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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

14 Killed, 17 Wounded in California Shooting. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired December 03, 2015 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning, 14 people dead, 17 wounded in a California office building massacre.

[04:30:05] The attackers were killed hours later. A dramatic shootout with police. Those attackers have now been identified.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Michelle Kosinski. It's now 30 minutes past the hour. We welcome all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

Breaking news this morning: the very latest on the shooting in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 people dead and 17 injured. Authorities say two suspects died in a gun battle with police hours after they burst into a holiday party for employees at the county health department. The city police chief identified the suspects as 28-year-old Syed Farook and a woman he was in a relationship with, 27- year-old Tashfeen Malik.

The question is why? Federal officials say they have not ruled out terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARROD BURGUAN, SAN BERNARDINO POLICE CHIEF: Mr. Farook is a county employee. He works with his title as an environmental specialist in the public health department, has been employed there for five years.

He was at the party. He did leave the party early under some circumstances that were described as angry or something of that nature. That is the information that we were following up on when we encountered him back near this residence in Redlands which led to the pursuit and the officer-involved shooting. And as we now confirmed, he is one of the deceased.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Initial reports had three gunmen involved in the attack, a third person was involved in the questioning, but police are fairly certain there were only two shooters, both of whom are dead. The bomb squad disposing of explosive devices at the shooting scene just a few hours ago. So, let's bring in CNN's John Vause who's live at the scene for us

this morning in San Bernardino. There's so much going on in this investigation, John. What you can say about where things stand now and where the lines of questioning are really going.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Michelle, we know there are a number of different crime scene investigations, which are active as we head into Thursday morning. There's, of course, there is where the initial shooting took place in San Bernardino there is also this townhome here in Redlands.

This is where police came after receiving a tip that Syed Farook was involved, after he was the one who left that holiday party and left angry and came back and opened fire with his girlfriend or his wife. Not sure what relationship between the two is, they do say there was a relationship and both are now dead.

But here at this townhome, this was the scene where a few hours ago police and law enforcement officials with the bomb squad were essentially searching this townhome because of fears it may have been booby-trapped or explosive devices. No concrete or tangible proof there were explosive devices here's, but just out of an abundance of caution, because of what happened in past mass shooting events but also because they found those explosives on the initial scene at the Inland Regional Center.

Here in the townhome at Redlands, we know as of this hour, police have yet to enter into that townhome because they're simply taking their time. They evacuated a number of residents around Farouk's townhome. They told other residents here to shelter in place until given the all clear while they take their time searching this premises.

And there is another crime scene investigation which is Farook's office. Because he was a county employee, they are look at his office, going through his computers, his writings, looking at the vehicle, that SUV that was riddled with bullets, trying to find anything that may give them an indication of what the motive may have been as to why Farook and his partner decided to go on this killing spree on Wednesday. Why they decided to shoot and kill 14 people and wound 17 others.

Right now, the FBI not ruling out terrorism, but not prepared to call it terrorism either. As for the relatives of Farook, they, too, seem to be just as stunned as everyone else. Overnight, Syed Farook's brother-in-law spoke to reporters. He said he never saw this coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARHAN KHAN, SUSPECT SYED FAROOK'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: I have no idea. I have no idea why he would do that. Why would he do something like this? I have absolutely no idea. I'm in shock myself.

I cannot express how sad I am for, you know, what happened today. I mean, I -- my condolences to the people who lost their lives. Very sad that people lost their lives and the victims out there. I wish speedy recovery to them. I'm in shock that something like this could happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We're getting details from police officials here about just how quickly they moved in to that community center from the first emergency calls that they received.

[04:35:07] They were on scene, they tell us, within four minutes of the shooting taking place and the emergency calls coming in. And within 15 minutes, they say, they were evacuating the wounded from the scene and treating them there, even though the two shooters, as we now know, Farook and Malik, his girlfriend or his wife, were still at large. So, police in a massive operation moved very, very quickly to try to get the wounded out of that community center -- Michelle.

KOSINSKI: Hundreds of people worked in that people, hundreds of people. So, are you hearing anything out there? Is anything being said about what might have gone on with this person? It's interesting that we hear from his brother-in-law, but there still seems to be uncertainty as to what the other shooter's relationship was with -- with him was. Was she his wife? His girlfriend?

It seems like there's some big gaps despite some interviews that have been done. What can you tell us about that?

VAUSE: Yes, there's a degree of confusion, if you'd like, as to what the specific relationship was between Farook and Malik. We know they had a 6-month-old baby daughter who they left with the child's grandmother on Wednesday morning. They told her they were going to the doctor's. Could they look after the little girl?

She thought nothing of it until she started seeing those reports on television about a shooting at the IRC, Inland Regional Center. She tried calling Farook but there was no answer as well, and the first she said she heard of it when she was first contacted by a member of the media asking if she was connected to Farook because he was the gunman. We heard from the brother-in-law who was also very, very surprised.

You mentioned the number of people inside that community center, inside the Inland Regional Center. More than 600 people. Many of those on the scene were kept locked down by police for hours and hours and hours because they all had to be interviewed. Police had to find out as much as they could about what was happening about Farook to try to piece together why they did this.

At this point, it does not seem to be entirely clear, because what we heard from officials is that there was an argument, there was this dispute that Farook left angry, but, of course, the police chief said this was much more than a spur of the moment thing. There was a degree of planning. There were explosives left inside that community center as well.

So, one thing they're looking for is the planning aspect. Did they have help? Was anyone else involved in helping these two prepare to carry out that deadly attack? That mass murder inside that community center there as well?

What they are hoping is that if they can get inside the townhouse, start looking at the computers, what's on there, the phone records perhaps, maybe any writings, what is inside this building also what is inside Farook's office. They'll start being able to piece together a bit more of the narrative, more than they have right now, Michelle.

BERMAN: So, four guns involved -- two long guns, two handguns. We understand all purchased legally over the last few years. We also understand, as you said, explosives found at the scene including a bag with some kind of fairly -- not intricate but at least constructed explosive device, John.

BERMAN: What we heard from police regarding the explosives left inside the community center is that it was a bag full of rudimentary explosives. There were also some kind of remote control car. The control for that car was later found in the SUV.

Authorities are working on the theory, this is coming from our justice correspondent, Evan Perez, sources told him the theory they're working on is once they were out of the community center, they were going to use that detonator and remote control to set off those explosives. Now, either that part of the plan didn't come together because they were out of range, they were too far away, it just didn't work, or maybe they didn't get around to it and abandoned. That's one of the mysteries here, one of the many questions that authorities have.

And again, still many, many days and weeks to come where they can piece this together. But they are now slowly putting together all the pieces of the puzzle.

BERMAN: At a minimum it show there's was planning involved, a device constructed with a remote control, that's one of the things we'll be looking into.

John Vause, thank you very much. We'll come back to you in a few minutes.

Obviously, a traumatic day for the hundreds of people trapped inside the inland regional center as the gunmen went inside that building. There was a woman was barricaded in a room with 50 others, she had no idea what was going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It became all so real when we had to lock ourselves in the conference room and not get out until law enforcement said it was OK to leave the building.

[04:40:08] And then, from there we had to come out with our hands up, be escorted away to the golf course and stood there for hours, hours, witnessing clothing of deceased ones in the street, people crying, co- workers crying, us wanting to get to our children, families and our loved ones.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KOSINSKI: Hours later offers closed in on the suspect in the SUV. This chaotic looking scene in the heart of a neighborhood, and the shootout began but police radio traffic remain cool and collected, the San Bernardino dispatch calmly coordinating officer's response in the air, on the ground, you can hear gunfire in the background.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, last seen in the alleyway heading towards Gould. Do we have a clothing description?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Male, dark skinned is all I have on this frequency.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't need more people here unless it's a SWAT team.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 902, what is your location?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're at San Bernardino and Shedden. One guy down. One guy in the back of a car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just for the update, we have the suspect stopped. We're going ahead and extract him. Stand by, wait for the bearcat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Copy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now we have one down outside the car. One down inside the car. From what we understand, one is on the run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So four hours after the shootings itself, hours of sheer terror in that community, emotional reunions. They took place at a community center nearby where many evacuees were taken. Anxious loved ones, they were on edge during this whole event, getting real time updates, sometimes by text.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCOS AGUILERA, WIFE WAS IN BUILDING: She said the guy came into her office and started shooting. They locked themselves in her office. They seen bodies on the floor and she said right now ambulance are taking people out in stretchers. She was able to get out the building already, but there's still people inside.

MARK SCROGGINS, DAUGHTER WAS IN BUILDING: She told me she thought it was a drill. They had been practiced drills. They went outside, they were told to go back in. She was shuttled into a room. Police showed up. They were taken outside. Thank God there weren't more casualties.

REPORTER: Did she text or call?

SCROGGINS: She did. She's outside with the fire department earlier.

REPORTER: Did she text you?

SCROGGINS: She texts me right now.

REPORTER: What did she tell you about what she saw and what she heard?

SCROGGINS: Well, she wasn't too clear. She was shaken up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the way I was introduced to this today. It was emergency situation at my work, active shooter on-site. We're all locked in offices on the floor. Please pray for us. As a parent, as a father, that's the worst thing you can have come across your phone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: It's interesting, in the age of social media, there's almost an expectation of knowing everything about what was going on, motive early on. But this could take a long time. There's nothing out there that's obvious, you know from these peoples saying why they did this or what led up to it.

BERMAN: They're in the home now. They're going through the computers, whatever is there, they could know me this morning.

KOSINSKI: Right.

And we're going to be following breaking news on this California shooting massacre all morning long. New information about those attackers, next.

And President Obama also weighing in on the tragedy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Breaking news this morning out of San Bernardino, California: 14 dead, 17 wounded. The two suspected attackers now killed. The investigation into the whole thing is still unfolding.

This is what we know at this hour: around 11:00 a.m. local time, two suspects, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, they burst into a holiday party at inland regional center and started shooting. By the time it was over, 14 people were killed, again 17 injured. Police say at this point, they don't have a clear picture of the shooters' motive, only that Farook worked in the health department, along with a lot of people at that part, and that he had left the event abruptly and then come back.

That led police to go to the house, his townhouse. He sped off in a black SUV. Police followed him. Both he and Malik died in a shootout with law enforcement. At this point, police say they are just beginning to process the inland regional center crime scene and remove the bodies of the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURGUAN: I indicated early on we have victims at the scene. Up until within, I would say, the last couple of hours, we have been working on what we felt were explosive devices left at the scene. We confirmed we believe those were explosive devices. I think about an hour or two ago, the bomb squad finally disposed of those particular items, so we are just now getting in there and starting to process the crime scene per se. I don't have the identification on any of the victims at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: So, federal authorities now are unwilling to declare the attack as terrorism, but they're not ruling it out either. That and the suspects' religion puts Muslim leaders in a difficult position.

[04:50:00] So, let's go back to John Vause for more on that topic.

John, I understand you were able to interview someone?

VAUSE: Yes, Michelle. I spoke to the -- an executive director with the Council on American and Islamic Relations. A lot of information we've been getting about the suspects have, in fact -- it's been coming from leaders within the local Islamic community.

And I did get to speak to Hussam Ayloush, and what was really notable about the Council on American Islamic Relations also known as CAIR, is that they were very quick to come out and condemn the attack and also provide details about both suspects. This is what he had to say to me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Joining me now is Hussam Ayloush. He is the executive director for the Los Angeles chapter of CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations. He is live in Los Angeles.

Clearly right now, everybody is searching for a motive in all of this. I know you have come out and condemned this attack. Clearly, you've spoken from the family, we heard from Syed Farook's brother-in-law. What more can you tell us?

HUSSAM AYLOUSH, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Well, I mean, of course, we don't know the motives, the family is devastated like all American the today, filled with sorrow and mourning. We express on their behalf their heartfelt condolences to all the families of the victims injured and killed. Pray for whoever is responsible to pay the price for it.

The family is devastated like all people. This is the time for us to express solidarity among all of us Americans and rejecting whatever the motives might have been. You know, there's absolutely no justification for such horrendous behavior.

VAUSE: Have you had a chance to speak at any length with the family of Syed Farook? And if there was any indication -- we heard from the brother-in-law saying no one expected this he had just spoken to him a week ago. What else had the family been saying to you?

AYLOUSH: I spoke with them. They're as shocked as anybody else. They had no clue this could happen.

They -- you know, this is a -- the suspect is married, has a 6-month- old baby. You wouldn't expect -- they have no reason what made him snap. Is it workplace related? Is it mental illness? Is it some twisted ideology? It's unknown to us.

All they can do is share with everybody's sorrow and prayers that this is over quickly and that the pain and the suffering of all these families is eased.

VAUSE: You were very quick to come out and hold a news conference. Even had Syed Farook's brother-in-law there to talk about this. Explain to me why you took that action.

AYLOUSH: Well, because we're living in a very difficult time. There's a lot of Islamophobia, a lot of sentiment fueled by pundit here's and there trying to blame the whole community for the acts of a few.

You know, again, we're in mourning as a nation after what happened in Colorado Springs by someone who is also responsible for his act, not the Christian community, not the American community. Same thing we felt there was a need for our fellow Americans to know that all American Muslims share with the rest of the country our sorrow today, our shock, and our agony for what happened.

It was important for the family. They wanted to make sure that people know how they felt. How devastated they are. And they insisted being here, although they're going through their sorrow as we speak now, they drove all the way to be at the office and speak to fellow Americans and say we are today all victims today, we stand united in our sorrow. The only way we can come through this is through our solidarity.

VAUSE: OK. So we shall leave it there. Appreciate you being with us. Hussam Ayloush, who's executive director to CAIR, the Council for American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles -- thank you for being with us. We appreciate that.

Clearly, one of the big concerns for Islamic leaders are any kind of blowback on the Muslim community, any kind of retribution, even though there's no word on what motive might have been -- Michelle.

KOSINSKI: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: All right. John Vause for us in San Bernardino. We'll check back in with you in just a few minutes.

The breaking news out of California right now, the very latest on that office shooting, 14 killed, 17 injured two suspects now dead as well. Much more information about who they were when EARLY START's special coverage continues after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:59:09] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

KOSINSKI: Breaking news this morning, 14 people dead, 17 wounded in a California office building massacre. The attackers killed hours later in a shootout with police. They've now been identified.

BERMAN: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

KOSINSKI: And I'm Michelle Kosinski. It's Thursday, December 3rd, it's 5:00 a.m. in the East.

We welcome all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. Breaking news this morning, the very latest in the shooting in San Bernardino, California that left 14 people dead and 17 injured. Authorities say two suspects died in a gun battle with police hours after they burst into a holiday party for employees of the county health department.

The city police chief identified the dead suspects as 28-year-old Syed Farook and a woman he was in a relationship with, 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik.