Suspected San Bernardino shooters seemed to be ‘living the American dream’
Syed Farook recently travelled to Saudi Arabia and returned with Tashfeen Malik, who he met online.
A couple who were suspected of killing 14 people in a mass shooting in California and were later slain in a shoot-out with police were identified by authorities on Wednesday as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, described as possibly married or engaged.
Armed with assault-style weapons, the two are believed to have opened fire on Wednesday morning at a social services agency holiday event in San Bernardino, California. The attack, which also left 17 wounded, was the most deadly shooting in the United States in three years.
Farook was a employee of San Bernardino County who attended a holiday party at the Inland Regional Centre, stormed out and later returned to fire on the celebration, said Jarrod Burguan, police chief in the city of San Bernardino, 100km east of Los Angeles. Officials said Farook had worked for the county for five years.
The couple are believed to be the only shooters, and while the motive remained unclear, Burguan said, “we have not ruled out terrorism”.
Co-workers told the Los Angeles Times they were shocked to hear Farook’s name linked to the shooting. Two who were in the restroom when the bullets began to fly said he was quiet and polite, with no obvious grudges.