It’s the last reason residents of any city want to be trending on Twitter. The social media site has been taken over this afternoon with anguished tweets over a breaking story: another mass shooting, this time in San Bernardino, California.
Although victim numbers are not yet confirmed, according to San Bernardino firemen, they were called to report to a 20-victim shooting incident. The situation is still unfolding, but here’s the information we have so far:
https://twitter.com/SBCityFire/status/672131690978906112
More:When my son asks about another shooting, I want to tell him he’s safe — but I can’t
Reports that there might be multiple shooters immediately surfaced, and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department responded with confirmation that the police were looking for one to as many as three shooters:
.@SanBernardinoPD has confirmed 1to3 possible suspects.Multiple victims. #SBCSD &other agencies assisting. More info to come. #SanBernardino
— San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) December 2, 2015
Onlookers quickly posted photos of the responders:
.@SanBernardinoPD SWAT on scene pic.twitter.com/uFTfdBROOp
— 🇺🇸Doug Saunders🏴☠️ (@crimeshutterbug) December 2, 2015
Reports identified the Inland Regional Center, a facility that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, as the spot where the shooting occurred, and while their site is down, a Facebook page for the center revealed heartbreaking photos of the people it serves:
Want to be even sadder? This appears to be the Facebook page for Inland Regional Center. https://t.co/flB7zshX2Xpic.twitter.com/dmJxoq0Lo0
— Dusty Lane (@Dustin_L_Lane) December 2, 2015
Reporters were quick to put out calls for people who work there to contact them:
Does anyone know anybody who works at the Inland Regional Center? Please contact the news room at 760-951-6235
— Daily Press (@VVDailyPress) December 2, 2015
And shocked relatives of people inside the center shared heartbreaking text messages:
Man just read this text message from his daughter: "shooting at my work. people shot. still hiding in my office. i am locked in an office "
— T.J. Holmes (@tjholmes) December 2, 2015
More: How to talk to your kids about violence
Meanwhile politicians in the area called for people to stay home and stay locked indoors:
Please lock your doors and stay inside. We'll keep you updated as we receive more information. https://t.co/BcDF8gRz6i
— Rep. Pete Aguilar (@RepPeteAguilar) December 2, 2015
And the politics of gun control were played out in tweets from both sides of the political aisle:
Mass shootings on an almost weekly basis in the US but people are worried about Syrian refugees hiding as #ISIS? #SanBernardino
— Spence Whitney (@SpenceWhitney) December 2, 2015
On one thing, everyone agrees:
I wish this were not real life #SanBernardino
— howdoichangemy@? (@melstaso) December 2, 2015
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