Details emerge about suspects in San Bernardino mass shooting
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KTVU-AP) - A man and a woman involved in a San Bernardino shooting that left at least 14 people dead on Wednesday, have been killed by police after authorities exchanged gunfire with the suspect vehicle, according to authorities.
A law enforcement official had first identified Syed Farook, 28, as the male suspect in the shooting and the woman as Tashfeen Malik, 27. Police said in a late evening news conference, it was not clear what their relationship was. Relatives of the alleged shooters say the two were married.
The official, who was briefed on the case, was not authorized to speak to the media about the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Police in patrol cars and armored vehicles had converged on both sides of a black SUV on Samuel Avenue that had its front, back and side windows shot out shortly after 3 p.m.
Authorities confirmed that one suspect was down on the street at the location. Armored police vehicles slowly converged on the SUV to inspect it.
According to Fox News, a second suspect was found dead in the vehicle. San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan later confirmed that two suspects -- a man and a woman -- had died in the officer-involved shooting.
Burguan also said at a news conference Wednesday evening that authorities found what they believe is an explosive device at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Bomb squads were working on it.
The FBI is looking at several possibilities for what drove shooters to kill 14 people at a California social services center.
David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's field office in Los Angeles, says one possibility is workplace violence and another is "terrorism."
He did not elaborate.
Burguan says the suspects were wearing "tactical, assault-style clothing" and were both armed with assault rifles and handguns.
Police sought a third person after neighborhood residents reported a person fleeing the area of the gunbattle and jumping between back yards over fences. Authorities took the third person into custody, but it was not clear if he was involved with the shootings or not.
Residents in the area were asked to remain inside their homes for safety reasons.
Police confirmed that one officer had been injured in the exchange of gunfire, but he has been transported to a hospital and his injuries were not serious.
Earlier at around 11 a.m., the gunmen, believed to be wearing military-style gear opened fire at a San Bernardino social services center, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than a dozen others, authorities said.
FBI agents and other law enforcement authorities converged on the center and searched room to room for the attacker or attackers, Burguan said. But he said they may have escaped in a dark SUV, he said.
"They came prepared to do what they did, as if they were on a mission," Burguan said, noting the attackers carried long guns — which can mean rifles or shotguns.
Police shed no light on a motive.
Witnesses said several people locked themselves in their offices, desperately waiting to be rescued by police, after gunfire erupted at the Inland Regional Center, which serves people with developmental disabilities.
The attack took place in a rented-out conference area where the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was holding a banquet, said Maybeth Feild, president and CEO of the center. She said the building houses at least 25 employees as well as a library and conference center.
No weapons were recovered at the center, though authorities were investigating unidentified items in the building and have brought in bomb squads, Burguan said.
Authorities said 10 of the 17 people wounded in a deadly shooting at a Southern California social services center were taken to hospitals in critical condition.
Fire Chief Tom Hannemann says three people were in serious condition.
The chief says firefighters were on the scene within seven minutes of the 11 a.m. Wednesday call and transported all the injured by 11:30 a.m.
San Bernardino police spokesman Sgt. Vicki Cervantes told The Associated Press there were reports from witnesses of one to three gunmen.
As the manhunt went on, stores, office buildings and at least one school were locked down in the city of 214,000 people about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, and roads were blocked off.
Triage units were set up outside the center, and people were seen being wheeled away on stretchers. Others walked quickly from a building with their hands up. They were searched by police before being reunited with loved ones.
The brother-in-law of one of the suspects says he was stunned to hear of his relative's involvement in Wednesday's shooting.
Farhan Khan, who is married to the sister of Syed Farook, spoke to reporters at the Anaheim office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Khan said he last spoke to Farook about a week ago. He added that he had "absolutely no idea why he would do this. I am shocked myself."
Khan said other family members asked him to speak at the news conference, and to express their sadness over the shootings.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his homeland security adviser.
He said it was too early to know the shooters' motives, but urged the country to take steps to reduce the frequency of mass shootings. He told CBS that stricter gun laws, including stronger background checks, would make the country safer.
"The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world, and there's some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don't happen as frequently," Obama said.
California Governor Jerry Brown released the following statement:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and everyone affected by the brutal attack. California will spare no effort in bringing these killers to justice.”
Out of respect for Californians affected by Wednesday’s tragedy, the annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony was canceled. Although the ceremony was canceled, the Christmas tree was still illuminated at 5:00 p.m.
Capitol flags will be lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims and their families."
Terry Petit said his daughter works at the center, and he got a text from her saying she was hiding in the building after hearing gunshots. Petit choked back tears as he read the texts for reporters outside the center. He said she wrote: "People shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office."
Marcos Aguilera's wife was in the building when the gunfire erupted. He said a shooter entered the building next to his wife's office and opened fire.
"They locked themselves in her office. They seen bodies on the floor," Aguilera told KABC-TV, adding that his wife was able to get out of the building unharmed.
The social services center has two large buildings that require a badge to get in, said Sheela Stark, an Inland Regional Center board member. However, the conference room where many public events take place — including the banquet on Wednesday — is usually left open when visitors are expected.