FBI: We're investigating the San Bernardino shooting as an 'act of terrorism'
- Pamela Engel, Brett LoGiurato
- Dec 4, 2015
- 3 min read
The FBI is officially investigating the shootings in San Bernardino, California, this week as an "act of terrorism," officials said on Friday.
David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles bureau, told reporters at a press conference that, based on the evidence, the FBI is "now investigating these horrific acts as an act of terrorism."
"We have uncovered evidence that has led us to learn of extensive planning," Bowdich said. "Obviously we’ve uncovered evidence of explosives, multiple armaments ... high powered weapons, the explosive devices."
FBI Director James Comey, briefing reporters in Washington later in the day, said there were no indications so far that either of the shooters was part of an "organized, larger group" or terror cell. He said, however, that the FBI had uncovered some evidence of "radicalization" and that the shooters may have found "inspiration" from foreign-terrorist organizations.
The shooters also allegedly tried to cover their digital tracks.
"We have also uncovered evidence that these subjects have attempted to destroy their digital fingerprints," Bowdich said. "We found two cellphones in a nearby trash can. Those cellphones were actually crushed. We have retained those cellphones and we do continue to exploit the data from those cellphones."
The shootings killed 14 people and left at least 21 others injured at the Inland Regional Center on Wednesday. The attackers might have been inspired by the terrorist group ISIS (also known as ISIL and the Islamic State), according to officials.
Syed Rizwan Farook, a 28-year-old US citizen, and Tashfeen Malik, his 27-year-old wife, died in a shootout with police after they carried out the attack.
Law enforcement is investigating whether they might have been planning a second attack, Bowdich said. He said the FBI is taking over the investigation from local officials.
Authorities believe that at least one of them had been in contact with suspected Islamic extremists, Bowdich said. Malik reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a post on a Facebook page that she operated under a false name, officials said.
A Facebook official told Business Insider that it identified and removed the profile for violating community standards. The company does not allow people to praise terror groups or promote terrorism, and it works to ensure that terrorists or terror groups cannot use the site.
Police officers conduct a manhunt after a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California December 2, 2015.
On Thursday, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said that the suspects fired 76 rifle rounds as they were being pursued by police on Wednesday. The suspects "had 1,400 .223 caliber rounds and 200 9 mm rounds on their person," Burguan said.
Farook and Malik were reportedly armed with four guns: two semiautomatic handguns and two .223-caliber assault rifles, all of which were purchased legally, according to Burguan.
When police searched the suspects' home, they found "several hundred" .22 long-rifle rounds, "12 pipe bomb-type devices" in the garage, "hundreds of tools, many of which could be used to construct IEDs or pipe bombs," 2,000 9 mm rounds, and 2,500 .223 rounds of ammunition.
Bowdich urged the public to not let the incident cause "mass hysteria." Local officials said they weren't aware of any credible or specific threats to the region in the press conference.
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