News

Actions

14 people slain in San Bernardino identified

Posted at 6:13 PM, Dec 03, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-03 20:13:29-05
By Ralph Ellis

CNN

(CNN) — Authorities in San Bernardino, California, on Thursday released the names of the 14 people killed in the Wednesday mass shooting.

“The Coroner Division completed their on-scene investigation early this morning and then began the process of making notification to the families of each victim,” according to a press release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. “At 3:30 p.m. the family notifications were completed.”

The people slain have been identified as:

• Shannon Johnson, 45, Los Angeles.

• Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, Rialto.

• Aurora Godoy, 26, San Jacinto.

• Isaac Amanios, 60, Fontana.

• Larry Kaufman, 42, Rialto.

• Harry Bowman, 46, Upland.

• Yvette Velasco, 27, Fontana.

• Sierra Clayborn, 27, Moreno Valley.

• Robert Adams, 40, Yucaipa.

• Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, Colton.

• Tin Nguyen, 31, Santa Ana.

• Juan Espinoza, 50, Highland.

• Damian Meins, 58, Riverside.

• Michael Wetzel, 37, Lake Arrowhead.

In what appears to be a coincidence, Thalasinos posted on Facebook that he received a death threat the evening before he was killed.

Thalasinos posted Tuesday evening that he received a message from an “anti-Semitic” Facebook user that read: “you will never sucsseed [sic] to make a country for jews, because you are criminals and cowards, you are juste using usa and Europe to fight for you, soon you ll get your ass kicked, you will die and never see Israel as country believe me never.”

The text was posted with a screen grab of the man’s Facebook who allegedly sent the message. That man’s profile listed Ukraine as the location. Nothing on the page, however, indicated a link to Wednesday’s events.

Thalasinos referred to himself as a Zionist and often posted pro-Israel messages.

Michael Raymond Wetzel’s wife, Renee, said her husband was an amazing person.

“He was my best friend and an incredible father who was loved by all,” she said. “I didn’t know a better person. He loved his work and his family so very much. Without him, this family will never be the same. We appreciate all the love and support that everyone is showing.”

She concluded by asking for privacy.

A man and woman entered the conference center at the Inland Regional Center on Wednesday morning and began firing automatic weapons at a group of environmental health department employees attending a holiday party.

Fourteen people were killed and 21 were wounded, authorities have said. Police later killed the couple, Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, in a shootout.

At least 10 people were still hospitalized, split evenly between Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Loma Linda University Medical Center. Loma Linda hospital CEO Kerry Heinrich said two victims there were in critical condition.

A San Bernardino police officer was shot in the leg and should be released from the hospital soon, Burguan said. A sheriff’s deputy suffered cuts to the legs because of broken glass and shrapnel, he said.

CNN’s Greg Botelho, Lorenzo Ferrigno, Boris Sanchez and Chris Welch contributed to this report.