swat team san berbadino
An active shooter situation is currently underway in the 1300 block of South Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino, California.

The shooting apparently took place at the Inland Regional Center, which is a facility that provides services for people who have developmental disabilities. The facility had just celebrated its Christmas party.


While details are scarce, what we have been told by authorities is that police are looking for 1-3 shooters and there are approximately 20 victims, with 12 being presumed dead.

Fox Los Angeles reports that the suspects are "white males" in "military gear" and armed with "rifles."

According to KTLA, police have warned people not to talk to the media. At one point during the KTLA live stream, the reporter attempted to interview a witness and multiple officers rushed up and pushed the reporters and the witnesses apart. Below is a screen grab from the live stream showing confrontation.
shooting san bernadino
After the shooting began, San Bernardino Police Department Lt. Richard Lawhead said that their SWAT team happened to be conducting training nearby. The team was suited, "ready to roll" and responded rapidly, Lawhead said.


What makes this noteworthy is that this is not the first time that emergency drills for the exact scenario unfolding were taking place at virtually the same moment the actual terrorist attacks began.

Paris-area emergency personnel and ambulance crews were taking part in a simulated emergency exercise on the very same day the Paris terrorist attacks took place.

During the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) was in the midst of a training exercise called Vigilant Guardian, which "coincidentally" simulated planes being hijacked by terrorists.

The Free Thought Project has heard from a source on the ground, that the target inside the Inland Regional Center was a gathering of government officials. This was confirmed by KTLA and Marybeth Feild, president and CEO of the Inland Regional Center, told the Associated Press that "the incident is in the conference area" at the center rented by an outside group, which she couldn't identify.

As of 4:15 EST on Wednesday, the reason behind these tragic shootings and the identity the shooters remains unknown. We will keep updating this article as we find new information.

Update: (4:22 EST) The Loma Linda Level 1 trauma center in the area has only taken in 4 victims and expect 3 more, 2.5 hours after the shooting.

Update: (5:42 EST) Fourteen people were killed and about 14 were hospitalized with injuries after up to three shooters opened fire with long guns inside the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino Wednesday, according to the city's police chief.

"Up to three people had entered the building and opened fire on people inside the building," Burguan said. "Information that I think is probably the most reliable at this point is that the suspects have fled, potentially in a dark-colored SUV."

Update: (8:00 EST) Obama calls for gun control in wake of shooting.
.@POTUS "We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world." https://t.co/x359c0M0ZX

โ€” CNN (@CNN) December 3, 2015
Update: (8:40 EST) Two suspects, 1 male, 1 female, dead at scene. Suspects had assault rifles, handguns. Read more
Police chief on #SanBernardino shooting: Of the suspects that are dead at the scene, one is a male, one is a female https://t.co/dcZwleQNrY

โ€” CNN (@CNN) December 3, 2015
Update: (9:16 EST) Despite multiple online rumors of the shooter being an immigrant or refugee, a federal law enforcement source said they believe the lead shooter to be a U.S. Citizen. Read more
Calif shooting: Despite the potential international terrorism angle, authorities believe the lead gunman was a U.S. citizen.

โ€” Rick Serrano (@RickSerranoLAT) December 3, 2015
Update: (9:26 EST) Law enforcement officials have identified Syed Farook as one of the suspected shooters who attacked a center for the disabled in San Bernardino, California, according to NBC News.

Farook, who also went by his middle name, Raheel, was a business taxes representative for the California State Board of Equalization, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is a 2003 graduate La Sierra High School, and most recently studied finance at California State University Fullerton until 2013.

Records show Farook bought a two bedroom Corona home in March 2014. Farook's social media profile shows he is married and has at least one young child. His wife did not return messages left on Wednesday, according to the Daily Beast.