Friend Who Bought Guns Used In San Bernardino Shooting Charged

Update: December 17, 2015: Reuters reports that the man who bought the guns used in the San Bernardino shooting has been charged with counts of supporting terrorism.

Enrique Marquez, 24, purchased the assault rifles that were used by Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, to kill 14 people on December 2. Authorities said Marquez conspired with Farook to commit “vicious attacks,” which were not carried out. The Department of Justice determined that Marquez broke ties with Farook a few years ago and stopped plotting with him. Authorities said that although there was no evidence that Marquez had conspired in the San Bernardino attack or had known about them in advance, his failure to warn authorities about Farook, and his purchase of the guns used had “fatal consequences.” Marquez was an old friend of Farook's, and was related to him through marriage. He has also been charged with defrauding authorities by entering into a sham marriage with Farook’s sister-in-law.
Update: December 5, 2015: As news continues to break about the identities and potential motives of the suspects in the San Bernardino shootings, Reuters is reporting that Islamic State group media is claiming that Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were followers of ISIS. The claims, made in a radio broadcast on Saturday, referred to the couple as “supporters” of ISIS, calling them “martyrs” for their actions. In a press conference on Friday, the FBI confirmed that they were investigating the shooting, which killed 14 and wounded 21, as an act of terrorism. FBI spokesman David Bowdich also confirmed rumors that Malik had made a “pledge of allegiance” to the Islamic State group on Facebook. However, there is currently no evidence that the attacks were organized by the group, rather than individual initiative. President Obama addressed the mass shooting — the second he’s had to comment on in a week — in his Weekly Address video on Saturday. “It is entirely possible that these two actors were radicalized to commit this act of terror,” he said. “If so, it would underscore a threat we’ve been focused on for years: the danger of people succumbing to violent extremist ideologies. We know that ISIL and other terrorist groups are actively encouraging people around the world and in our country to commit terrible acts of violence, oftentimes as lone-wolf actors.” “We can send a message to all those who would try to hurt us,” he added.”We are Americans. We will uphold our values in a free and open society. We are strong and we are resilient, and we will not be terrorized.”

This story was originally published on December 2, at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Update 2:30 p.m.: The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are now investigating the shooting in San Bernardino as an "act of terrorism." FBI Assistant Director David Bowdich said at a press conference on Friday that the FBI has established a national hotline for people with any information to contact authorities. "We are now investigating these horrific acts as an act of terrorism," Bowdich said. He added that officials are examining crushed cell phones that were discovered. There are no other suspects in custody at this time, although Bowdich did not rule out the possibility that the FBI could find other suspects. He also did not speculate on what, if any connection, the shooting might have with any existing terrorist groups. The landlord of suspected killers Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik let press into the couple's apartment on Friday; news organizations swarmed the apartment and broadcast images of items including IDs, credit cards, and family photos.

Update 1:25 p.m.: San Bernardino police said in a press conference that the two attackers who killed 14 people and wounded more than 20 more at a social services facility in the California city yesterday were carrying an arsenal of additional weapons. Police Chief Jarrod Burguan told the press that the two suspects had 1,800 rounds of ammunition in the SUV they fled in. More ammunition, as well as 12 pipe bombs and materials for making additional explosives, was found at the address of a house leased in the suspects’ names. Authorities could not say whether the home was their residence or if it was used for another purpose. David Bowdich, the Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, could not confirm either motive or rumors of terrorism that have surrounded the shooting. “It would be way too early for us to speculate on motive,” he told the press. He also said that the FBI was “still working through” possible terrorism connections. Authorities also confirmed that the Syed Rizwan Farook was a U.S. citizen, although his wife, Tashfeen Malik, was in the United States on a K-1 visa under a Pakistani passport. The wounded count is now at 21, and victims are still being identified.

Update 8:20 a.m.: Police are still searching for a motive in Wednesday's attack, but they have confirmed more details about the two suspects. Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were married and had a six-month old daughter; the couple left the baby with Farook's mother on the morning of the attack, according to a New York Times report. While Farook reportedly stormed out of a county employee holiday party and returned later with Malik, authorities believe this was no spur of the moment rampage. “I don’t think they just ran home and put on these types of tactical clothes,” San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said, according to The Times. Three explosive devices have also been found at IRC, although police were still processing the crime scene late Wednesday night. Victims have not yet been identified.

Update 1:20 a.m.: San Bernardino police have confirmed that the deceased male suspect, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, was born in the United States and worked for the county for the last five years. The deceased female suspect was Tashfeen Malik, 27. The exact nature of the pair's relationship has not been confirmed, though it's suspected that they were "boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife." Earlier reports of a third shooter have been dismissed, with police "reasonably confident" that Farook and Malik were the only shooters. Police confirm that Farook was at the party at IRC and left early under circumstances described as "angry," which was how they were led to the home in Redlands. The couple had multiple addresses; the investigation at the Redlands residence is still active. Motive is still unclear at this point, though police say that "there had to be some degree of planning that went into this."

Update 12:00 a.m.: Farhan Khan, said to be the brother-in-law of one of the suspects, spoke at a press conference with leaders from The Council on American-Islamic Relations, who condemned the shooting. Khan said he last spoke to his relative about a week ago, and expressed shock at the events, saying, "Why would he do something like this. I have absolutely no idea."

Update 10:00 p.m.: Multiple reports name Syed R. Farook as one of the shooters and connected to the house in Redlands. The FBI appears to have sent in robots to search the home. It's believed that Farook is an American citizen who worked as an environmental health specialist for San Bernardino County.

Update 8:50 p.m.: Two suspects have been confirmed dead at the scene of the standoff, one male and one female. They were dressed in "assault-style clothing" and armed with assault rifles and handguns. Police report "sensitive stuff" around the vehicle, possibly explosives. A third person seen leaving the area of the standoff has been detained, though it is not yet known if he was involved in the shooting. Additionally, one of the suspicious devices left at the IRC is believed to be an explosive. David Bowdich, FBI Assistant Director of the Los Angeles field office, said that agents are serving a search warrant at a house in the nearby city of Redlands. Regarding the motive of the shooting, Bowdich hesitates to call it an act of terrorism, saying, "it is a possibility, but we don't know that yet."

Update 6:30 p.m.: SWAT teams and police officers are in a standoff with the Inland Regional Center shooting suspects on Wednesday afternoon, after reports of heavy gunfire. Video from NBC Los Angeles showed an SUV with shattered windows surrounded by SWAT vehicles. One suspect has been shot and killed, and one suspect is still at large. One police officer was injured during the encounter, but his injuries were not life-threatening, a police spokeswoman said. Police officials say that 17 people are injured, but the death toll has not risen. Update 5:00 p.m.: At least 14 people are dead and at least 14 people have been injured after up to three gunmen opened fire, according to the San Bernardino police chief. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, officials said that the suspected shooters are still at large. There is not yet information about who they are or what their motives are. "They came prepared to do what they did, they were on a mission," one official said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff has confirmed that there is an active shooter situation currently underway. According to a tweet, there could be at least 20 victims. The shooting was first reported at 11:15 am local time. According to television station KTLA, one to three gunmen are still at large in the region. One NBC reporter said on air that he could see three bodies from where he was reporting. The location of the shooting has been confirmed to be the Inland Regional Center, a state-run social-services facility that helps individuals with developmental disabilities. Reuters has reported the suspects are heavily armed and that the bomb squad is arriving at the scene of the shooting. Police have not confirmed a description of any suspects.

Still, there are few details available about what is happening. Law enforcement has shut down roads near the scene, and residents have been advised to avoid the area.

There have been 352 mass shootings in 334 days of 2015. This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.