UPDATE (12/3 7:45 a.m. ET): The deceased suspects have been identified by Chief Jarrod Burguan as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, but the relationship between Farook and Malik has not been confirmed at this time, he says. The New York Times reports that family members say they were married and had a 6-month-old daughter. The Times also notes that Farook was an environmental inspector who had been an employee of the county for five years. He had gone to a holiday party Wednesday morning at work, left “angry,” according to Chief Burguan, and returned around 11 a.m., with his wife and weapons. “There had to be some degree of planning that went into this,” Chief Burguan said. “I don’t think they just ran home and put on these tactical clothes.” The pair were armed with .223-caliber assault rifles and semiautomatic handguns. Burguan also noted that, “Devices that we felt were explosives in the building were disposed of.”
UPDATE (8:45 p.m. ET): San Bernadino police chief Jarrod Burguan confirmed in a press conference that two suspects in the dark SUV who were involved in a pursuit and gun battle with police were shot and killed. The male and female suspects were armed with assault-style rifles and handguns. A third person who was seen running from the area has been detained but it is not clear if that person is a suspect. An officer who was wounded in the shootout has been transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Chief Burguan acknowledged that there had been “some type of dispute” at the Inland Regional Center earlier on Wednesday, and somebody had left, but it was unclear if they were the people who came back and opened fire. FBI Los Angeles assistant director David Bowdich told reporters that he was not willing to say that the shooting was an act of terrorism, but “it’s a possibility.”
UPDATE (8:32 p.m. EST): A representative from Loma Linda University Medical Center confirmed that there was a bomb threat at the facility earlier this afternoon, and that they currently have five of the 17 injured adult patients in their care. Two are in critical but stable condition, two are in fair condition, and one is still being assessed.
UPDATE (7:07 p.m. EST): The Associated Press reports that there were shots fired and one suspect was down when police and SWAT teams cornered a dark SUV that was believed to be the suspects’ vehicle. Law enforcement officers are surrounding a house in the area where it is believed another suspect may be hiding out.
UPDATE (6:40 p.m. EST): Officials confirmed 17 people were injured in the shootings.
UPDATE: San Bernardino police chief Jarrod Burguan confirmed during a press conference: “Up to three people had entered the building and opened fire on upwards of 14 people that are dead and upwards of 14 people that are injured. The 14 that are wounded have been taken to various local hospitals.” Police also believe suspects left the scene in a black SUV. The suspects have not been identified, nor has their motive come to light. “They came prepared to do what they did, like they were on a mission,” Burguan said of the shooters. Burguan also added that there were have been no recovered weapons from the scene. The police noted that one of the weapons was a “long gun not a hand gun.”
“We would ask the public that they be on a heightened sense of alert,” Burguan said.
Dave Bowdich of the FBI added, “We do not know if this is a terrorist incident.”
Original Story: Around 11:00 a.m. local time, police began responding to reports of an active shooter in San Bernardino, Calif., the Associated Press reports. First responders immediately reported to the Inland Regional Center, a social services facility that works with the developmentally disabled.
Local news station KTLA reports that police have said there could be between one and three shooters. Police spokespeople have confirmed that there “are fatalities.” The Los Angeles Times reports that federal law enforcement sources are searching for a black sport utility vehicle.
Suspects very heavily armed and possibly wearing body armor, a San Bernardino Police Dept. spokesperson told ABC News.
The Twitter handle for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office has reported that the surrounding area remains “very active” and urges citizens to avoid the scene.
“It’s a very active scene,” Sgt. Vicki Cervantes told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s very fluid.”
Those inside the center have been exiting the facility with their hands up. No arrests have been reported at this time.
“This is a center that is always full at all times of the day,” Alex Vasquez, NBC4 videographer said via a phone call to NBC News.
Judy Mark, who is on the Board of Disability Rights for Northern California, told NBC News that the center has 600 employees. It provides funding for people with disabilities.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office tweeted information for those with tips, writing, “Anyone with info regarding the #ActiveShooter incident in #SanBernardino who would like to remain anonymous call We-Tip at 1800-78-Crime.”
Updates to follow.
