Sources have confirmed to NBC4 of Los Angeles that one of the attackers was Syed Farook.
By Willian Avila and Gabriella Iannetta
Two suspects, one male and one female, are dead following a shootout with police and a third person has been detained after a massive manhunt for gunmen who opened fire in a social services facility east of Los Angeles on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and wounding 17 others, authorities said.
The rampage shooting at a holiday party by gunmen described as "on a mission" marked the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since Newtown where 27 children and staff were killed in 2012.
"We all should go home tonight with our loved ones and just understand that this can happen at any time," said Loma Linda Medical Center spokeswoman Briana Pastorino, at the end of a press conference.
"We hear of these mass shootings all over the country. And I believe you would all agree that this hit a little bit to close to home. It is home," she said.
Sources have confirmed to NBC4 of Los Angeles that one of the attackers was Syed Farook. It was not clear if Farook was one of the suspects killed in the shootout with police.
Another source told NBC News that another attacker is believed to be Farook's brother. The identity of the woman suspect remains unclear.
"This is truly a tragedy in our country," FBI Los Angeles Director David Bowdich said. Bowdich did not rule out that the shooting could have been a terrorist attack, saying "It is a possibility but we don't know this yet."
In the afternoon, authorities swarmed a bullet-riddled SUV in San Bernardino during the manhunt for the suspects. The two suspects killed by police -- a man and woman -- were "dressed in assault style clothing" and armed with both handguns and assault rifles, San Bernardino police chief Jarron Burguan said in a press conference later in the day.
The bomb squad continues to search the Inland Regional Center slowly after they found a suspicious device they believe could be an explosive, the police chief said.
SWAT teams are also working to clear a home in the city of Redlands where police first made contact with the now-dead male and female suspects.
Gunfire erupted about 11 a.m. at the Inland Regional Center in the 1300 block of S. Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino (map), which serves people with developmental disabilities, according to the San Bernardino Police Department. Hundreds of people were inside at the time.
The police chief said that he had heard there was a dispute at the party inside the facility and one person left angrily because of it but it is not known if there was a connection between the incident and the shooting.
"They came prepared to do what they did, as if they were on a mission," said Burguan.
Obviously, at minimum, we have a domestic terrorist-type situation that occurred here.Jarrod Burguan, San Bernardino Chief of Police
A tip led police later in the day to the home in Redlands where the suspects then led police on a chase.
Multiple agencies, including the FBI and ATF, were assisting with the investigation.
"They were dressed and equipped in a way to indicate that they were prepared, and they were armed with long guns, not handguns," Burguan said. "We have no information at this point to indicate that this is terrorist related in the traditional sense that people may be thinking. Obviously, at a minimum, we have a domestic terrorist-type situation that occurred here."
Images from the scene showed law enforcement personnel armed with rifles and wearing protective gear fanning out across the area, as emergency responders treated multiple victims in the street.
"They were being carried on trucks… They were shot, they were injured. Some of them did not survive," said NBC Los Angeles reporter Tony Shin, describing victims he saw being brought to the triage area.
The Inland Regional Center serves more than 31,000 people with developmental disabilities in San Bernardino County and neighboring Riverside County, according to the center's website. According to the site, the facility is the largest of California's regional centers, and is "a nonprofit, private community-based agency that is proud to help obtain services and support for our constituents."
One man at the scene said his daughter, who works at the center with the mentally disabled, had texted him. She was hiding in a closet with other people, he said.
Another man told NBC4 Los Angeles his sister has cerebral palsy and attends the center.
NBC Los Angeles photographer Alex Vasquez made his way to the Inland Regional Center soon after the shooting and said he saw many people with severe injuries, and that he spoke to some who were in shock.
"They heard many gunshots. A lot of people were just yelling for their loved ones," he said.
Nearby schools, city and county buildings were locked down during the search for the suspects. The area near Waterman Avenue and Park Center Circle was closed to traffic. Drivers were advised to avoid the area.
President Barack Obama said California's massacre reminded him of a pattern of mass shootings in the U.S. that "has no parallel anywhere else in the world."
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement saying in part, "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."
Source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/Multiple-Victims-Reported-in-San-Bernardino-Shooting-360080371.htmlRead my blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
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