The FBI said the shooting on Wednesday is being investigated as terrorism, despite objections from Farook’s family, who said the declaration is “premature” and “irresponsible”.
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Meanwhile, other law enforcement official were quoted by news agencies and CNN as saying that Malik had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and its leader on Facebook.
If proven to be terrorism, it would be the deadliest attack by Islamic extremists on American soil since 9/11. A USA government source said such a cache of weapons indicated they might have meant to carry out a more elaborate attack.
The husband and wife shooters attempted to destroy evidence, including crushing two mobile phones and discarding them in a rubbish bin, said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.
Police have identified the couple as Tashfeen Malik and her husband, Syed Farook.
Christian Nwadike, who had worked with Farook for five years, told broadcaster CBS that his colleague had seemed different after returning from Saudi Arabia.
“Preliminary information indicates that these were people that came prepared, that they were dressed and equipped in a way to indicate that they were prepared”, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said.
Saira Khan, the sister of suspected gunman Syed Rizwan Farook told CBS News she never could have imagined her “happily married” brother and sister-in-law leaving their six-month-old daughter to commit such a horrific crime. “So the men did not interact with her”, he added, referring to Malik, who was born in Pakistan but grew up in Saudi Arabia.
Bowdich said no other suspects are in custody, but “it is possible there may be some in the future”. Specific details about her postings were not disclosed by the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to discuss an ongoing investigation. Authorities have not said how they linked the post to her.
Initial reports indicated that the shooting at the city’s Inland Regional Center occurred during a holiday party for county public health employees, and that Farook had left the party angrily earlier in the evening. At their home, they had more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition, as well as 12 pipe bombs and tools to make more explosives.
“I think he married a terrorist”, Nwadike said.
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A look into the life of a couple that law enforcement sources say was self-radicalized, though, neither Malik nor Farook had ever been in trouble with the law and they were not on any watch lists.
