In a radio broadcast on Saturday morning, the Islamic State declared that the two San Bernardino killers were members of its organization. The FBI, however, remains wary.
The husband and wife team accused of murdering 14 people in San Bernardino were recently declared to be followers of the Islamic State. In an Islamic State radio broadcast on Saturday the group said, “Two followers of Islamic State attacked several days ago a center in San Bernardino in California.”
The FBI, who has been called in to investigate the case, have yet to find any link between Syed Farook, 29, and his wife Tasheen Malik, 27, and the Islamic State. Many are unsure if the Islamic State is just taking credit for things that are not associated with them or if, indeed, the couple were devout followers, reports Reuters. Malik is originally from Pakistan and Farook had made trips to Saudi Arabia in the past.
The pair have been held responsible for the murders of 14 people and for having severely injured at least 17 people in a mass shooting at a holiday party. A couple of hours later the two were killed by police in a shootout.
The federal government has continued to assert that they can find no credible link between the two and the Islamic State, but that still doesn’t mean they weren’t members. There is just no evidence of the fact as of yet, despite the Saturday morning radio broadcast by the Islamic State. The holiday party was associated with the company that Farook worked for as a health inspector.
Facebook has confirmed that pro Islamic State rhetoric was posted to one of Malik’s pages under an alias and the rhetoric praised the efforts of the Islamic State. Further investigation by authorities, as well as Facebook, can’t determine for sure if Malik made the comments or if they were posted to her page by someone who had access. Facebook removed the profile from its server on Thursday.
The FBI is beginning to treat the killings as an act of terrorism. They have found evidence that Farook was attempting to remove all digital traces of himself. In addition, a huge cache of weapons and ammunition, along with 12 pipe bombs, was discovered upon a search of the couple’s home following their deaths in the shootout with police.
