Obama visits San Bernardino victims' families

US President Barack Obama spent nearly three hours Friday with the families of most of the San Bernardino shooting victims and said he was moved by their emphasis on tolerance following the deadly attacks.

"As difficult as this time is for them and for this entire community, they're also representative of the strength and the unity and the love that exists in this community and in this country," Obama said.

A married couple shot and killed 14 of the husband's co-workers at a staff Christmas party in San Bernardino, California before being killed in a shootout with police.

FBI: Couple apparently acted alone

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting as a terrorist incident but has said the assailants - US-born Syed Farook and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik - had no known connection to Islamist extremists and had apparently struck on their own initiative.

Federal authorities have charged suspected accomplice, Enrique Marquez for providing material support to Farook. Marquez allegedly purchased two rifles used in the attack and had plotted to carry out attacks with Farook in 2011.

Obama says families preach tolerance despite hateful crimes

Speaking at Indian Springs High School, Obama said that despite their grief over losing their loved ones, the families "could not have been more inspiring, and more proud of their loved ones and more insistent that something good comes out of this tragedy."

The president and First Lady Michelle Obama made the visit to southern California on their way to Hawaii, where they will spend the holidays.

jar/sms (Reuters, AFP)