President Barack Obama acknowledged uncertainty about the motives of the perpetrators of yesterday's mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, in remarks on Thursday, but he pledged law enforcement officials would get to the bottom of the terrible event.
In remarks from the Oval Office, Obama said the FBI has taken the lead in the investigation of the shooting spree that killed 14 people and injured at least 17.
"It is possible that this is terrorist-related, but we don't know," Obama said. "It's also possible this was workplace-related."
He added, "There may be mixed motives involved in this, which makes the investigation more complicated, but rest assured that we will get to the bottom of this."
Obama also took the opportunity to renew his call for increased gun control, which he has unsuccessfully pursued since the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in December of 2012.
"It's going to be important for all of us, including our legislatures, to see what we can do to make sure that when individuals decide that they want to do somebody harm, we're making it a little harder for them to do it." Obama said. "Because right now, it's too easy."
He added, "And we're going to have to, I think, search ourselves as a society to make sure that we can take basic steps that would make it harder -- not impossible, but harder -- for individuals to get access to weapons.."
The president's previous calls for increased gun control have been rebuffed by Republicans, who argue the focus should be on mental health issues and enforcing the gun laws that are already on the books.
