FBI investigating San Bernardino shooting as terrorism: Official
12/04/2015 11:32 am PST
AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- (CWD) -- The FBI is officially investigating Wednesday's mass shooting in San Bernardino as an act of terrorism.
David Bowdich, the assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI Field Office, made the announcement during a Friday morning news conference.
Bowdich said the two suspects in Wednesday's shooting had attempted to destroy "digital fingerprints.” Investigators discovered crushed cellphones in a trash can near the suspects' Redlands residence. The FBI was analyzing material recovered from those phones.
Multiple armaments, explosives and ammunition, as well as evidence of extensive planning, led authorities to investigate Wednesday's shooting as an act of terrorism, Bowdich said.
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said the Inland Regional Center shooting investigation was officially transferred to the FBI Friday.
David Bowdich confirmed an earlier report that the female suspect did pledge allegiance to an ISIS in an online post.
Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, are believed to have walked into a holiday party luncheon for San Bernardino County Department of Health employees held at the Inland Regional Center at 11 a.m. Wednesday and “sprayed” the room with gunfire, Burguan said.
The two suspects were killed in a shootout with police following a pursuit hours after the mass shooting. The suspects were identified late Wednesday.
Syed Rizwan Farook apparently was radicalized and in touch with people being investigated by the FBI for international terrorism, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
Anyone with any information related to the investigation is asked to call (800) CALL-FBI.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department released the names Thursday of the 14 victims killed in Wednesday's mass shooting.
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said there were 91 invited guests at a holiday banquet held for employees of the County Department of Health; there were 75 to 80 people present in the room when the shooting began. The suspects were described as wearing black tactical gear.
Burguan said that of the 14 people who were killed at the IRC, 12 were county employees. He said that of 21 people injured in the IRC shooting, 18 were identified as county employees.
Information led investigators to a residence in the nearby city of Redlands. While surveilling that house, authorities witnessed the two suspects leaving, and a police pursuit was initiated. The pursuit led into San Bernardino, blocks away from the original scene of the shooting.
The suspect vehicle stopped and the two suspects exchanged gunfire with 27 officers. Burguan said Thursday the suspects fired 76 rifle rounds at officers before the pair was killed on the spot.
Burguan said Malik, the female suspect, fired out of the rear of the SUV. Farook, the male suspect, had been driving, and fired as he exited the vehicle to engage the officers in a shootout.
Both suspects were in possession of assault rifles and handguns, Burguan said.
Investigators found more than 1,400 .223-caliber rounds in the vehicle, and about 200 9mm rounds on their persons.
Two officers were injured. One San Bernardino police officer was wounded in the left leg but was expected to be released from a hospital Thursday morning. A sheriff's deputy sustained cuts on a leg.
Seven police agencies were involved in Wednesday's event, Burguan said.
An investigation of the Redlands residence revealed 12 "pipe-bomb-type” devices in the house and its garage, and tools and materials for making IEDs or pipe bombs were also found. As many as 2,500 .223-caliber rifle rounds were also located at the residence.
Both suspects were listed on the rental agreement of the Redlands residence, police said Thursday.
Burguan said Farook had no known criminal record. At least one of the handguns was legally purchased by Farook, police said, but the rifles were legally purchased by someone else, police said.
