormed into the suspects' apartment on Friday.

Once again, Comey said that investigators had finished a 24-hour examination of the home, took with them all the necessary evidence, and boarded up the premises.

"The part I can't explain is why the landlord of the place pried the boards off to let folks through," he said.

Posted at

First responders describe first minutes of San Bernardino shooting

Officers, firefighters and dispatchers described the scene they encountered when they responded to the San Bernardino shooting last week, and realized the scenario they trained for but never expected to experience had arrived.

"I would be lying if I was saying it wasn't difficult walking up to those doors - You know, we didn't have any cover," San Bernardino Lt. Mike Madden said during a press conference Tuesday.

He was one of the first officers to arrive at the Inland Regional Center where Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik opened fire.

Other officers described hearing the radio call and responding to the scene, partly expecting it to be a training exercise.

Cpl. Scott Snyder of the Fontana Police Department said he and his partner searched for signs in the radio traffic the shooting was a training exercise, then realized it was no drill.

"My body went numb," he said. "When we entered, we came and saw the victims down on the ground."

Read more, here.

Posted at

San Bernardino shooters received $28,500 loan weeks before attack

Weeks before San Bernardino shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik fatally shot 14 people and wounded 21 others they received a $28,500 cash loan from an online lender that investigators believe may have been used to fund their attack.

Federal officials told the Los Angeles Times authorities suspect the loan was used by Farook and Malik to "acquire rifles from a friend, thousands of rounds of ammunition and parts for pipe bomb explosives."

Fox News was the first to report that a $28,500 deposit was made to Syed Farook's bank account in mid-November.

Reuters reported that San Francisco-based online lender Prosper made the $28,500 loan to Farook in November. Prosper evaluates borrowers for loans, the outlet reported, which are originated by third-party bank WebBank. Prosper then sells the loans to investors.

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Prosper said it is prohibited by law from disclosing information about loans made through its platform.

"All loans originated through the Prosper platform are subject to all identity verification and screening procedures required by law, including US anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering laws," a spokesperson said Tuesday. "As part of our standard procedures, we also confirm that all loan funds are disbursed into a verified US bank account in the borrower's name. Like all Americans, Prosper is shocked and saddened by recent events in San Bernardino."

WebBank did not immediately return calls for comment.

Posted at

Attorney disputes statements that San Bernardino shooter shared ideology with ISIS leader

An attorney for the father of one of the San Bernardino shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook, said he doesn't recall making statements to an Italian newspaper about his son's obsession with Israel and shared ideology with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Attorney David Chesley told CNN on Monday that the family has been contesting Syed Farook's comments to the newspaper La Stampa.

"It's really troubling, he's on about four to five different medication and said he never recalled making those statements," Chesley said. "I spoke with him personally yesterday and he said he didn't recall saying anything."

During the interview, Chesley described Farook's family as normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

"They enjoy living the American dream," Chesley said.

He added that he was concerned about Donald Trump's call for an immigration ban for Muslims to the U.S.

"There's a danger to anything like this, that people could start deteriorating our rights to freedom of religion," Chesley said. "Why should all members of the religion of Islam be castigated by some insane act by a lone individual?"

Posted at

San Bernardino shooters practiced at gun range days before attack

Just days before last week's terrorist attack in San Bernardino, both shooters spent time practicing at target ranges in the Los Angeles area, David Bowdich, the FBI assistant director in charge, said Monday.

An instructor at a nearby gun range told BuzzFeed News that Syed Rizwan Farook practiced at Riverside Magnum Range before the shooting that left 14 dead and 21 others injured.

"Farook was here at the range, but I can't give any more details," John Galletta said.

The range turned over video of Farook practicing to the FBI, Galletta said, but declined to say whether Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, had also practiced at the range.

A person closely tied to the range told NBC News that Farook practiced on Sunday and for two to three hours last Monday with numerous weapons, including an assault rifle similar to the one used in the attack.

Posted at

An Iranian doctor followed the SWAT team into the San Bernardino shooting to save lives

Dr. Michael Neeki, a trauma doctor at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, was the first doctor to arrive at the scene of the Inland Regional Center shooting as part of the San Bernardino SWAT team.

The situation was still active, but Neeki showed courage even in the face of danger.

"They will take a bullet for me and I will take a bullet for them," Neeki said in a press conference on Monday. "I'm honored to be a physician working in this county."

Posted at

FBI: San Bernardino shooters has been radicalized for "quite some time"

Federal investigators on Monday said they believe the two San Bernardino shooters had been radicalized for "quite some time," but don't know who may have been behind the drift towards extremism or how it occurred.

"We don't know those answers right now. We are working with our foreign counterparts to determine what we can," said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the FBI's L.A. office. "We will leave no stone unturned."

Bowdich said Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook had planned the attack for some time. Both had been practicing at target ranges in the Los Angeles area as recently as a few days before last week's shooting, he said.

At the time of the shooting the FBI didn't have an open investigation into Farook, the bureau official said. Agents also found 19 pipes that could've been turned into bombs inside the couples Redlands, California home.

John D'Angelo, spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the five guns used in the attack were purchased legally in California between 2007 and 2012.

All of the guns were purchased before Farook went to Saudi Arabia to marry Malik in 2014.

Farook had purchased two handguns — a Llama 9 mm and a Springfield Armory 9 mm — as well as a .22-caliber rifle. A friend, Enrique Marquez, purchased two assault rifles used in the shootings.

D'Angelo said investigators don't know how the assault rifles got from Marquez to Farook and Malik. The FBI served a search warrant at Marquez's Riverside, California home on Saturday morning.

All of the guns were

Posted at

Photograph appears to show San Bernardino shooters entering the U.S. together

A picture shared with BuzzFeed News by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection appears to show Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook entering Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on July 27, 2014.

Federal investigators have said Farook traveled to Saudi Arabia in July 2014 and brought Malik back to his hometown of Chicago. She was in the U.S. on a so-called "fiancée" visa.

Malik is captured in the image dressed in a black hijab as Farook walks behind her.

Posted at

San Bernardino County reopened its offices on Monday with increased security

San Bernardino County offices reopened for the first day on Monday since the Dec. 2 attacks.

The county's Environmental Health Services remains closed. Authorities will reconsider opening the department next week.

Board of Supervisors Chairman James Ramos said in a press conference on Monday that officials instituted increased security measures at county buildings, including armed guards who are permitted to engage with people who pose a threat.

The county has also launched several trauma teams of psychologists and social workers to respond to the grieving families of victims.

Posted at

Shooters likely plotted multiple attacks

Investigators believe the suspected San Bernardino shooters were plotting multiple attacks due to the large stockpile of weapons discovered on them when they were killed by police Wednesday.

A senior U.S. government source told Reuters on Sunday the large cache of weapons indicated Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were intending to attack other targets after they killed 14 at a regional government building.

Officials aren't certain, though, what sites the couple may had been intending to attack, the source told Reuters.

Authorities are also investigating what Islamic militant contacts Malik may have had in her native Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, where she was raised.

"There's a serious investigation ongoing into what she was doing in Pakistan and in Saudi [Arabia]," U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, chair of the House homeland security committee, told Fox News on Sunday. "We think that she had a lot to do with the radicalization process and perhaps with Mr. Farook's radicalization from within the United States."

Posted at

Father of San Bernardino shooter says son was “obsessed with Israel”

La foto che ho scattato ieri sera al padre di Farook, leggete l'intervista su @la_stampa , spiega molte cose

The suspected San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook was "obsessed with Israel" and shared the ideology of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to his father.

Syed Farook made the comments while speaking to a reporter with Italian newspaper La Stampa at the home of his other son, Syed Raheel Farook, in Corona, California.

Reporter Paolo Mastrolilli told BuzzFeed News he knocked on the door of Syed Raheel's home on Friday night, only to see an older man approach the home from the street while pushing a child in a stroller.

The man confirmed to Mastrololli he was the suspected shooter's father, saying he was in despair over what his son had done.

"[He was] an angel," the man said of Syed Rizwan. "Good, obedient, studious. Maybe a little timid, conservative, and obsessed with Israel."

Posted at

Neighbor describes FBI raid on home of San Bernardino shooter's friend

Federal investigators searched a Riverside, California, home overnight Saturday in connection with the Wednesday shooting that left 14 people dead, authorities said.

The home is connected to a friend and former neighbor of Syed Riszwan Farook, one of the shooters in the assault authorities are now investigating as a terrorist attack. The friend, Enrique Marquez, is believed to have bought some of the weapons used by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, during the attack in San Bernardino.

A neighbor to Marquez who did not want to be identified told BuzzFeed News they were awakened early Saturday when an FBI team arrived outside of Marquez's home. Authorities asked the people inside the home to exit with their hands up. Marquez's father and 14-year-old brother came outside, where the two were questioned for hours.

The neighbor said Marquez and Farook were good friends for about seven years, and both loved to work with cars.

"They were always tinkering with them, Enrique would wake up early and work into the night," she said. Marquez worked as a security guard at a Walmart in nearby Corona, though she didn't know if he carried a gun as part of his job.

About three years ago, however, the pair appeared to have a falling out.

"Marquez never went over anymore," she said. "One time they were both outside and they didn't even acknowledge each other."

On Wednesday, the neighbor said she translated for Marquez's father when a reporter arrived to speak with Farook's former neighbor. At the time, the father said his family had been looking for Marquez, but couldn't find him.

"I don't think they realized how big it was at the time," she said.

After Wednesday's attack, neighbors and law enforcement officials reported Marquez checked himself into a mental health facility.

"I didn't know them that well," she said. "But this has all been crazy for all of us here."

Posted at

President Obama to deliver rare Oval Office address after San Bernardino attack

President Obama will address the nation Sunday night from the Oval Office over the threat of terrorism inside the U.S. and the attack in San Bernardino, the White House said.

The president is expected to also update the status of the investigation to the San Bernardino attack in the 8 p.m. ET address.

Obama has addressed the country only twice from the Oval Office — to mark the end of combat in Iraq and U.S. response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico — both in 2010.

Obama spoke about the attacks during his weekly radio address Saturday, saying it was, "entirely possible that these two attackers were radicalized to commit this act of terror," and said it was time to revisit gun control.

On Sunday, Obama is expected to also talk about the broad threat of terrorism, and how the threat has evolved in the last years.

The White House said he will also reiterate his conviction that ISIS will be destroyed and the U.S. will prevail over terrorist organizations.

Posted at

FBI agents search home of San Bernardino shooter's friend

Tactical entry into Riverside home searched by FBI overnight. @myfoxla

Federal investigators searched a Riverside, California, home overnight Saturday in connection with the Wednesday shooting that left 14 people dead, authorities said.

The home is connected to a friend of Syed Riszwan Farook, one of the shooters in the assault authorities are now investigating as a terrorist attack, an official told BuzzFeed News.

The friend, Enrique Marquez, is believed to have bought some of the weapons used by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, during the Wednesday attack.

One of the neighbors, Maria Gutierrez, told CBS LA authorities told her to leave the area as they searched the home with weapons drawn.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed FBI agents served a search warrant at a home in the 3800 block of Tomlinson Avenue overnight.

The warrant was sealed, she said, and declined to discuss details of the search.

Posted at

President Obama accepts the French President's condolences for the people killed in the San Bernardino shootings

President Obama spoke with French President Francois Hollande by phone on Saturday about the shootings in San Bernardino. The President accepted Hollande's condolences "for the loss of life in the attack" on behalf of the American people.

The President also briefed the French President on what the administration knows about the attack and how law enforcement agencies are investigating it.

Obama and Hollande pledged to continue cooperating in their fight against terrorism in the wake of the shootings in San Bernardino and November's ISIS attacks in Paris.

Posted at

White House: "No indication" San Bernardino shooters were part of an organized group or "broader terrorist cell"

The President's intelligence team, including the FBI and Homeland Security, have found "no indication the killers were part of an organized group or formed part of a broader terrorist cell," according to White House details.

The agencies highlighted several pieces of information in a briefing with the President that suggest the shooters may have been "radicalized to violence to commit these heinous attacks."

The FBI continues to work with local authorities "to pursue any and all leads" in the investigation.

The full statement from the White House:

The President this morning received an update from FBI Director Comey, Attorney General Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Johnson, and his intelligence community leadership on the ongoing investigation into the horrific shootings in San Bernardino, California. The President was briefed on the latest details of the investigation. The President's team highlighted several pieces of information that point to the perpetrators being radicalized to violence to commit these heinous attacks. The President's team also affirmed that they had as of yet uncovered no indication the killers were part of an organized group or formed part of a broader terrorist cell. The FBI added that, in coordination with local authorities, they are utilizing all necessary resources to pursue any and all leads in their terrorism investigation. The President directed his team to take all measures necessary to continue to protect the American people, which remains his highest priority.

Posted at

Female shooter radicalized in Saudi Arabia, relatives say

Relatives of Tashfeen Malik, the Pakistani woman who police say shot dead 14 people in San Bernardino during a rampage with her husband, say she and her father became radicalized in Saudi Arabia and left the family's moderate Islam.

Malik's estranged relatives in Pakistan told Reuters that her father cut off contact from the family and moved to Saudi Arabia with his young family after an inheritance dispute.

"From what we heard, they lived differently, their mindset is different. We are from a land of Sufi saints ... this is very shocking for us," Hifza Bibi, the step-sister of Malik's father, told Reuters.

"We feel a lot of sadness but we also feel ashamed that someone from our family has done this," Malik's uncle, Javed Rabbani, told Reuters. "We can't even imagine doing something like this. This is a mindset that is alien to us."

Posted at

ISIS claim shooters were "supporters" of the terrorist group

ISIS aired a statement on their official radio channel claiming Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik were "supporters" of the terrorist group Saturday.

However the group stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack in San Bernardino, AP reported.

The radio report did not refer to Farook and Malik as actual members ISIS. On Friday, FBI Director James Comey told reporters there was evidence the shooters might have been radicalized or inspired by foreign terrorists.

A written bulletin was also circulated online by ISIS at the same time as the radio announcement.

#IS's daily bulletin features #SanBernadino shooting, refers to shooters as "supporters of the Islamic State".

Posted at

President Obama speaks about San Bernardino attacks during weekly address

President Barack Obama spoke about the shooting and said it was "way too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun" during his weekly briefing Saturday.

"This weekend, our hearts are with the people of San Bernardino—another American community shattered by unspeakable violence. We salute the first responders—the police, the SWAT teams, the EMTs—who responded so quickly, with such courage, and saved lives. We pray for the injured as they fight to recover from their wounds. Most of all, we stand with 14 families whose hearts are broken. We're learning more about their loved ones—the men and women, the beautiful lives, that were lost. They were doing what so many of us do this time of year—enjoying the holidays. Celebrating with each other. Rejoicing in the bonds of friendship and community that bind us together, as Americans. Their deaths are an absolute tragedy, not just for San Bernardino, but for our country."

He said it was "entirely possible that these two attackers were radicalized to commit this act of terror," while adding it was time to revisit gun control.

"Right now, people on the No-Fly list can walk into a store and buy a gun. That is insane. If you're too dangerous to board a plane, you're too dangerous, by definition, to buy a gun. And so I'm calling on Congress to close this loophole, now," he said.

"We may not be able to prevent every tragedy, but—at a bare minimum—we shouldn't be making it so easy for potential terrorists or criminals to get their hands on a gun that they could use against Americans."

Watch the full address

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com
Posted at

Package sent to shooters’ home temporarily shuts UPS facility

UPS workers are stranded outside as they wait for law enforcement to investigate a suspicious package.

A UPS facility in San Bernardino was evacuated Friday night after a delivery driver returned with a package that was addressed to the Redlands home where Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik lived, officials said.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan tweeted that the driver realized it was the same address and drove back to the facility. The item, he said, was from "a reputable vendor," and the facility was evacuated out of "an abundance of caution."

Bomb technicians checked the package and determined it posed no threat, Burguan said, adding that it contained clothing.

Posted at

FBI releases photo of Tashfeen Malik

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller released a photo of 29-year-old Tashfeen Malik on Friday night, but did not offer any additional information about her.

Posted at

In dating profile, San Bernardino shooter described himself as "a good Muslim"

Syed Rizwan Farook was looking for a woman who wore a hijab but could go snowboarding, camping, and work on cars with him, according to one of the dating profiles he used before getting married.

"I am born and raised here, I try to live as a good Muslim," the gunman wrote in his profile on arablounge.com. "Looking for a girl who has the same outlook, wear hijab, but live the life to the fullest."

The online profile on the website is one of several profiles he signed up for before being married to Tashfeen Malik in Saudi Arabia. The two were killed in a shootout with police Wednesday after they opened fire on a Christmas party in San Bernardino.

But his online profile suggests the 28-year-old saw a different future for himself at some point, writing he wanted to have two or three kids.

Asked what he thought the most important thing in a relationship was, he wrote: "Guided by and as written in Islam."

Under religion, he wrote, "Always Fearing ALLAH."

He also appeared to have dating profiles under iMilap.com and Dubaimatrimonial.com.

Farook also listed his political views to be "very liberal," that he was "somewhat cautious" and "somewhat thrifty."

Under turn offs, he wrote, "Lying."

Posted at

Birth certificate shows San Bernardino shooters' daughter named Maryam Bint Rizwan

BuzzFeed News has obtained the birth certificate for the baby daughter of the two shooters who attacked the San Bernardino social services center on Wednesday.

The document, released by Riverside County Superior Court, shows Maryam Bint Rizwan was born on May 21, 2015, at Kaiser hospital in Riverside, California.

According to attorneys representing the family, Maryam was left with her grandmother while her parents, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, carried out the attack that left 14 people dead and 21 others injured.

Maryam is now in the custody of California Child Protective Services.

Posted at

San Bernardino shooter's family attorneys deny links to foreign terrorism

Attorneys representing the family of one of the San Bernardino shooters rebuffed claims by federal officials that the Wednesday attack might be linked to terrorism.

"There hasn't been any clear smoking gun, evidence that they were part of any cell or group," said David Chesley during a news conference Friday. "They're pointing to things they saw on Facebook, on a different account name."

Just hours earlier, FBI Director James Comey told reporters there is evidence the shooters — Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik — might have been radicalized or inspired by foreign terrorists.

Comey added that the mass shooting was now part of a federal terrorism investigation, though the agency had not found evidence the couple were directly linked to a larger group or cell.

Attorneys for Farook's family seized on that distinction, and slammed a Facebook post that was spotted praising ISIS and allegedly posted by Malik as the shooting unfolded.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the post was removed because it violated the company's standards.

Instead, the attorneys suggested there was still a possibility the shooting could have been a case of workplace violence, insisting there was little evidence to suggest otherwise.

"I just think there's a tendency to take a cookie-cutter version or paradigm of a terrorism type event just because that person is a Muslim," Chesley said.

He called the possibility that Malik posted, or looked, at an ISIS-connected Facebook page "nebulous."

"I looked at a Britney Spears post once, and I hate Britney Spears," he said. "Every headline does not have to say Muslim massacre, or Muslim shooters, because it's going to cause intolerance, and what we need now is forgiveness."

Chesley added that Farook had mentioned to family members he had been teased at work because of his beard, but usually just "shrugged it off."

The couple was described as private and traditional. She chose not to drive, Chesley said, and they used to sit at family gatherings by gender.

Other than that, he said, there was no other information they had about her other than "she was a caring housewife."

Posted at

Facebook investigation led it to San Bernardino shooter’s ISIS-praising account

As part of an investigation following Wednesday's San Bernardino shooting, Facebook spotted an account that included a post praising ISIS allegedly published by one of the shooters, and removed the account for violating the company's community standards, a Facebook spokesman confirmed.

Facebook has carried out these types of investigations in similar situations in the past, the spokesman said. The content was allegedly posted by Tashfeen Malik around the time of the shooting.

Read more about Facebook's investigation into the post here.

Posted at

FBI director: No evidence shooters part of larger terror network

FBI Director James Comey told reporters Friday that while the San Bernardino mass shooting was now part of a federal terrorism investigation, there was no indication that they assailants were part of a larger network.

There was, however, indications that Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik — who on Wednesday killed 14 people and injured 21 others — had been radicalized and potentially inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, Comey said.

Still, he added, "there's a lot of evidence in this case that doesn't quite make sense."

In the joint news conference with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Comey also said there is "nothing in our holdings" about the married couple, and no evidence that they were ever in contact with anyone the FBI had been watching.

Hundreds of agents across the world were now involved in the investigation, which included electronic evidence Farook and Malik had tried to destroy, but that was now being "exploited" by the FBI, Comey said.

Posted at

FBI investigating shooting as an "act of terrorism"

The FBI says it is now investigating the deadly shooting in San Bernardino as an act of terrorism.

There were "a number of pieces of evidence that have..pushed us off the cliff" to investigate it as such, Assistant FBI Director of the Los Angeles office David Bowditch said. "We are now investigating these horrific acts as an act of terrorism."

There were "telephonic connections" between two shooter suspects and other individuals they're investigating, he said.

"It is possible there may be more suspects under arrest in the future," he said.

When asked about ISIS claiming responsibility, he said, "I'm not surprised if they would claim, maybe they did, maybe they didn't."

"There is a person that we know of their location who purchased" the weapons, he said. The person is not under arrest.

Bowditch said he was aware of the Facebook post: "Yes, there was a pledge of allegiance" to ISIS. It was posted right around the time the attacks began, he said.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed to BuzzFeed News the message was posted and taken down around the time the shooting began.

"We did not have her under investigation previously," Bowditch said regarding Malik.

Posted at

Facebook executive discusses shooter's message to ISIS

Mailk's message about ISIS was posted on Facebook just minutes into the attack, a Facebook executive told the AP/

The message was posted at 11 a.m., right around the time the first 911 calls were made about the shooting incident that killed 14.

"The company discovered the Facebook account Thursday. It removed the profile from public view and reported its contents to law enforcement," the AP reported.

Posted at

ISIS-linked news agency says attacks carried out by supporters

On Friday, an ISIS-linked news agency reported that the attacks had been carried out by ISIS supporters, according to the SITE intelligence group.

The report, which was posted on the 'Amaq News Agency blog, described the San Bernardino shooters as a married couple of Pakistani origin and noted the number of people they killed and injured during the attacks. One of the shooter, Malik, is from Pakistan.

'Amaq is affiliated with ISIS and is not an official arm of the group.

According to SITE, the report also included links to other recent attacks, "This operation comes after the blood Paris attacks, which were carried out by fighters from the State on the 13th of this past November, which caused the killing of dozens, and after a martyrdom-seeking operation on presidential security in the center of the Tunisian capital."

Posted at

Media allowed into shooters' apartment

Reporters were given access to the apartment of San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

A live stream provided by MSNBC shows reporters milling about each room of the couple's home, pouring through personal documents, showing ID cards on camera, and taking photos of their personal belongings.

The landlord of the apartment complex was also on camera, appearing to show reporters around as they filmed.

Posted at

San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS

Tashfeen Malik, 29, pledged allegiance to ISIS in a Facebook message under another name, several media outlets are reporting, citing a U.S. official.

She allegedly pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — then deleted the message, the AP reported.

CNN reported she posted the video at some point during the attacks. Police have said that the couple briefly went home between opening fire at the social services center, killing 14, and their shootout with police where they died.

It's still unclear if ISIS helped coordinate or direct the attack.

"At this point we believe they were more self-radicalized and inspired by the group than actually told to do the shooting," one official told the New York Times.

The social media profile has since been taken down.

Pakistani intelligence contacted Malik's family as part of the investigation in California, Reuters reported.

Posted at

ATF: Modifications on rifles used by shooters were illegal in California

The rifles used by the shooters in the San Bernardino rampage were illegal in California because of modifications made to the weapons, officials told the Wall Street Journal.

Even though the four guns used on Wednesday were sold legally, the two assault rifles were modified in ways that made them illegal under the state's ban on assault weapons, said Meredith Davis, special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Posted at

Thousands gather at vigil for San Bernardino victims

Thousands gathered at San Manuel Stadium Thursday night to pay tribute to the victims of the mass shooting in San Bernardino.

The vigil took place just hours after authorities identified the 14 people killed Wednesday during a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center. Twelve of the victims, authorities said, were county employees.

MASSIVE turnout for #SanBernadino at the Vigil to mourn those who's lives were lost yesterday. @News3LV

The event included a candlelight vigil for the injured and deceased, as well as city officials who spoke to the thousands gathered at the stadium, including San Bernardino Mayor R. Carey Davis, and City Attorney Gary D. Saenz.

#SanBernardino city attorney: "Though we are a bankrupt city, and now we are a terrorized city, we will not be beaten." Applause, cheers.

Posted at

San Bernardino police: "It was unspeakable, the carnage we were seeing."

Lt. Mike Madden could still smell gunpowder in the air when he first arrived to the site of the mass shooting that left 14 people dead, he told reporters during a press conference Thursday evening.

Madden, one of the first two officers to arrive at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino Wednesday, said he suspected the shooters were still inside when he arrived.

"The smell of gunpowder was in the air," he said. "I could hear in my dispatchers' voice that this was actually happening."

A 24-year veteran of the department, Madden described hearing moans from the injured as he and three other officers first entered the building, and seeing people dead outside of a conference room that was decorated with a Christmas tree.

"It was unspeakable, the carnage we were seeing," he said.

Madden said when officers arrived at the scene many of the survivors who hid in the back of the building refused to come out, afraid the shooters would still be at large.

He and other officers continued to reassure them they were protected, and were eventually able to coax them outside.

"We wanted to stop any further innocent people from being injured, possibly being killed."

The building was filled with about 80 people at the time of the shooting, officials said, most of who were county employees.

Authorities said 12 of the 14 people who were killed in Wednesday's shooting were San Bernardino County employees. Of the 21 who were injured, 18 of them were employed by the county.

"We face a real threat," California Gov. Jerry Brown said during the press conference. "When it comes to people who engage in these types of brutal acts we'll spare nothing to bringing them to justice."

Posted at

Marriage license shows San Bernardino shooters wed in Riverside in 2014

.@FoxNews producer @dangallo just obtained Farook's marriage license to Malik #FoxNews #SanBernardino

The marriage license for San Bernardino mass shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik shows the couple wed in Riverside County in 2014.

The license, obtained by the Associated Press and other media outlets on Thursday, lists the couple's religion as Muslim and says all their parents were born in Pakistan.

Dr. Mustafa H. Kuko, the director of the Islamic Center of Riverside, where Farook also regularly visited, told BuzzFeed News that he presided over couple's wedding reception at the mosque. He said the pair had been married in Saudi Arabia and celebrated in the U.S.

Authorities say Farook and Malik stormed a holiday party Wednesday at a social services center and opened fire, killing 14 and injuring 21, before dying in a shootout with police nearby hours later.

The couple leaves behind a 6-month-old daughter, who reportedly was dropped off with her grandmother the day of the attack.

Malik entered the U.S. from Pakistan one month before the wedding on a fiancee visa, which requires she get married within 90 days or leave the country, the AP reported.

Posted at

San Bernardino mosque fears backlash as authorities search for motive in mass shooting

Although authorities say they have yet to determine a motive for Wednesday's attack, Ali Rahemaan at Dar Al Uloom Al Islamiyah-Amer mosque in San Bernardino said he is worried about the backlash Wednesday mass shooting will have on the local Muslim community.

Syed Rizwan Farook, one of two shooters who stormed a social services center and gunned down a crowd of county workers attending a holiday party, killing 14 and injuring 21, started attending the mosque about two years ago.

Since then, they've already had to call deputies because of death threats they've received on the phone, Ali told BuzzFeed News.

Read more of the mosque's concerns here.

Posted at

14 people killed in San Bernardino identified

San Bernardino Sheriff's Department released the identities of the 14 people killed in Wednesday's shooting outside a resource center.

At least half of the victims killed were co-workers of Syed Rizwan Farook, the gunman who authorities said opened fire during a Christmas gathering along with his wife Tashfeen Malik.

According to Transparent California, which maintains salary information of California public employees, at least seven of the victims were employed with San Bernardino County with the same title as the gunman: environmental health specialist. One worked as a trainee in that position last year.

Another was listed as public service employee for the county.

"This shooting has caused each victim's family, friends and co-workers, along with the first responders, to suffer an enormous personal tragedy," Sheriff John McMahon said in a written statement. "We must stand strong and offer support to each individual affected by this senseless attack."

The victims were identified as:

Shannon Johnson, 45, of Los Angeles. Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, of Rialto. Aurora Godoy, 26, of San Jacinto. Isaac Amanios, 60, of Fontana. Larry Kaufman, 42, of Rialto. Harry Bowman, 46, of Upland. Yvette Velasco, 27, of Moreno Valley. Sierra Clayborn, 27, of Moreno Valley. Robert Adams, 40, of Yucaipa. Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, of Colton. Tin Nguyen, 31, of Santa Ana. Juan Espinoza, 50, of Highland. Damian Miens, 58, of Riverside. Michael Wetzel, 37, of Lake Arrowhead.

Here is more information about the victims.

Posted at

Photos of explosive device at San Bernardino shooting site revealed

CBS News obtained photos of two devices that law enforcement officials said were found on a table after the San Bernardino massacre and at a home in Redlands.

The device in the center, police said, was three pipe bombs connected to a remote-controlled vehicle — the photos show its a yellow car. It's seen through the viewfinder of a bomb-disarming device.

The device found at the home, CBS reported, shows pipe bombs in a duffel bag.

JUST IN: CBS News obtains images of #SanBernardino shooting suspects' explosive devices https://t.co/mTqWjtwFvP

Posted at

San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook communicated with extremists on social media

According to a U.S. intelligence official, San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook communicated with extremists on social media who are under FBI scrutiny.

The unnamed official, speaking to the Associated Press, said investigators are still attempting to determine if Farook became radicalized and if he was in contact with foreign terror groups.

Earlier in the day, President Obama said "until all the social media and electronic information has been exploited, we're just not going to be able to answer" questions about the shooters' motives.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch echoed his remarks in Washington, saying, "We don't know if this was workplace rage or something larger or both."

"At this point in time we don't know the motivation," she said.

Posted at

Mosque frequented by shooter is "saddened and shocked"

Dar Al Uloom Al Islamiyah of America, which several members told NBC News the shooter frequented, released a statement Thursday saying they "pray for the victims and their family members."

"It doesn't make any sense at all," Nizaam Ali, 23, told NBC News. "We never saw him raise his voice. We never saw him curse at anyone, disrespect anyone. He was always a very nice guy, always very simple, very straightforward. ... He had a lot of manners."

Farook also frequented the Islamic Center of Riverside for several years.

Posted at

Driver's license photo of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook released

California Department of Motor Vehicles officials have released the driver's license photo of San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook. The license was issued in 2013, DMV officials said, though the date the photo was taken is unknown.

Posted at

San Bernardino cop reassures terrified workers: "I'll take a bullet before you do"

Facebook: video.php

Video captured inside the Inland Regional Center after two shooters opened fire Wednesday showed workers being quietly ushered out of the building with their hands up as a police officer attempted to reassure the terrified group.

"Try to relax, everyone. Try to relax," the unidentified officer said. "I'll take a bullet before you do, that's for damn sure."

Posted at

All victims of the San Bernardino shooting have been identified, names to be released soon

All victims have been positively ID'd & we are notifying the last few families before the press release. Thx for your patience. (2/2)

Posted at

Court records reveal turbulent home life for Syed Rizwan Farook

Court records reviewed by BuzzFeed News paint a picture of chaotic — if not abusive — home life for Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino mass shooters.

Records filed in Riverside County Court by his mother over the years allege that the family was subjected to verbal and physical abuse, and that at one point, Farook and his brother witnessed their father threaten suicide.

In petitions seeking restraining orders and, eventually, dissolution of marriage, starting in 2006, Rafia Farook described her husband, Syed Farook, as "bipolar" and "mentally sick."

Rafia Farook recalled Syed trying to drop a TV on her while drunk and trying to hit her and her daughter. She also described him as being "an alcoholic" who screamed and threw stuff around the house.

At one point, Syed threatened suicide in front of his two sons, court fillings show.

"I do not know why he is bad," Rafia Farook wrote in a petition for a restraining order preventing Syed from coming closer than 100 feet. The request was granted.

Rafia Farook eventually filed for a legal separation, which a judge granted in October 2008. The billing clerk at Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center was also granted her sole custody of her teenage daughter.

Posted at

Number of wounded increases to 21 as investigators continue to look for a motive

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan announced Thursday that thousands of rounds of ammunition and 12 pipe-bomb-type devices were recovered from the shooters, their car and their home. The number of injured in the attack, meanwhile, had increased by four to 21 people.

Investigators were continuing to comb through evidence, including computers and cell phones that were recovered from a home that the shooters — Syed Rizwan Farook and wife, Tashfeen Malik — had rented in Redlands, in order to piece together a motive for Wednesday's attack.

In the absence of a motive, evidence so far points to an attack was pre-planned in some capacity.

"There appears to be a degree of planning that went into this," Burguan said.

The police chief confirmed that Farook had been at the party earlier in the morning and returned with his wife Malik. The couple, dressed in black tactical gear and wearing vests that could carry extra rounds of ammunition, then opened fire on the room.

"They sprayed the room with bullets," Burguan said.

In total, they were believed to have fired between 65 and 75 rounds inside the event space at the social services building, leaving 14 dead and 21 injured. They also left behind an explosive device described as being three pipe-bombs combined into one that were attached to a remote-controlled car.

"No one just gets upset at a party...goes home and puts together an elaborate scheme or plan," the chief said when asked about whether or not the attack had been pre-planned.

Assistant Regional FBI Director David Bowdich said that it was too early to speculate on a motive, but said, "there was obviously a mission here."

"We don't know if this was the intended target or if something prompted him,"he added.

As the joint federal investigation continued in earnest Thursday, Burguan said he is proud of law enforcement's response to the mass shooting.

This was "nothing short of heroic, and I'm very proud of that," he said.

Seven police agencies were involved in the shootout with the assailants, during which Burguan said 23 officers fired 380 rounds. Farook and Malik let off 76 rounds before dying in the shootout. Burguan added.

Two officers sustained non life-threatening injuries, one a gunshot-related wound to the leg, the other, cuts to his legs, possibly from shrapnel or broken glass, Burguan said.

Posted at

Shooting victim remembered as "wonderful and compassionate person"

facebook.com

Messages of love and support poured in on Facebook for Nicholas Thalasinos, identified as a victim of the San Bernardino shooting that killed 14 people on Wednesday. Read more about Thalasinos here.

Posted at

Flags to fly at half-staff in honor of San Bernardino victims

President Obama has issued a proclamation declaring "that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels" throughout the country until Dec. 7, 2015.

The declaration also applies to U.S. embassies, consular offices, and military facilities located in other countries.

Posted at

President Obama says there may be "mixed motives" in shooting

In a briefing Thursday morning, President Obama said that federal authorities were still working to determine the motives of the shooters, but indicated that there may be more than one.

"It is possible this is terrorist-related, but we don't know. It's also possible this was workplace related," he said, speaking from the Oval Office.

He assured the U.S. that it may take some time but that "we're going to get to the bottom of this." He added that "there may be mixed motives involved in this."

"Until all the social media and electronic information as been exposited, we're just not going to be able to answer" questions about the shooters' motives, the president said.

Obama said that while investigators did not know why the incident occurred, "We do know the two individuals who were killed were equipped with weapons and appeared to have access to additional weaponry at their homes."

He added that he had just received a briefing from the director of the FBI director, who is investigating the shooting in cooperation with local law enforcement.

Once again, Obama reiterated the need to regulate people's access to firearms.

"We need to make sure that when people decide to do others harm, we make it a little harder for other people to do it," he said. "Right now it's just too easy."

Posted at

Mayor Carey Davis thanks world for support

Thank you for the outpouring of support from around the world and @POTUS for the heartfelt conversation. #MySB #SanBernardino

Posted at

San Bernardino mayor says city can't be "paralyzed" by tragedy

San Bernardino Mayor Carey Davis said Thursday morning that the city remains on high alert but will not be "paralyzed" by this tragedy.

"It's unfortunate that we have to deal with these things, but we always have to be cautious — we certainly need to stay on high alert but at the same time we don't want to be paralyzed by these incidences," Davis told Today's Matt Lauer.

The mayor would not elaborate on any details regarding the investigation but did talk about how the community is handling the mass shooting.

"Our community is very saddened by this event," Davis said. "The crime that took place has certainly impacted San Bernardino."

Though Davis said that the city needs to move on from this, he made sure to stress that the city will do all that it can to provide support to the victims of the shooting.

Posted at

“The guys opened fire for 30 seconds, randomly, then paused to reload and began firing again.”

Witnesses describe the San Bernardino shooting that killed at least 14.

Posted at

Survivor says San Bernardino shooter looked aggravated and upset before opening fire

A former employee who was among the survivors of the attack Wednesday said one of the shooters, identified by police as Syed Rizwan Farook, was a "really nice guy" with no known previous workplace issues.

But people who sat next to Farook at the holiday party Wednesday said he looked aggravated and upset, and left the scene as employees gathered to take a group photo.

"He came in late, looked a little upset…anxious, he wasn't happy," the former employee told BuzzFeed News on condition that he not be named because he did not have permission to speak to the media. Moments later shots rang out at the Inland Regional Center.

The former employee said Farook traveled to Saudi Arabia a few years ago and returned with a wife, whom he later had a child with.

Survivors of the attack said one of the shooters pointed their gun at some employees without shooting, and appeared to be deliberately targeting others.

Posted at

Suspects identified in San Bernardino shooting, terrorism not ruled out

The two suspects who opened fire Wednesday at a San Bernardino social center, killing at least 14 people, were identified by police as 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, 29.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said Farook and Malik are believed to have been in a relationship, and possibly married.

According to Farook's brother-in-law, Farhan Khan, the two were parents of a 6-month-old daughter.

Farook was born in the U.S. and had been employed with the county as a health inspector for the last five years, Burguan said.

The police chief said Farook attended a holiday party Wednesday at the Inland Resource Center before the shooting occurred and left "under circumstances that were described as angry."

But the motive behind the shooting, he said, remained unclear to authorities. "We have not ruled out terrorism," Burguan said.

Both shooters were armed with what Burguan said were essentially .223-caliber assault rifles — one a DPMS model A-15, the other a Smith & Wesson M&P-15 model. They were also armed with semiautomatic handguns, he added.

Based on the way the pair were armed and equipped, Burguan said, it appeared that "there had to be some sort of planning that went into this."

Posted at

San Bernardino shooting suspect's brother-in-law: "I am in shock"

Farhan Khan, the brother-in-law of suspected shooter Syed Farook, said his family was in shock after the attack, and had no idea what would have motivated him.

"I cannot express how sad I am for what happened today," Khan said during a press conference Tuesday night. "I have no idea why he would do that."

Khan, who is married to Farook's sister, said he and his family wanted to express their condolences to the victims of the shooting.

"Why would he do something like this?" he said. "I'm in shock myself."

Khan spoke during a press conference with the Council on American Islamic Relations, which condemned the attack in San Bernardino.

"We unequivocally condemn the horrific act that occurred today, and we stand in solidarity with our fellow Americans as we offer condolences to the injured," said Hussam Ayloush, CAIR-LA executive director.

Posted at

Authorities investigate potential explosives in SUV, Redlands home

By nightfall, police had not touched the bodies of two suspects who killed in a shootout with police on a San Bernardino street, Sgt. Vicki Cervantes told BuzzFeed News. Authorities were concerned there might be booby traps on their bodies or inside the vehicle, she said.

The pair were armed with two "AR-15 style weapons" and handguns, an ATF spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. They were wearing tactical gear that appeared to contain many rounds of ammunition.

Earlier, FBI Special Agent in Charge David Bowditch told reporters that agents were working to determine whether there were explosive devices inside the Redlands condo where the suspects were first spotted.

"There are times when devices are left behind," he said.

Posted at

Suspect in San Bernardino shooting identified by multiple media outlets

One of the suspects in Wednesday's deadly shooting at the social services center was identified by multiple news outlets as Syed Farook.

The name was released by unnamed law enforcement officials under condition of anonymity.

Public records showed a man named Syed Farook worked as an environmental health specialist for San Bernardino County with an annual salary of $51,747. The county's public health department — which oversees the environmental health division — was having an event at the regional center at the time of the shooting.

Posted at

Two suspects killed, another person in custody after shootout with police in San Bernardino

Two heavily armed suspects in the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center shooting are dead and another person is in custody after a police pursuit ended in a gun battle, officials said.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said at a news conference Wednesday evening a tip led officers to a house in the nearby city of Redlands, where a vehicle drove off, prompting a pursuit.

One male and one female suspect — armed with handguns, assault-style weapons, and wearing tactical gear — were killed in the shootout. Their relationship, or what may have motivated the mass shooting, remains unknown, Burguan said.

A third person seen running away from the scene of the gun battle between the suspects and officers was detained, Burguan said, but it is not yet clear if he was involved. It's possible a third suspect — or more who had been involved in planning — remain at large, he said.

Earlier in the day, a dispute took place at the county holiday party hosted at the regional center where the shooting would later erupt. Someone left and it was not known if they returned, Burguan said. An explosive device was later found at the center.

"We have no idea if those are the people that came back," Burguan said.

Posted at

San Bernardino is site of deadliest mass shooting since Sandy Hook

The chaotic, deadly scene that unfolded in San Bernardino on Wednesday was just the latest mass shooting in the U.S., adding to a list that dates back decades.

With at least 14 people killed and 17 others injured, the Southern California shooting was the deadliest since the Sandy Hook Elementary School incident in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. That's when 20-year-old Adam Lanza gunned down 20 children and six adults before turning the gun on himself.

The deadliest mass shooting recorded was in 2007 at Virginia Tech, where a 23-year-old student opened fire, killing 32 people before taking his own life.

Large mass shootings date back decades. In 1981, a man opened fire inside a McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro, California, killing 21 before being taken out by a sniper.

CNN and the Los Angeles Times have running lists of shooting rampages in the U.S. over time.

Posted at

Police searched a home in the nearby city of Redlands Wednesday afternoon.

RPD is assisting SPD in executing a search warrant at a home on Texas Street in Redlands in relation to the shooting at IRC, says Carl Baker

Police said they believe the home is connected with the San Bernardino shooting.

Posted at

Here are powerful photos from the San Bernardino shooting

From shootouts and standoffs to images of emotional bystanders waiting for updates on their loved ones, the Southern California city became the scene of tragedy and violence Wednesday.

For more powerful images, go here.

Posted at

Two suspects were "being dealt with," another possibly at large after the shootout captured on live TV.

Shortly after 3 p.m., television helicopters showed footage of what appeared to be the end of a police chase, with officers surrounding a dark SUV riddled with bullet holes.

The footage appeared to show a person several feet away from the vehicle lying in a pool of blood. After bringing in armored vehicles, authorities cleared the SUV and pulled what may have been a body from the vehicle.

San Bernardino Police Sgt. Vicki Cervantes said two suspects in the deadly attack on the Inland Regional Center were "being dealt with," and another was still believed to be outstanding after a gun battle with officers. She declined to provide further details.

Cervantes said a police officer was wounded in the shooting but was not seriously injured. "If he was struck, then it's not life threatening," she said.

One witness told KABC-TV that he was driving behind the SUV when police approached and gunfire erupted.

"We had to get right of my car and duck behind my car for safety," he said. "I just heard, like, multiple gunshots going back and forth, back and forth... It was just a constant shootout."

Posted at

At least 14 people were killed after a shooting Wednesday at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, police said.

At least three people opened fire at a "lunch type gathering for the holidays" at the Inland Regional Center on Waterman Avenue, officials added.

"We do not know where the suspects are," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said. "They came prepared as if they were on a mission."

The chief said the suspects were armed with "long guns, not handguns" and made their getaway in a dark SUV. Multiple reports also said shooters were seen wearing body armor.

For more on how the initial event unfolded, go here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow @BuzzFeedNews on Twitter.

BuzzFeed News staff writers Tom Namako, David Mack, and Tasneem Nashrulla contributed reporting from New York; Claudia Koerner, Jon Passantino, Sal Hernandez, and Jason Wells from Los Angeles; and Sheera Frenkel from San Francisco.

Skip to footer