A Step-Up In The Game

San Bernardino is the latest location for victims of terror, although we have not yet been told if any organized group has claimed responsibility for the atrocity. While I am sure that any multiple murderous events feels unique to the innocent victims involved, this one is so different that it could possibly be a step-up in the evolution of mass murder.

The shooting appears very well planned. The escape vehicle was on-hand and the shooters obviously had cased the location so as to be near an interstate for their escape. The escape is central for uniqueness. If this was al-Qaeda or ISIS, their modus operandi calls for killing as many people as possible and then getting themselves killed in the process. Virgins, here I come. Here, not only was a vehicle ready to leave the scene, but there are reports that the assailants wore body armor which is indicative that they meant to live through the mayhem. For the gunmen to leave so quickly without maximizing their slaughter, they probably had a prearranged number of rounds to fire before exiting, probably one magazine if semi-automatics were used.

If there is no claim of responsibility for the killings, then it could well be some locals who may not have decided who merits their umbrella allegiance. The target itself, a facility for the care of disabled persons is a very soft target and not tied to any part of the government. I don’t see how it could be linked to workplace violence although we’ve seen that term abused by this administration in the past. I tend to believe it is a local group of radicalized thugs who don’t have the battlefield experience and deep-rooted belief to die in a blaze of glory. At best it could be three perpetrators out for some type of video game thrill. At worst, it is a terror cell that is not yet finished.