The San Bernardino, California, shootings on Wednesday took the lives of 14 people and injured at least 17 more. The two assailants were caught up to later in the day and killed. They were finally revealed to be Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who are husband and wife. More information is coming out about them all the time, but here is what’s known so far about the two shooters.
After the mass shooting, the shooters had escaped the scene at the Inland Regional Center before being located by police hours later. They had escaped in a black SUV and died in a shootout with police. At the time, a third person had been detained and was being questioned about the events.
As reported by Think Progress , the couple did wear military-style body armor and were both equipped with multiple weapons. There were also pipe bombs and other explosives in their possession and found in their home in Redlands.
So far, this is the information that is fully known on Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.
First of all, it needs to be known that Syed Farook does have a brother who shares almost the exact same name as him. Some reports have mistakenly named the wrong brother as being involved with the mass shooting at San Bernardino. The late gunman is named Syed Rizwan Farook, while his brother, who had nothing to do with the shootings, is named Syed Raheel Farook.
From this moment on, all mentions of Syed Farook will be in regard to the gunman.
Age and Family
Syed Farook was 28-years-old and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, was 27-years-old. They had been married for two years, and had a six-month-old daughter. Their daughter was left with Farook’s grandmother on Wednesday as the couple told her they had a doctor’s appointment to go to.
Farook’s brother-in-law, Farhan Khan, did not understand why this was done and was at a loss as to why Farook would have done such a thing, per CNN .
“I have no idea why he would do something like this. I have absolutely no idea. I am in shock myself.”
No note has been found yet as to a motive for the shootings or why any of the events of Wednesday took place. It is known that Farook was at the party where the shooting occurred, left angrily, and return with Malik and opened fire, according to witnesses.
Job and Per sonality
Farook was an American citizen and an environmental health specialist with the San Bernardino County health department. That is who was hosting the holiday party at the Inland Regional Center, where the party took place.
He had worked at the company for five years. Farook graduated with a degree in environmental health in 2009 from California State University, San Bernardino.
Co-workers have said that Farook was a very quiet person who didn’t interact much with anyone. He was “always polite” and “didn’t say much at all.”
Malik has been described as a “pharmacist.”
How Farook and Malik Met
Syed Farook had a profile on a website called iMilap.com, which states it is a “site for people with disabilities and second marriage.” Farook had gotten into contact with Malik through the website and visited Saudi Arabia to visit a woman he met online. They returned to the United States as a married couple.
On the profile, Farook listed some personal information about himself that seemed like common, everyday material.
“… enjoys working on vintage and modern cars, reads religious books, enjoys eating out sometimes.
“Enjoys travelling and just hanging out in the back yard doing target practice with his younger sister and friends.”
Co-workers have said that several months ago, Farook began growing out his beard, but that was the only semi-unusual thing they noticed. He was said to never display any strange behavior or discuss any type of over-the-top or radical political views.
Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik committed the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since the Sandy Hook massacre in December, 2012. Some info is known, but there is a lot that still isn’t known about all that happened in the San Bernardino shootings that took place on Wednesday.
[Image via Twitter/ABC7]