Police: 14 killed, 17 injured in San Bernardino mass shooting
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — Police say 14 people were killed and 17 others were injured Wednesday morning in a mass shooting at a San Bernardino, California facility that provides services for people with developmental disabilities.
According to authorities, up to three suspects whom police say may have fled in a dark-colored SUV targeted the nonprofit Inland Regional Center around 11 a.m. Pacific time and opened fire with weapons described as long guns.
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan told media, "14 people are deceased, 14 people taken to area hospitals."
Sergeant Vicki Cervantes later indicated the number of wounded had risen to 17.
Chief Burguan said though the suspects' motives were unclear, they "came prepared as if they were on a mission."
The suspects may still have been inside the building when police first responded, according to Chief Burguan, who added at 2 p.m. that the building was still being cleared.
San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said, "We will work together to investigate this case once the scene is secure."
He also noted that because the suspects were believed to be on the run, city and county buildings were being shut down; hospitals and schools were being closely monitored.
David Bowdich, the assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles bureau, said "public safety is the number one goal at this point ... we do not know if this is a terrorist incident."
An active shooter was first reported by police and fire officials in San Bernardino Wednesday morning.
The San Bernardino City Fire Department reported at 11:14 a.m. Pacific time that 20 people had been injured in a shooting.
The department said the incident occurred in the 1300 block of South Waterman Avenue. Inland Regional Center is located at 1365 S. Waterman Ave. The Inland Regional Center's website became overloaded during the active shooter situation.
CNN reported a bomb squad was inspecting a device at the scene after a suspect allegedly left a suspicious package on the second floor of the building.
Lavinia Johnson, the executive director of the Inland Regional Center, told CNN the building's conference center is often rented out. She said Wednesday she believed it had been rented out to the county's health department.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office tweeted at 11:26 a.m. an active shooter had been confirmed in the area of East Orange Show Road and South Waterman Avenue near Park Center Circle.
Police later reported there were one to three possible suspects and multiple victims.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office tweeted at 1:39 p.m. the scene was still active.
The sheriff's office asked anyone with information on the incident to call its tip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.
This mass shooting comes just five days after a gunman opened fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing three people and injuring others.
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