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At least 14 people were killed and 21 injured in a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California according to San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan on Wednesday.

Authorities named two suspects as Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, and claimed both were killed in a shootout with police, following a car chase. A third, unnamed suspect is in custody. The suspects carried out the attack at Inland Regional Center, a place for those with developmental disabilities on Wednesday, 2 December, using assault rifles and handguns all purchased legally according to the Los Angeles Times.

Reports indicate that Farook and Malik had been married for two years with a 6-month-old child. Farook worked for the San Bernadino County health department as an environmental health specialist.

A motive is still unknown, but after a raid on the suburban home of the family, it was apparent they had stockpiled a cache of weapons prior to the attacks. The shooting took place at a holiday party with Mr. Farook’s co-workers.

According to the New York Times, the FBI is treating the attack as a potential terrorist act, despite the fact that the agency is very far from any conclusions.

Federal law enforcement officials said the two married couple pledged allegiance to an ISIS leader in a Facebook post before the attack, however FBI Director James Comey said there was no evidence the assailants were part of a larger terrorist network.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Pakistani authorities are investigating possible ties to militant organizations, at the behest of the US.

Police officials and witnesses have claimed that Farook had become involved in a workplace dispute at the holiday party, soon after which he and his wife came back with weapons.

But media reports have thus far by and large focused on Farook’s Muslim identity, and not the fact that he and his wife obtained all the high powered weapons legally.

The US remains the deadliest place due to firearms in the first world. Homicide rates by firearms are 20 times higher than in the other countries in 2011 according to a study cited by Vox.

The study also showed that “Among the 23 countries with a combined population of 854 million people, the US had roughly one-third of the people — and 80 percent of the gun deaths.”

The problem is specific to the United States and unfortunately, mass shootings occur constantly, yet no progress is made in passing gun control laws.

Not two days after the San Bernadino shootings, Republicans in Congress have blocked Democrat’s attempts to use a procedural motion to bring gun-control legislation to the floor.

Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan blamed the high rates of gun deaths on mental illness, not access to guns. Speaking on CBS This Morning, Ryan said "People with mental illness are getting guns and committing these mass shootings.”

The San Bernadino shooting comes less than a week after a mass shooting in a Planned Parenthood in Colorado.