SHOOTERS’ FAMILY ‘IN SHOCK’ AS FBI INVESTIGATES TERRORIST TIES

LOS ANGELES: Family members of the two suspects in the Southern California rampage that left 14 dead had no knowledge of their plans, their attorneys say as they cautioned against a rush to judgement after the FBI announced the mass shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The FBI’s announcement does not mean that the agency has concluded Syed Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27, were terrorists yet.

David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said on Friday the shooters attempted to destroy evidence, including crushing two cellphones and discarding them in a trash can.

The husband and wife used homemade explosives and assault-style rifles in the attack on a holiday party of Farook’s co-workers in which 21 people were injured, authorities say.

A US law enforcement official said on Friday Malik, who later died with Farook in a gunfight with police, used an alias on Facebook to declare support for the Islamic State and its leader. But there is no sign anyone from the group communicated with her or gave any guidance for the attack.

FBI Director James Comey said investigation has shown no evidence the suspects were part of a terror cell. Farook’s family knew nothing, according to lawyers David Chesley and Mohammad Abuershaid, who represent Farook’s mother, Rafia Sultana Farook, and three siblings.

The mother lived with the couple but never saw anything that would suggest they were planning a massacre or building explosives, the attorneys said. “Everyone was in shock” after details of the rampage emerged, Mr Chesley said.

“We all want an answer,” Mr Chesley said. “We can’t jump to conclusions.” Family and friends have expressed disbelief the quiet, religious couple staged the deadly attack. Friends knew Farook by his quick smile, his devotion to Islam and his talk about restoring cars.

Farook told friends he met his wife online and she was Pakistani. The two were married on Aug 16, 2014, in nearby Riverside County and had a baby, 6 months, who stayed with relatives on the morning of the shooting.

The family attorneys described Malik as a soft-spoken, private housewife with broken English. She wore a burqa and Farook’s brothers had never seen her face. On Thursday a US intelligence official said Farook was in contact with known Islamic extremists on social media. But the official said the contact was with “people who weren’t significant players on our radar” and dated back some time. There also was no immediate indication of any “surge” in communication before the shooting.

Farook had no criminal record and he and his wife weren’t on the FBI’s radar before the shooting. Police are looking at the possibility the shooting was tied to a workplace dispute.

Investigators say their two handguns and two assault rifles, as well as 1,600 bullets and 4,500 rounds of ammunition, were bought legally, although the rifles were registered under another name. “When you can get them at a cheap price, you stock up,” said Mr Chesley.