San Bernardino shooting kills up to 14, 2 suspects dead
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Police said up to 14 people were killed when at least two gunmen opened fire at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino Wednesday. Two suspects were killed in a dramatic shootout with officers.
A law enforcement official has identified Syed Farook as one of the suspects. The ABC7 I-Team reports Farook is believed to be a state employee in California and an American citizen.
VIDEO: One shooting rampage suspect ID'd
The gun battle between police and the suspects left a male and female suspect dead at the scene. An officer was also injured.
Officials said the man and woman were dressed in assault style clothing and had assault rifles.
The ATF said two rifles and twp handguns recovered in their investigation and officials are working to trace the serial numbers on the weapons.
Officers swarmed a neighborhood about a mile from the SUV shootout, apparently in a hunt for a possible third gunman.
A person seen running from the scene was detained, police confirmed. Officials would not call the person the third suspect, but just a person of interest.
Officers also searched a home several miles away in Redlands.
Around 11 a.m., a shooting was reported at the Inland Regional Center, a nonprofit that works with individuals with developmental disabilities, at 1365 S. Waterman Avenue. The complex is comprised of three buildings.
MORE: What we know about the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino
The attack took place in a conference area where the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was holding a banquet, said Maybeth Field, president and CEO of the social services center. She said the building houses at least 25 employees as well as a library and conference center.
"They came prepared to do what they did, as if they were on a mission," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said, noting the shooters carried long guns, not handguns. Police shed no light on a motive.
Police said three shooters were involved. The suspects were described as heavily armed and possibly wearing body armor, according to Sgt. Vicki Cervantes with San Bernardino police.
No weapons were recovered at the center, though authorities were investigating unidentified items in the building and have brought in bomb squads, Burguan said.
Authorities said one device in the Inland Regional Center was believed to be an explosive, but federal law enforcement officials said it was later determined to be simply a piece of pipe.
PHOTOS: Scene of mass shooting at San Bernardino social services facility
At approximately 3:15 p.m., police officers chased down a black SUV, which crashed a few miles from the regional center. Video from the scene shows the SUV riddled with bullets.
One suspect was dead outside the SUV and another suspect's body was pulled from the backseat of the SUV.
Inland Regional Center employee Brandon Hunt told Eyewitness News that the auditorium is regularly rented out to outside agencies. Hunt said approximately 550 people typically work at the facility at any given day.
Courts, schools and other facilities in San Bernardino were placed on lockdown for security. The Inland Center Mall was shut down for the day as a precaution. The mall was evacuated and employees were sent home.
San Bernardino Unified School District officials said more than 70 schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
Shortly before noon, dozens of people were seen exiting the building with their hands up. Cervantes said police were taking them to a secure location.
Marcos Aguilera's wife was in the building when the gunfire erupted. He said a shooter entered the building next to his wife's office and opened fire.
"They locked themselves in her office. They seen bodies on the floor," Aguilera said, adding that his wife saw ambulances taking people out of the building on stretchers.
Aguilera said his wife was able to get out of the building unharmed.
Terry Pettit said he received a text message from his daughter, telling him that gunmen were in her building and that she and some co-workers were hiding.
MORE: Father receives text message from daughter during San Bernardino mass shooting
Multiple agencies were working together on scene. FBI and ATF agents responded to the scene to assist local authorities.
The White House said President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation.
Obama later addressed the shootings saying in part, "Obviously, our hearts go out to the victims and their families."
"The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world," he continued.
San Bernardino city officials said family members of those affected in the shooting can connect with loved ones at the Hernandez Center, 222 N. Lugo Ave.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
