Update at 5 p.m. EST: Chief Jarrod Burguan of the San Bernardino Police Department says at least 14 people have died and 14 are wounded in the mass shooting. The suspects fled in a dark colored SUV. “We do not know what the motive is for the shooting at this point,” he said. “These were people that came prepared.”
FBI spokesman: “We do not know if this is a terrorist incident.”
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*A mass shooting has been reported in San Bernardino, Calif., 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
According to multiple sources, at least 12 people are reported dead and 20 people injured in the Inland Regional Center at 1365 S Waterman Ave, a three-building complex where developmentally-disabled people are serviced.
Police are said to be looking for 1-3 suspects armed with semi-automatic long rifles. The Los Angeles Times, quoting multiple federal law enforcement sources, reports that the three shooters escaped from the location in a black SUV (believed to be a Yukon) and are currently at large.
According to Fox News, witnesses have described the shooters as white men wearing masks and body armor. LA’s KTTV initially reported that one of the three suspects walked into the conference center in the complex shortly after 11 a.m. and opened fire.
A group of people had rented out the conference center. One report said a Christmas party was being held there when the gunmen entered. Another report said the San Bernardino County Health Dept. rented out the room to honor several employees when they were fired upon.
According to KTTV, people locked themselves in offices and have witnessed “bodies on the floor.”
SWAT teams have been deployed to the scene and firefighters have set up a triage center to assist the victims, KNBC reported. Upwards of 150 emergency vehicles are on scene.
Authorities say they found an “out of the norm” package in one of the buildings. The bomb squad has reportedly sent a robot into that building to neutralize the package, according to Fox News. No word on whether it was indeed an explosive device.
President Obama has been briefed. FBI and ATF have been called in to investigate.
A father was interviewed on MSNBC while texting with his daughter, who was trapped inside of the Inland Regional Center. He said his daughter texted: “Dad, someone’s shooting in our building. I’m hiding in our closet. I can hear somebody shooting. I’m scared.”
Minutes later, on live television, the father received a text from his daughter saying she and her co-workers had been rescued: “Dad I’m okay, they got me out.”
The hashtag #WatermanIncident is trending on Twitter.
Story developing.
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