After Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, a manhunt swiftly turned up two married suspects, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. They were located at their apartment, which they fled, and police gunned down the heavily armed suspects. Authorities subsequently searched the apartment and found an arsenal of pipe bombs, guns, and ammunition. They also noted a missing hard drive and two crushed cell phones.

Two days later, the investigation is not yet complete, but MSNBC, CBSN, and CNN found access to the apartment and delivered an on-air tour. This is a bizarre approach from a cable news station, and we may soon see other media outlets criticizing this tactic. Today’s fuss began when the shooters’ landlord invited the media into the apartment. These actions will affect the chain of custody of any evidence not yet gathered in this crime scene.

Twitter lit up in disbelief, and much of the furor began with a series of tweets from Matthew Keys of Grasswire (formerly of Reuters) and Brian Ries of Mashable.



CBS no better. David Begnaud now pilfering through the apartment. pic.twitter.com/kcVTO7UxXj — Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) December 4, 2015

San Bernardino Sheriff's spokesperson to Grasswire on reporters entering apartment: "That is not a cleared crime scene." — Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) December 4, 2015

Me: “Are you watching what we’re watching on TV?” San Bernardino Sheriff’s Bozek: “Oh yeah, I am. That — I don’t know what’s going on." — Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) December 4, 2015

Asked FBI Los Angeles if suspects' apartment now open to the media/public: “I don’t believe so…it is still an ongoing investigation.” — Brian Ries (@moneyries) December 4, 2015

MSNBC also aired an uncensored ID of one of the shooter’s mothers. This tweet blurs out any identifying information.

MSNBC posted the uncensored ID information of the shooter's mother, who is not a suspect. https://t.co/vuubiKyuzD — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) December 4, 2015

CNN justified its presence in the apartment by saying the police could stop them, but…

CNN reporter on police: "They could turn on any television in the world and see that we're here, but no one has shown up.” #SanBernardino — Brian Ries (@moneyries) December 4, 2015

Then someone walked out of the apartment with a popsicle.

@FanSince09 this dude just walked out with a popsicle. pic.twitter.com/EaoyNlwcOM — Adam R. Loyd (@UnrealAdamLoyd) December 4, 2015

As if this situation wasn’t unreal enough, the pilfering does not appear to be limited to members of the press. CNN reports “a woman with a dog” waltzing through the scene.

CNN saying now that "not solely members of the media" now roaming the apartment, including a "woman with a dog" — John Koblin (@koblin) December 4, 2015

Neighbors of the shooters also showed up (not with casseroles in hand).

Neighbors are also showing up and walking through. Again, the building owner let us in (and is doing interviews outside.) Unprecedented. — Kate Mather (@katemather) December 4, 2015

One Twitter user pointed out how CNN both criticized and embraced the spectacle. The network claimed they wouldn’t show any IDs, and then they zoomed right on in. Here’s a clip of Anderson Cooper and law enforcement analyst Harry Houck discussing how icky they feel about what their network the media is doing.

Reactions include some contextual praise for Brian Williams (at least he didn’t do this), shame from a fellow journalist, and general disgust.

Brian Williams just became the most respectable reporter at MSNBC. — Ben Schwartz (@benschwartzy) December 4, 2015

Think of all the violent fanatics out there who want revenge on the shooters family. Now they have a license with an address — Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) December 4, 2015

Those MSNBC, BBC, CBS News and CNN reporters look like my office when a free pizza email goes out — John DeVore (@JohnDeVore) December 4, 2015

uh hey @MSNBC "Nightcrawler" the movie wasn't a how to guide fam — GIB ENCHILADAS (@trillLizard) December 4, 2015

I would just like to offer my thoughts & prayers to the @MSNBC Legal Department for the terrible atrocity that's about to befall them. — D (@Delo_Taylor) December 4, 2015

if that family member is harmed thanks to info from live tv scrum, the blood is on msnbc's hands — Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 4, 2015

Dear @sbcountysheriff , Thanks to the irresponsible acts of MSNBC, you probably need to take the assailants mother into protective custody. — varifrank (@varifrank) December 4, 2015

After showing pic of the child to the national audience, MSNBC reporter: "actually, it's probably not that child. It says (name) on back." — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 4, 2015

I just want to make something very clear: MSNBC planted that Fleshlight under my bathroom sink — Parson Brown (@Bro_Pair) December 4, 2015

Naturally, MSNBC has opened itself up to a host of parody tweets, too.

