San Bernardino Shooting Could Be Related to Terrorism, Obama Says
"And it’s also possible that this was workplace related." he noted today.
— -- President Obama told reporters today that officials still do not know the motives of the San Bernardino shooters, but they could be "terrorist related."
"At this stage, we do not yet know why this terrible event occurred," Obama said of the Wednesday rampage that left 14 people dead. "We do know that the two individuals who were killed were equipped with weapons and appeared to have access to additional weaponry in their homes. But we don’t know why they did it."
Obama added, "It is possible that this was terrorist-related but we don’t know. And it’s also possible that this was workplace related."
He has been receiving regular updates on the situation in San Bernardino, California, from his Homeland Security adviser, Lisa Monaco. He delivered his remarks to press in the Oval Office alongside members of his national security team.
Obama said the FBI has taken over the investigation in San Bernardino, telling reporters Attorney General Loretta Lynch would be holding a news conference with developments later in the day.
“We don’t know at this point the extent of their plans; we do not know their motivations,” Obama said.
Echoing his statements in an interview with CBS following the shooting Wednesday, Obama also wrestled today with the issue of Americans having easy access to weapons they can use to inflict mass casualties.
“We’re going to have to, I think, search ourselves as a society to make sure that we can take basic steps that would make it make it harder, not impossible, but harder to individuals to get access to weapons," Obama said. "We all have a part to play. And I do think that as the investigation moves forward it’s going to be important for all of us, including our legislatures, to see what we can do to ensure that when individuals decide that they want to do somebody harm, we’ll make it a little harder for them to do it.”
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