Radicalized US Muslim was teased by colleagues about his Islamic beard and had clashed with Jewish co-worker over religion before he and Pakistani wife killed 14 at San Bernardino holiday party
Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, were killed in a gun battle with police after a mass shooting
Police said 14 died and 21 were injured after suspects opened fire at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino
Suspects left explosive devices rigged to a remote-controlled toy car at the center before fleeing in an SUV
While the motive for the massacre remains unclear, Farook reportedly clashed with a Jewish co-worker over religion
Farook got into a heated argument with Nicholas Thalasinos, a Messianic Jew, who was named as one of the victims
But lawyers for the Farook family said he was subjected to a series of disparaging comments about his traditional Muslim appearance
David Chesley, attorney acting for Farook's family, questioned accounts of massacre and whether information released by police and FBI was accurate
He made bizarre reference to Sandy Hook massacre, suggesting it didn't take place as described
Chesley said of Malik: 'It doesn't seem plausible that this petite woman would be involved in this sort of hyper-caricatured, Bonnie and Clyde crazy scenario'
It emerged that Farook brought his wife to the US on a 90-day K-1 fiancee visa and that she passed counterterrorism screening as part of her vetting
Farook's older brother, Syed Raheel Farook, is a decorated Navy veteran honored for his role in the war on terror
Their mother Rafia, 62, was held for questioning in the wake of the mass shooting after cops pulled her over in one of her other son's SUVs and she was released without charge the next day
Police and federal agents searched a Redlands home, seizing 5,000 bullets, 12 pipe bombs and tools to make IEDs
Investigators said Farook was in touch by phone and via social media with international terrorism subjects
By Ben Ashford and Ruth Styles In San Bernardino For Dailymail.com and Khaleda Rahman and Snejana Farberov and Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com
Published: 07:57 EST, 3 December 2015 | Updated: 06:41 EST, 4 December 2015
The family of San Bernardino gunman Syed Farook told FBI investigators that he had been teased by colleagues about his long Islamic beard hours after it emerged that he had also clashed with a Jewish co-worker over religion weeks before he and his wife killed 14 at a holiday party.
While the exact motive for the massacre remains unclear, lawyers for the Farook family said the gunman had been subject to a series of disparaging comments about his traditional Muslim appearance.
However, they added that the slain health inspector had ‘brushed off’ the remarks and they remained at a loss to explain why he mercilessly gunned down 14 people, the majority his former co-workers, on Wednesday.
Their comments came hours after it emerged that Farook had recently gotten into a heated argument with colleague Nicholas Thalasinos, a Messianic Jew, who was named as one of his victims.
Mr Thalasinos – worked alongside Farook as a county restaurant inspector and the pair are said to have regularly discussed politics and religion.
Colleague Kuuleme Stephen said she had called Thalasinos while he was at work when he was having a heated discussion with Farook.
Mr Thalasinos had identified Farook by name and told her the 28-year-old believed Islam was a peaceful religion. She added that Farook said that Americans do not understand Islam.
Mr Thalasinos was known to be passionate about pro-Israel causes and regularly ranted about Islam on Facebook.
On September 11th, 2013, alongside a photo of a shirtless victim plummeting to his death from the burning World Trade Center, Mr Thalasinos posted: 'On behalf of this guy… You can stick your Million Muslim March up your asses'.
In one of his final status updates on Tuesday, Mr Thalasinos responded to an anti-Semitic tirade allegedly penned by an apparent Muslim living in Ukraine, who railed against Jews and Israel.
‘Anyway my new hobby appears to be BLOCKING PAGAN ANTISEMITIC TROGLODYTES so I'm just passing this along to warn others,’ was Thalasinos' reply.
He was back online early on Wednesday morning sharing articles about Russian President Vladimir Putin and posting a negative comment about President Obama.
Again, it is unclear if the dispute played a part in the massacre.
David Chesley, an attorney acting for Farook's family, today questioned accounts of the shootings and whether information released by the police and FBI was accurate.
To illustrate his point, he made a bizarre reference to the Sandy Hook massacre, suggesting it didn't take place as described in the official narrative.
'There have been suggestions that it may be something that was related to their work, that somehow he was a disgruntled employee,' he said.
'But it doesn't seem plausible to us that this petite woman would be involved in this sort of hyper-caricatured, Bonnie and Clyde crazy scenario.
'There was a lot of questions drawn with Sandy Hook and whether or not that was a real incident or not.
'But I mean obviously these things were found there, how they got there we don't know.'
Asked if he doubted if the Dec 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which claimed 26 lives, took place, Mr Chesley added: 'There has been a lot speculation about it is all I would say.
'There's a lot of people that said it happened but hasn't happened in the way that it was purported to have taken place.
'There's no question that incidents have taken place and evidence was found but we just question some of that.'
The family’s lawyers also revealed for the first time that Farook's mother Rafia, 62, was held for questioning in the wake of the mass shooting after cops pulled her over in one of her other son's SUVs.
She was released without charge the next day but the vehicle is still in the hands of law enforcement officials, they said. The Farook family, including his father Syed, 66, older brother Syed Raheel, and sisters Eba, 24, Saira, 32, and her husband Farhan Khan, 41, spent several hours talking to FBI agents on Thursday.
Speaking outside Mr Khan's house late last night, attorney Chesley insisted that Farook's relatives had no idea he was plotting a massacre or stockpiling weapons with his wife Tashfeen Malik, 27.
FBI agents discovered a huge arsenal – including nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition, a dozen pipe bombs and hundreds of tools for making IEDs at the couple’s home.
It also emerged that Farook was in touch by phone and through social media with more than one international terrorism subject. Meanwhile, Farook's older brother, Syed Raheel Farook, was revealed a decorated Navy veteran honored for his role in the war on terror
But Mr Chesley said there was 'no smoking gun' to suggest a motive but added: 'Both the sisters and the brothers as they went through the information today, there was one silly thing that came up - that some of his co-workers at some point made remarks about his beard.
'But it so slight and no-one has ever stated that he has ever acted in a hostile or a violent way towards anyone. They were a very polite, conservative married couple.' His colleague and fellow attorney, Mohammad Abuershaid, added: 'There is no indication that he was involved with anybody physically.
'There's no indication he had a short temper. It was people just teasing him about his facial hair and how he looked. He had a long beard and a very short trimmed haircut.
'It was just basic comments but he used to brush them off pretty easily. The family is in shock just as we are. They had no idea something like this would happen.'
Both lawyers refused to comment on the dead couple's child other to say she was safe and being cared for. They said the family last saw Farook on Sunday for a family meal.
The coupled lived in a rented apartment in Redlands, a 15-minute drive from San Bernardino, with their mother Rafia, who was held by police after a 3pm traffic stop on the day of the shootings. She was released in the early hours and the family lawyers refuted suggestions that Rafia was facing pending charges.
‘She was picked up in a traffic stop, I believe, and taken into custody,’ said Mr Chesley. ‘She was driving at the time Raheel’s truck. That truck is still in custody .
‘They brought her in for questioning and basically held her into the night and said we are not going to let her go unless the rest of the family comes in for questioning.’
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