Fourteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at a holiday party for county employees in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday. It happened at a complex that houses a conference center and a facility that serves people with developmental disabilities.

Seventeen people were injured.

According to the Washington Post, this is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012, when 20 pupils and six adults were killed by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

Two suspects were killed in a shoot out with police.

A third suspect was apprehended while trying to escape the scene.

One male suspect has been identified as Syed Farook, 28.Police say suspects were dressed in ‘tactical gear’.

“One of the big questions that will come up repeatedly is ‘Is this terrorism?’ ” said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “And I am still not willing to say we know that for sure. We are definitely making some movements that it is a possibility . . . but we don’t know that yet and we’re not willing to go down that road yet.”

Washington Post continued that The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it had recovered two rifles and two handguns and is conducting “urgent traces” to determine where the weapons were bought.

Paul George, a youth center leader, who was around the block when the shooting erupted told AFP “I was at the gas station and I heard gun shots. Over a dozen. The police started to pull out from everywhere locking down the perimeter.”

“I’m used to hearing gun shots,” said George. “There’s gang violence everywhere here, day and night.”

“I’ve been with the county police for 26 years I’ve never seen anything like that,” police spokeswoman Cindy Bachman told AFP,

photo credit: Tigresblanco via photopin cc

AGATHANEWS.COM