Police Still Searching for Motive in San Bernardino Shooting That Killed 14

Veronica Elliot Thursday, December 03, 2015

Police officers transporting bystanders from the area of the shooting on Wednesday in San Bernardino. | (Photo: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)

Investigators say the motive behind the mass shooting in San Bernardino County, California that left 14 dead on Wednesday remains a mystery as they sort through the clues of the tragic shooting.

Police identified the two suspects behind the shooting late Wednesday night as Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. Farook reportedly worked for San Bernardino County for five years prior to Wednesday evening's attack.

Sources say that Farook and Rizwan, who is described by relatives as Farook's wife, entered the San Bernardino County Public Health Department's Christmas party at the Inland Regional Center on Wednesday and opened fire on coworkers, killing 14 and injuring 17 in what is now the deadliest mass shooting since the 2012 Sandy Hook attack in Connecticut.

Farook had reportedly been in attendance at the party before he allegedly left angrily, according to some witness accounts, and returned with his partner to attack the partygoers.

"He did leave the party early under some circumstances that was described as angry or something of that nature," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said in a statement following the tragic event.

Police are still reportedly searching for a motive in Wednesday's attack, saying that they believe the shooting was well-coordinated, as the two suspects entered the Inland Regional Center wearing tactical clothing and well-armed with weapons.

U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement to CBS News that more background checks are necessary to prevent more mass shootings.

"We should come together in a bipartisan basis at every level of government to make these rare as opposed to normal," the president said on Wednesday evening. "The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world. And there's some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don't happen as frequently."