FBI probes how San Bernardino suspects were radicalized

GWEN IFILL:

Americans today weighed the president's Sunday night address on terror abroad and at home.

At the same time, investigators in Southern California sought to shed new light on the attack by a husband and wife who turned to militant Islam.

San Bernardino County leaders called for unity this morning, as thousands of employees returned to work for the first time since last week's shootings.

TRUDY RAYMUNDO, Public Health Director, San Bernardino County:

Today, I want to ask the community to mourn with us. I ask that you come together and hold each other strong, because it is this strength that will help us heal.

GWEN IFILL:

Public Health Director Trudy Raymundo was at the holiday lunch where Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire, killing 14 people and wounding 21.

A focus of the probe now is whether Malik radicalized her husband and if she was, indeed, the driving force behind the rampage. The FBI's David Bowdich said today the couple trained by taking target practice, but it's not clear who led the way to violence.

DAVID BOWDICH, Assistant Director, FBI Los Angeles Field Office:

We have learned and believe that both subjects were radicalized and have been for quite some time.

Now, how did that happen? The question we're trying to get at is, how did that happen and by whom and where did that happen?

GWEN IFILL:

As the attack began last week, Malik pledged allegiance online to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, overall leader of the Islamic State group. The militants say she was a supporter, but have not claimed any direct link to the attack.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it.

GWEN IFILL:

Last night, President Obama sought to reassure the nation.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

Our success won't depend on tough talk or abandoning our values or giving into fear. That's what groups like ISIL are hoping for. Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless.

GWEN IFILL:

The president did not announce a new strategy to defeat the Islamic State, but he did call for greater gun control measures. They would include not allowing people whose names appear on no-fly lists to buy firearms.

In San Bernardino, reactions at a makeshift memorial were lukewarm.

MAN:

He has to walk a fine line, but it probably comes across as a little weak, but that is kind of Obama's style.

WOMAN:

It wasn't strong enough. It appears to me, every time that he talks on camera, that this is like a bothersome thing for him, that he really just does not want to have to deal with this.

GWEN IFILL:

Back in Washington, the homeland security secretary, Jeh Johnson, said today he will announce changes to the national terror alert system in the coming days.