Syed Farook, 28, got into a heated argument with colleague Nicholas Thalasinos (pictured right), a Messianic Jew who was identified today as one of the victims of Wednesday’s rampage.
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The radicalized San Bernardino gunman clashed with a Jewish co-worker over religion just two weeks before he and his Pakistani wife stormed an office holiday party where they massacred 14 people.
Syed Farook, 28, got into a heated argument with colleague Nicholas Thalasinos, a Messianic Jew who was identified today as one of the victims of Wednesday’s rampage.
It came as FBI agents discovered a huge arsenal of weapons and pipe bombs at a California home linked to Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik.
Agents discovered nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition, a dozen pipe bombs and hundreds of tools for making improvised explosive devices at the property, law enforcement officials revealed today.
It also emerged that the US-born Farook appeared to have been radicalized and was in touch by phone and via social media with more than one international terrorism subject, which may have in part motivated the attacks, CNN reported, citing investigators.
And it is unclear if the earlier argument between Farook and Thalasinos played any role in the massacre – but authorities said Farook had left the party ‘angry’.
[. . .]
Kuuleme Stephens said she had happened to call Thalasinos while he was at work and having a discussion with Farook.
Thalasinos identified Farook by name and told her the 28-year-old believed Islam was a peaceful religion. She added that Farook said that Americans do not understand Islam.
Stephens said both men worked as county restaurant inspectors and regularly discussed politics and religion.
Thalasinos was passionate about pro-Israel causes and was known to rant about Islam on Facebook.
The New York Post reported that Thalasinos' Facebook page was filled with negative comments about Muslims and references to his conservative beliefs.
In one of his final status updates on Tuesday, Thalasinos responded to an anti-Semitic tirade allegedly penned by an apparent Muslim living in Ukraine, who railed against Jews and Israel.
[. . .]
During an early-morning search of a residence in the city of Redlands associated with Farook or his family, Chief Burguan said agents came away with a massive arsenal of ammunition, including 2,000 9mm rounds, another 2,500 .223 rounds and several hundred long-rifle bullets, along with 12 pipe bombs and tools that could be used to construct IEDs.
Burguan noted that the couple were well-equipped to carry out another attack. He added that Farook had no criminal record that police were aware of.
The New York Times reported that the FBI had uncovered evidence that Farook was in communication with multiple Islamic extremists both in the US and abroad over the course of several years, among them at least one individual who was a terrorism suspect.
According to Farook’s brother-in-law, Farhan Khan, he and Malik met on a dating website two years ago. The California health inspector then traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2013 to meet Malik’s family, and again in July 2014 to marry her.
FBI Assistant Director David Bowdich said Farook brought his newlywed wife over to the US on a 90-day K-1 fiancee visa. CBS News reported that Malik passed DHS counterterrorism screening as part of her vetting for the visa.
[. . .]
On Wednesday morning, Farook and Malik dropped off their six-month-old baby with Farook's mother, according to KTLA, saying they were going to a doctor's appointment.
[. . .]
In the hours after the shooting, more information emerged about Farook, who was born in the US, and Malik, whom he met in Saudi Arabia.
Farook's family was originally from Pakistan, but he was born in Illinois, while Malik was born in Pakistan and had lived in Saudi Arabia before coming to the United States, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Farook had an older brother, he added, who had served in the US military.
NPR reported that Farook's brother, Syed Raheel Farook, served in the Navy from 2003 to 2007. He was attached to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, serving as an information systems technician, and made at least one deployment to the Middle East.
Farook graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a degree in environmental health in 2010, according to the university's commencement document. He later enrolled in a graduate program at the school but reportedly dropped out last year.
[. . .]
In an online profile reportedly created by Farook and his parents six years ago on the dating site iMilap.com, a 'one stop source for Indian matrimonial and dating services,' the health inspector described himself as 6 feet tall and said he didn't drink or smoke, according toABC News.
Farook wrote that he was part of a 'religios [sic] but modern family of 4 - 2 girls, 2 boys,' and that he enjoyed 'doing target practice with younger sister and friends' in their backyard.
He added that he enjoyed working on vintage and modern cars, and read religious books while enjoying eating out sometimes.
He was also registered on Dubaimatrimonial.com, a dating site that is the 'first and only legal marriage service provider in UAE' (United Arab Emirates), according to the website description. In that profile, Farook described himself as being from Karachi, Pakistan, but was born in Chicago and was residing in Los Angles as an American citizen. His religion was shown as Islam.
He also shared his thoughts on living a balanced life as a Muslim-American: 'I try to live as a good Muslim. Looking for a girl who has the same outlook, wear hijab, but live the life to the fullest.'
Public records suggest possible turbulence in Farook's younger life.
In 2006, Rafia Farook, who records indicate is Farook's mother, filed in a Riverside court for divorce from her husband, the elder Mr Farook.
She enumerated multiple instances of domestic abuse in the legal filing, and said her husband 'threatens to kill himself on a daily basis.' During one incident, she said in a court filing, her son came between them 'to save me.'
[. . .]
Dramatic aerial images showed the aftermath of the police chase, which came to an end around a mile and a half from the scene of the massacre.
The bodies of Farook and Malik can be seen near their shot-out SUV, surrounded by heavily-armed officers. One of them was killed in the passenger seat and later removed from the vehicle, while another of the pair appears to have bolted from the vehicle and been gunned down not far away.
Fragments of video from witnesses on the ground showed the killers and officers exchanging gunfire on the roads of San Bernardino as bystanders ducked for cover. The chase ended some time between 3pm and 4pm local time Wednesday - as long as five hours after the massacre began.
A source told CNN that the suspects threw pipe bombs out of the windows of the vehicle before the shootout with police.
A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the suspects threw a thick-gauge copper pipe out of the SUV, but no explosives were found inside. The fake pipe bomb was equipped with a piece of material made to look like a wick.
[. . .]
A man who has been working in town told CBS Los Angeles he noticed a half-dozen Middle Eastern men in the area in recent weeks, but decided not to report anything since he did not wish to racially profile those people.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3344350/Devout-Muslim-citizen-Saudi-wife-living-American-Dream-identified-heavily-armed-duo-burst-office-holiday-party-slaughtered-14-leaving-baby-mother.html
Muslim San Bernardino gunman was 'radicalized by known terrorists' before he and Pakistani-born wife collected masses of ammunition, built more a than dozen pipe bombs and left their baby behind to slaughter 14 people at a holiday party
Two suspects were killed by police in San Bernardino after a mass shooting at a conference center Wednesday
Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, were killed in a gun battle with police after the mass shooting
Farook is said to have traveled to Saudi Arabia last year and returned with a wife - and a baby followed
He wrote in an online profile on a Muslim dating site six years prior that he enjoys doing target practice in his backyard
Farook graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a degree in environmental health in 2009
Farook and his wife left their six-month-old baby daughter with his mother in Redlands, California, telling her they were going for a doctor's appointment
Police said 14 died and 21 were wounded after suspects opened fire at the Inland Regional Center on Wednesday
San Bernardino Police Chief said shooters wore 'assault-style' clothing and had two handguns and two assault rifles - all legally purchased in US within the past four years, according to ATF
Farook had attended the holiday party but 'left' angry, according to police, and later returned with his wife to carry out the massacre
Suspects left three explosive devices rigged to a remote-controlled toy car inside at the Inland Regional Center before fleeing in an SUV
Cops were in a dramatic standoff with the suspects after reports that up to three people were on the loose
Suspects reportedly threw pipe bombs out of the windows of their SUV before they were taken down by police
An officer was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries after the standoff on a residential street
Police and federal agents searched a home in Redlands associated with Farook's family early Thursday morning in desperate hunt for clues
President Obama said in a statement from the Oval Office it is possible the massacre in San Bernardino was related to terrorism, but it's also possible it was workplace-related
By SNEJANA FARBEROV and MIA DE GRAAF and KHALEDA RAHMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 07:57 EST, 3 December 2015 | UPDATED: 14:44 EST, 3 December 2015
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