California shooting investigated as potential terrorism: FBI chief

Image
IANS Washington
Last Updated : Dec 05 2015 | 8:07 AM IST

US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief James Comey said Friday that shooting in Californian City San Bernardino was being investigated as potential terrorism, but there was "no indication" suggesting killers of the holiday party carnage had been part of any terrorist group.

"The investigation so far has delivered indications of radicalization by the killers and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organisations," Xinhua quoted Comey as saying.

However, Comey said so far there was no indication that pointed to the husband-and-wife shooters' affiliation to any group.

"We have no indication that these killers are part of an organised larger group or form part of a cell. There is no indication that they are part of a network," said Comey.

The couple shot down 14 people Wednesday at a Southern California social services center and injuried several. According to local police, "some degree of planning" was involved in the shooting spree.

The two suspects, 28-year-old US citizen Syed Farook and his 27-year-old wife Tashfeen Malik, had 1,600 rifle and 9-millimeter rounds of ammunition when they were killed, and 2,000 9-millimeter rounds and 2,500 0.223 rifle rounds at home, as well as 12 pipe bombs and tools to make bombs, according to police.

And those do not include the hundreds of rounds they fired in the shooting and gunfire with police.

It was revealed on Friday that the wife had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) on social media.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 05 2015 | 7:52 AM IST

Next Story