Rafia Farook: FBI Agents Uncover Disturbing Find Inside Car Belonging To San Bernardino Shooter’s Mom
Rafia Farook, mother of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, is now being investigated by the FBI after agents uncovered a number of disturbing items from her car. According to the Daily Mail, FBI agents retrieved shooting targets, empty packaging from a GoPro action camera, and tools, among other things, inside a car belonging to her. In normal cases, these particular items wouldn’t seem alarming to most people, but since Rafia’s now-deceased son is considered a radicalized Muslim terrorist, the items retrieved from her car are quite disturbing.
By now, most Americans have heard all about the horrific shooting that took place in San Bernardino, CA, on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Almost immediately after the devastating massacre, which claimed the lives of 14 innocent victims, most Americans speculated ISIS was responsible for the attack. But now, new details suggest that Rafia Farook’s son and his wife’s heinous plot to destroy may have deeper roots than investigators initially thought.
Previous reports about the findings inside the couple’s home led investigators to believe that Farook may have been radicalized by his wife. However, the disturbing items found inside his mother’s car say otherwise. Although the FBI still has not confirmed whether the couple had ties to ISIS, Rafia Farook may have some affiliation with the Islamic militant group, which would officially make the shooting an act of terrorism.
While FBI agents and government officials have adamantly refuted the rumors about Syed Farook and his wife, a 27-year-old immigrant from Pakistan identified as Tashfeen Malik, having recording devices strapped to their bodies as they fired rounds of ammunition inside the Inland Regional Center, the findings inside Rafia Farook’s car raise speculation about the investigative details that have been released. The black four-door Lexus, which was parked minutes from the couple’s apartment, also had an inventory sheet left on the front seat.
The list of items on the investigative inventory sheet included, “Apple iPhone, multi-tool, key, business card, miscellaneous indicia, bank receipt, shooting targets, hammer, vice grips, U-Haul receipt, tire receipt, notebook, garment, GoPro packaging, vacuumings, legal documents.”
"car was insured by Farook's 62-year-old mother Rafia, who lived in the same home in Redlands, …" https://t.co/Pz50EIaiEl via @MailOnline
— Contrarian Scientist (@MsContrarianSci) December 8, 2015
Rafia Farook and her son are both registered on the insurance for the vehicle, so it is still unclear who the items in the car actually belonged to, but investigators are working diligently to put all the pieces together. Although Rafia Farook maintains her innocence, the speculative items suggest her son and daughter-in-law may not have been the only two people involved in the deadly plot that led to the mass shooting. It has been reported that the 62-year-old mother resided in the same Redlands, CA, residence where her son and daughter-in-law built makeshift explosives.
Although the questionable items found inside Rafia Farook’s car raise speculation about her involvement in the crime and her being a radicalized Muslim, at this point investigators have no way of directly associating her with the evidence. According to TheBlaze, Rafia Farook was detained and questioned by FBI agents and local authorities but eventually released as no charges were filed.
Do you think Rafia Farook may have been involved in the planning of the San Bernardino shooting? Share your thoughts.
[Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]
