At this stage, we do not yet know why this bad event occurred.
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Obama’s no stranger to speaking on this kind of violence, having made comments after at least 15 mass shootings since he’s been in the White House. Thursday’s remarks come a day after at least 14 people were killed in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.
Before Thanksgiving, Obama assured Americans “we know of no specific and credible intelligence indicating a plot on the homeland”.
“It’s possible this was terrorist-related, but we don’t know”, he told reporters.
The president also reiterated his calls for changes to gun control laws in the U.S. While many Americans see the prevalence of mass shootings and feel that there’s nothing an individual can do, he said, “we all have a part to play” when it comes to reducing gun violence.
“It’s also possible that this was workplace-related”, he said, stressing that investigators have to “understand the nature of the workplace relationship between the individual and his superiors”.
Federal authorities say the two assault rifles and two handguns used in the assault were all purchased legally four years ago in the US.
“We all have a part to play”. “But those same people who we don’t allow to fly can go in to a store right now in the United States and buy a firearm and there’s nothing that we can do to stop them”.
“We’re going to have to, I think, search ourselves as a society”, he said.
“Our expectation is that this may take some time before we can sort this all through”, he concluded, pulling the topic back to the San Bernardino crime.
A press conference led by Attorney General Loretta Lynch will be held later today.
“This is not what we stand for”. This is not what we work for.
Farook’s family was originally from South Asia, while Malik was believed to be from Pakistan but had lived in Saudi Arabia before coming to the United States, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
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Mr Obama issued a proclamation ordering flags on government buildings, embassies and military installations to be flown at half-mast until Monday to honour the victims.
