LA Times
As many as three assailants attacked a gathering inside a San Bernardino office building Wednesday morning, killing at least 14 people and wounding 17 others, according to law enforcement officials.
The shooters, who carried long guns and wore masks and camouflage clothing, opened fire on a holiday party being held by county employees, federal law enforcement sources and a witness told the Los Angeles Times.
The shooting took place in a large conference room on the grounds of the Inland Regional Center, which serves people with developmental disabilities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
A black sport-utility vehicle was seen fleeing from the office complex where the shooting occurred.
Shortly before 3 p.m., police began pursuing a black SUV in San Bernardino. Authorities confirmed that a suspect had been shot in connection with the car chase, but it remained unclear whether the pursuit was linked to the attack.
TV footage showed dozens of heavily armed police officers approaching the SUV, and officers in tactical gear could be seen stalking through a San Bernardino neighborhood.
Marybeth Feild, the center’s board president and CEO, said the San Bernardino County Public Health Department rented the conference room and they were hosting a banquet.
The room, which holds as many as 200 people, was decorated for a holiday party, according to Feild.
The motive for the attack remains unclear.
“Is this a terrorist incident? We do not know,” said David Bowdich, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Federal law enforcement sources, who requested anonymity because the investigation is active and ongoing, told The Times that the group holding the party, rather than the center, may have been targeted.
The shooting rippled across San Bernardino. All county schools, as well as city government buildings and courthouses, were on lock down as police continued to search for the assailants. School officials, however, stressed that students were safe and would be dismissed on the regular schedule.
During a news briefing, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said information about the party was “preliminary” and declined to comment on a motive for the shooting.
“We have no information at this point to indicate that this is terrorist related, in the traditional sense that people may be thinking,” Burguan said. “Obviously, at a minimum, we have a domestic terrorist-type situation that occurred here.”
The San Bernardino Fire Department said the shooting took place in the 1300 block of Waterman Avenue, near Orange Show Road.
Hundreds of people were on the grounds at the time of the attack, Burguan said.
Carlos Ortiz’s son Kevin Ortiz was shot twice in the leg and once in the shoulder.
The father, 54, was among a dozen people holding hands in a prayer circle outside of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where numerous victims were taken.
“Kevin called me immediately after he got shot and said ‘I’ve been shot three times dad. I’m in pain. Don’t worry. There’s a policeman with me.’ “
Seconds later the phone call ended.
Ortiz’ family was not surprised he had found the ability to make these crucial phone calls given what happened.
“That’s Kevin, he’s a fighter,” his brother David Ortiz said. “Through him, the Ortiz’s get to shine again.”
Loma Linda University Medical Center, the closest hospital to the shooting scene, is treating seven patients who were wounded in the shooting, according to Briana Pastorino, a hospital spokeswoman.
Tom Brown said he and many other employees and customers at the nearby San Bernardino Golf Club were on lockdown Wednesday.
“We’re not allowing anyone on the golf course. We got a big helicopter sitting in the middle of the No. 1 fairway,” Brown told The Times. “We’re several hundred yards away from the area. We can see fire and SWAT from here, but we’re not allowed to go any farther.”
Brown’s coworker told him she heard gunshots nearby.
Meanwhile, the bus company that provides transportation for San Bernardino City Unified School District is offering its buses to transport victims and witnesses of the shooting, said district spokeswoman Linda Berdere.
Fred Henning was holed up inside the paralegal’s office where he works with his wife, about a block from the scene of the shooting. Henning said they were standing outside as helicopters swooped overhead, but fled back into the building as police began to flood the area.
“We just came inside because it could be stray bullets, who knows?” Henning said. “We did mill around outside for a while, but we decided the better plan was to stay in. We’re stranded in here. … We’re in an office building.”
The block where the shooting took place is home to a number of businesses, Henning said, including a three-building complex that houses his office and roughly 140 others. The street has been completely shut down.
“I see squad cars like you won’t believe,” Henning said.
Lynn Spicer, an employee at West Tech/Webcop Interactive Systems which is inside of a nearby office building, said police are not allowing anyone to leave the area.
“I just heard sirens all day, and I went out and I saw nothing but massive cops were out,” Spicer said. “Our boss wants us to go home, but they won’t let us leave.”
Spicer said more than 100 people were brought over from the Inland Regional building and gathered in her office complex’s parking lot.
“It’s shocking that it’s right across the way,” Spicer said. “It’s very scary.”
President Obama was briefed on the shooting and asked to be updated as the situation develops.
The president was being interviewed by CBS on Wednesday morning when news of the attack broke, and said the repeated occurrence of mass shootings shows the need for stricter gun laws in the U.S.
“Obviously our hearts go out to the victims and the families,” he said, according to a transcript of the interview. “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.”
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San Bernardino, Ca – Multiple people were shot Wednesday at a Southern California social services center, and police were searching for up to three gunmen, authorities said.
Several law enforcement agencies converged on the scene in San Bernardino, and triage units were being set up in the area.
Some people were seen being wheeled away on gurneys, while others walked quickly from a building with their hands in the air. They were searched by police before being reunited with loved ones.
Police were working to secure the scene in the inland region about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, Sgt. Vicky Cervantes said. No arrests have been made.
Terry Petit said he got a text from his daughter saying she was hiding after gunfire erupted at the social services facility where she works.
Petit choked back tears as he read the texts for reporters outside the center. He said she wrote: “People shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office.”
At a Shell gas station about a block from the shooting site, store manager Ana Fuentes said there was a flood of police activity in the area.
“There’s maybe like 150 cops going toward Hospitality Lane,” she said, as sirens echoed in the background.
She said she hadn’t gotten any instructions to stay inside but that customers coming in told her about the shootings at Inland Regional Center.
The center says on its website that it provides social services to people with developmental disabilities.
Television images on CNN showed people being evacuated from the building, their arms raised, as triage stations were set up outside. Police and SWAT teams were seen surrounding the building.
A police spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times that the suspects were heavily armed and possibly wearing body armor.
A spokeswoman from nearby Loma Linda Medical Center said the hospital was expecting patients momentarily. “We’re all kind of on standby right now – it could be any minute,” spokeswoman Briana Pastorino said.
It’s nice how he’s reacting? I hope you’re being facetious. The man will never acknowledge that there’s a breakdown in law and order on his watch. No, it’s the gun’s fault. Next time you see a gun walking around ask it why it’s doing so much harm, then go tell the president. He’ll fix everything, yeah…
For Jews!
It’s nice how Obama is reacting to this, because the attacks in Israel have been ignored.
Why is it here? Ma Nishntana?
Moshiach will be here very soon. @ad mosi!
HASHEM YERACHEM
MOSHIACH NOW
This is a horrible situation. I hope it’ll end peacefully & quickly.
I was wondering if Jewish people are among the hostages or victims.
this is also not terrorism?! you go make deals with them..
MOSHIACH NOW