A couple who were suspected of killing 14 people in a mass shooting in California and were later slain in a shootout with police were identified by authorities on Wednesday as Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, described as possibly married or engaged, Reuters reported.
Armed with assault-style weapons, the two are believed to have opened fire Wednesday morning at a social services agency holiday event in San Bernardino, California. The attack, which also left 17 wounded, was the most deadly shooting in the United States in three years.
Farook was a employee of San Bernardino County who attended a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center, stormed out and later returned to fire on the celebration, said Jarrod Burguan, police chief in the city of San Bernardino, 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles.
The couple are believed to be the only shooters, and while the motive remained unclear, Burguan said, "we have not ruled out terrorism."
Farook was U.S. born, while Malik's nationality was still unknown.