Update: On Wednesday, Dec. 2, a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, left 14 people dead and 21 wounded. Hours after the attack, police pursued information that led to a chase of a dark SUV, which was later determined to be a rental car. A shootout between police and the suspects left both suspects dead. The suspects were identified as Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who were husband and wife.
According to SBPD Chief Jarrod Burguan, the four guns used in the shooting were purchased legally. The suspects were found to have 1,600 rounds of ammunition with them, and at a home the suspects were renting in Redlands, California, law enforcement officers found 4,500 rounds of ammunition and 12 pipe bombs. No official motive has been confirmed, though a source told The Los Angeles Times that investigators are considering a combined motive of “terrorism and workplace.”
Earlier: On Wednesday, it was reported by several media outlets that up to three gunmen caused a shooting in San Bernardino, California injuring at least 20 people. According to reports, 14 people have been killed. As soon as the tragic news broke, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department asked all residents to stay clear of the area. As the story develops, many are asking why San Bernardino? Why choose that particular location for a shooting? At this point in time, there could be many reasons behind the tragedy.
According to KABC, the shooting occurred at the Inland Regional Center, a nonprofit that works with individuals with developmental disabilities. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the social services center is located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Seeing as the area is a highly populated one with many businesses and is even adjacent to the San Bernardino Golf Club, that alone could make a target for a mass shooting.
The identities of the gunman, or gunmen, have yet to be identified, so it's hard to know what any motives may have been. There's a chance that one or all of them have some type of grievance with the center. There is a possibility they know someone at the nonprofit, work at the nonprofit, or were previously employed there. As FOX Los Angeles reported, sources are saying that one suspect walked into a conference room and started shooting.
KABC also spoke with Inland Regional Center employee Brandon Hunt who thinks the shooting occurred in the center's main auditorium. Apparently, some type of banquet was being held there. Hunt also said that this particular auditorium is rented to outside agencies for different events. Per the The New York Times, Lavinia Johnson, executive director of the Inland Regional Center, said she believes the conference center/auditorium was being used by the County Health Department for a holiday gathering. With that said, there's a good chance the shooter(s) might not have any connection to the Inland Regional Center itself, but whatever banquet was being held and the people in attendance.
Per the Inland Regional Center's Facebook page, the center is employed with 670 people and serve over 30,200 people per year. Also, via Heavy, the center's official website, which has gone down, states that it was hosting a "holiday boutique" on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shooting broke out around 11 a.m. Pacific time.
This story is developing...
