As the San Bernardino attack was happening, investigators believe the female shooter, Tashfeen Malik, posted on Facebook, pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, three U.S. officials familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Investigators revealed today that female shooter Tashfeen Malik posted a pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Facebook that as the San Bernardino, California, attack was happening or right before it happened, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the investigation. CNN reported today that Malik’s post was made on an account with a different name, one U.S. official said. The officials did not explain how they knew Malik made the post. CNN did not identify the agency or agencies of the U.S. officials.
A law enforcement official said it appeared that Wednesday’s attack may have been inspired by ISIS, but not directed by ISIS. The mass shooting left 14 people dead and 21 wounded before the two attackers fled. Later, Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, were killed in a police vehicle pursuit and shootout with police.
Relatives and neighbors claim they were not aware that the two were capable of an such as the Christmas party luncheon attack. Relatives and neighbors also claim they were not aware that the couple had a makeshift bomb lab in the apartment and detached garage.
“It would be irresponsible and premature for me to call this terrorism,” FBI official David Bowdich said Thursday. “The FBI defines terrorism very specifically, and that is the big question for us: What is the motivation for this?”
Neither Farook nor his wife had any criminal history, but now investigators are exploring Farook’s communications with at least one person who was being investigated for possible terror connections.
“These appear to be soft connections,” an official said, meaning they were not frequent contacts. Farook’s last communication with the contacts was months ago.
Farook and a co-worker, Nicholas Thalasinos, were known to discuss religion and politics. Thalasinos was one of the people killed in the attack at Inland Regional Center.
Farook and Thalasinos, reportedly a devout Messianic Jew, once had a “heated, passionate” discussion, said Kuuleme Stephens, a friend of Thalasinos, who had called him at work.
Thalasinos’ widow, Jennifer, said Thalasinos was very verbal about terrorism. “He’s very upset about what ISIS has been doing and the radicalized Muslims,” she said.
Doyle Miller, Farook’s landlord, said he had “no cause for concern” when he rented out a townhouse to him in Redlands.
Miller said Farook had a good credit report.
In an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo the San Bernardino shooters’ family attorney David S. Chelsey has questions about key facts of the investigation.
A federal official said Farook had “overseas communications and associations,” but it’s not yet clear how relevant those communications were with the actual mass shooting.
Bowdich said that among other places, Farook had traveled to Pakistan, while family lawyer Mohammad Abuershaid said Farook “never traveled to Pakistan.”
The family lawyer also said he thinks any focus on the shooters’ Muslim faith is misplaced. Another family lawyer, David S. Chelsey, said it doesn’t make sense for these two to have acted like some type of Bonnie and Clyde with military skills.
Jarrod Burguan, the San Bernardino, California, chief of police, reports that more than 2,000 ammo rounds in suspect’s home.
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