The man who investigators believe supplied firearms to the married couple who committed the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, CA will soon face federal charges. Enrique Marquez, who is a friend of the couple who committed the attack, is expected to receive the charges sometime this week.
Marquez would face federal charges of the illegal distribution of firearms. Similar charges at the state level are also possible. Shortly after the shooting, Marquez checked himself into a Los Angeles psychiatric facility. With his noted connections to the killers, he quickly became a key figure in the investigation.
The FBI is treating the attack as an “act of terror”. Officials have already raided Marquez’s home and questioned him over the course of several days. Marquez has reportedly been fully cooperative with the investigation. Reports indicate that the investigation has revealed that Marquez is Muslim and that he knew the killers were previously planning another attack around 2012. The plans for the 2012 attack were eventually abandoned. Marquez has known the husband killer since they were both teenagers.
The two AR-15 assault rifles that were used in the attack were originally legally purchased by Marquez. Records show that Marquez previously held employment at Walmart and at a bar. In 2014, he married a Russian woman who was related to the husband killer, technically making him a relative. Marquez’s neighbors have said that they were surprised to learn he was married, saying that they had never seen the wife.
In the recent attack, 14 people were killed and 21 people were wounded. The attack has caused widespread concerns over national security and the scope of the Islamic State. However, FBI director James Comey has said that there is no evidence that the San Bernardino attackers were inspired by ISIS. President Barack Obama is set to visit the city on Friday to meet privately with the families of the victims.
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