The 27-year-old, who Wednesday Farook in Saudi Arabia, also pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS on the same day the couple went on a killing spree in San Bernardino, Calif., CNN reported.
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But on Thursday, the FBI, which handles domestic terrorism, announced it was taking over the investigation into Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook. A law enforcement official said, however, that there was no sign that anyone affiliated with IS had communicated back with her.
David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said “a number of pieces of evidence” point to terrorism and that the agency was focused on that idea “for good reason”.
The attack may have been inspired by ISIS – but there is no evidence that it was directed by the militant group, United States officials have said.
“There is no indication that these killers are part of an organized larger group or form part of a cell”.
According to Transparent California, which publishes public employee salary information, Syed R. Farook was working as an Environmental Health Specialist II in 2014 for San Bernardino County. Earlier this week, reports indicated Farook, 28, was in contact with suspected terrorists both in California and overseas. More than four hours later, more than 20 officers engaged in a shootout with the two suspects. On Friday morning, the property’s owner allowed reporters inside.
Malik was a native of Pakistan who had been living in Saudi Arabia when she met Farook during his month-long vacation there.
Two weeks ago, with Americans on edge over the Islamic State attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead, Comey said that US authorities had no specific or credible intelligence pointing to an attack on American soil.
It’s been days, and we still don’t know for sure what motivated the San Bernardino shooters. Malik had been subjected to vetting in order to get her U.S. visa process, which the USA government described as vigorous.
Farook was born in the U.S., Burguan said, and had been working with the county for five years.
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Authorities found thousands of rounds of ammunition, 12 pipe bombs and materials to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the couple’s Redlands apartment. The couple’s 6-month-old child is now in the care of child protective services, but the family is trying to gain custody of her, the attorneys said.
