One day after a mass shooting that left 14 people dead in San Bernardino, Calif., authorities are still trying to determine what motivated the attackers who opened fire on a workplace banquet.
San Bernardino police have identified the shooters as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife or fiancee Tashfeen Malik, 27. The couple fled the scene, but were later killed in a shootout with police.
While authorities say there’s no question that the attack was pre-planned, local police and the FBI were careful Thursday not to call it an act of terrorism, as the investigation continues.
“We do not yet know the motive. We cannot rule anything out at this point,” David Bowdich, the FBI director in Los Angeles, told reporters.
“It would be irresponsible of me and it would be way too early for us to speculate on motive of why this occurred.”
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan also said Thursday that there is “nothing definitive” pointing to a motive at this point in the investigation.
Some initial reports suggested that Farook, who worked as a restaurant inspector for the local health department, may have been involved in a workplace argument or dispute. The attack took place during an employee banquet hosted by county health officials and Farook attended the event before the shooting, police said.
But one former FBI profiler said this doesn’t look like a case of workplace violence.
The shooting involved a “tremendous amount of planning” and a “very distinct exit plan,” Mary Ellen O’Toole told CTV News Channel Thursday.
O’Toole said she does not believe that something caused Farook to “snap” and return to the banquet with Malik and guns.
The information released by authorities so far suggests that the case is “moving further and further away from workplace violence,” she said.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that there may have been "mixed motives" behind the shooting.
"It is possible that this was terrorist-related, but we don't know. It's also possible this was workplace-related," Obama said after meeting with national security advisers.
“The entire crime is extremely callous and it’s very cold-blooded,” O’Toole said. She believes that the couple “wanted to leave that crime scene” and cause more damage elsewhere.
It sounds like the shooters were “cool, calm and collected,” which suggests they had “psychopathic personalities,” without empathy or compassion, O’Toole said.
Former FBI criminal profiler Gregg McCrary said the FBI defines terrorism as “use of force or violence against civilians or property to further a political or social objective.”
“If this was just somebody who was rage-filled and angry for whatever reason,” that wouldn’t fit the definition, he told CTV News Channel.
With files from The Associated Press
