2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Personal background
On November 29, 2014, Marquez entered into a sham marriage with Mariya Chernykh, a Russian woman who arrived in the U.S. on a J-1 visa and the sister of the wife of Farook's older brother. According to The New York Times, Marquez was said to have been paid between $5,000 and $10,000 to enter the green card marriage so that Chernykh could become a U.S. citizen.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Personal background
Early on December 5, 2015, federal authorities searched Marquez's Riverside home under a federal search warrant. He waived his Miranda rights and cooperated "extensively" with federal investigators, "discussing at length his relationship with" Farook.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Arrest and legal proceedings
On December 17, 2015, Marquez was arrested and charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with three federal criminal counts: conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism (i.e., himself, a firearm, and explosives); making a false statement in connection with acquisition of firearms ("straw purchase"); and immigration fraud. Another "straw purchase"-related charge and another immigration fraud charge were added on December 30, 2015. He faced a maximum of 50 years in prison if convicted on all of the charges. The court ordered Marquez held without bail, saying that Marquez would pose a danger to the community if released.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Arrest and legal proceedings
Marquez initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him. On April 28, 2016, he was named in an indictment as a co-conspirator in document fraud in relation to the arrest of Mariya Chernynk. In February 2017, as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Marquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and to making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Marquez also admitted to plotting with Farook the alleged abandoned terror plots in 2011. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss the marriage fraud charges.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Arrest and legal proceedings
The maximum sentence is 25 years in prison plus a $500,000 fine. Testifying in court when Marquez's guilty plea was entered, the father of one of the victims denounced the plea agreement, saying that it would lead to a sentence that was too light; the U.S. Attorney explained that while he understood the father's pain, the government did not have enough sufficient evidence to prosecute Marquez for more serious offenses.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Enrique Marquez Jr., Arrest and legal proceedings
The sentencing hearing was initially set for November 6, 2017, but it was postponed to February 26, 2018, four days before. Sentencing was postponed indefinitely on June 26, 2018, after Marquez obtained a new attorney. On October 23, 2020, Marquez was sentenced to 20 years in prison.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh
Syed Raheel Farook, the brother of gunman Rizwan Farook, 31; his wife Tatiana Farook, 31; and her sister Mariya Chernykh, who was Marquez's "wife" in the sham marriage, were all subject to an investigation into Chernykh's sham marriage with Marquez, which arose during the investigation into the attack.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
Raheel Farook served in the U.S. Navy in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2007, and was awarded two medals for service during the War on Terror. He was described by friends and neighbors as sociable and extroverted compared with his brother Rizwan. In 2011, he married Tatiana, a Russian citizen who immigrated to the U.S. in 2003 from her home village of Vysokiy, located 400 miles (640 km) from Moscow.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
Tatiana had first settled into Richmond, Virginia, immediately after arriving into the U.S. on a J-1 visa. There, she married another man, but the couple divorced in 2010 and Tatiana moved to southern California, where she met Raheel. In California, she began launching several businesses, including a kiosk in The Shops at Montebello, a shopping mall.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
Mariya Chernykh, the younger sister of Tatiana Farook and also from the village of Vysokiy, left Russia and entered the U.S. on a J-1 visa in July 2009 and failed to depart on October 30 of the same year as required by her visa. At some point since her arrival in the U.S., she made an application for asylum, though it is currently unknown if it was ruled on. She dated a Los Angeles man for years and had a child with him, but were forced to split up due to the sham marriage.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
On November 29, 2014, Chernykh entered into a sham marriage with Marquez in order to gain legal status in the U.S. According to The Los Angeles Times, after the sham marriage, Chernykh struggled to play her part; on Christmas 2014, she was urged by Tatiana to stop posting online photos of herself with her ex-boyfriend. She began working with her sister as a saleswoman at her sister's kiosk. In January 2017, she pled guilty to immigration fraud.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
In late 2015, Chernykh and Marquez were set to be interviewed by immigration officials. As a result, according to the indictment, Raheel Farook created a fraudulent back-dated lease agreement that claimed the two were living with him and his wife since their marriage. Raheel and Tatiana Farook also allegedly staged family photos of Chernykh and Marquez, and established a joint transaction account for them. Prosecutors allege that on December 3, the day after the Inland Regional Center attack, Tatiana Farook lied to investigators about Chernykh and Marquez's marriage.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Personal backgrounds
On February 18, 2016, the FBI searched a residence belonging to Raheel Farook, but did not comment on the exact nature of the search. Raheel was not arrested or named a suspect at that time.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
On April 28, 2016, the Farooks and Chernykh were arrested and charged with conspiracy to knowingly make false statements under oath with respect to immigration documents. These charges carry a maximum sentence of five years.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
All three pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in a federal court in Riverside. Raheel Farook's mother and Chernykh's ex-boyfriend agreed to post their bails.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
The day following her arrest, Chernykh posted her bail, but she was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being held at Adelanto Detention Center. Deportation proceedings against her are pending, but are on hold until the criminal case is resolved.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker issued a statement, saying that the charges arose from the investigation into the attack. The indictment alleged that Chernykh paid Marquez to enter into a sham marriage to obtain U.S. immigration benefits. The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that Raheel and Tatiana Farook conspired in the sham marriage by "witnessing Marquez and Chernykh's wedding, taking staged family pictures of Marquez and Chernykh, establishing a joint checking account for the couple and creating a back-dated lease for Marquez and Chernykh to create the illusion that they shared a marital residence."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
Chernykh pleaded guilty to conspiracy, perjury, and two counts of making false statements. She was set to be sentenced on November 20, 2017, and faced up to 20 years in prison.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
In January 2017, Raheel Farook pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, arising from his making of a false statement in support of Chernykh's application for permanent residency. The following month, Tatiana Farook pleaded guilty to the same crime. The maximum sentence in both cases is five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Raheel Farook, Tatiana Farook, and Mariya Chernykh, Arrests and legal proceedings
Both were initially set to be sentenced on November 13, 2017, but this was postponed to March 19, 2018, three days before.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Rafia Sultana Shareef (Rafia Farook)
In March 2020, Rafia Sultana Shareef, the mother of Syed Rizwan Farook and Syed Raheel Farook, pleaded guilty to one count of destroying evidence, becoming the only person prosecuted for a crime directly related to the December 2015 terrorist attack. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julius Nam argued, “The defendant chose to deliberately destroy a document that was central to the understanding of the planning”. The FBI recovered what prosecutors called the "attack plan" from a shredder in Raheel Farook's home in Corona and reconstructed it using a computer and scanner, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Grigg.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Rafia Sultana Shareef (Rafia Farook)
Prosecutors did not allege in court that Shareef, who shared a townhouse with Farook and Malik, knew in advance about the terrorists' plans, but in a statement on March 3, 2020 said, "Shareef admitted that she knew her son had produced the document, and she believed it was directly related to his planning of the IRC attack." The "attack plan" included a diagram of the Inland Regional Center conference room and a pathway for the shooters to take between the tables. It also listed action items such as practicing at a shooting range, destroying electronics that authorities could use for tracking, purchasing parts to construct IEDs, and transferring funds to Shareef’s bank account.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Related arrests and prosecutions, Rafia Sultana Shareef (Rafia Farook)
On February 11, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal sentenced Shareef to six months of home confinement and three years of probation. While the maximum sentence had been 20 years in federal prison, the under her plea agreement she faced at most 18 months in custody. Prior to sentencing, Shareef apologized to the handful of victims and survivors who were in the Riverside courthouse gallery, saying, “I pray for each of your family members” and to the judge, saying, “I am sorry for what I did.”


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Emergency response discussion
On March 18, 2016, California State Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management conducted a hearing in which first responders were to share details of the response to the attack and possible aspects that could be improved on. During the hearing, Michael Madden, a lieutenant with the San Bernardino Police Department and one of the first responders to respond to the Inland Regional Center, requested state aid in encrypting police radio channels. He explained that police communications were playing out real-time across the U.S. during the attack, being broadcast on YouTube and other network systems. According to Madden, this put first responders at risk, as potential suspects could have been monitoring the communications and tracking the actions of law enforcement. He added that the City of San Bernardino, as well as San Bernardino County, were moving towards a radio system that will incorporate encrypted frequencies.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
President Barack Obama called for "common sense" gun safety laws and stronger background checks as part of a bipartisan effort to reduce the frequency of such shootings. In an interview with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, Obama said, "We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world." Obama called for legislation to block people on the anti-terrorism No Fly List from purchasing weapons. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan opposed this proposal, saying that denying persons on the list the right to bear arms would violate their due process rights.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
After the shooting, some Democrats sought to tighten federal gun control regulations, "laying blame on a culture that allows even people who are not permitted to board airplanes to buy guns with ease," while some Republicans criticized what they believe to be "the Obama administration's unwillingness to come to terms with the true threat posed by Muslim extremists." Members of the California State Legislature also proposed to revisit some gun-control proposals that had previously stalled, with one assemblyman proposing a prohibition of the sale of guns to those on the federal No Fly List.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
On January 8, 2016, Representative Pete Aguilar of Redlands spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives and called for gun control. After the shooting, gun sales in California increased by more than 18,000, following an overall down year for statewide sales. Applications for concealed carry permits also rose 750 percent in San Bernardino County.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
The families of the shooting victims reacted to President Obama's executive action to tighten gun regulation and expand background checks. A number of family members expressed support for the plans as necessary and long overdue, while a few doubted whether they would reduce gun violence.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
Prior to the attack, a measure was sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein; it would allow the U.S. to ban sales of guns and explosives to people listed on government watch lists of suspected terrorists. The so-called "Feinstein Amendment" came to the Senate floor one day after the attack, but failed on a party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
On June 16, 2016, Tina Meins, the daughter of one of the fourteen people killed in the attack, spoke in a press conference arranged by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, just a day after Murphy launched a fifteen-hour filibuster on the U.S. Senate floor, regarding federal gun control legislation. In the press conference, Meins asserted her support for gun control and questioned the Senate's vote against the Feinstein Amendment, explaining that more than 2,000 terror suspects were able to purchase firearms since 2004.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
The New York Times published a front-page editorial, the first in 95 years, which called for gun-control measures. The Times editorial board wrote: "It is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed specifically to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency." Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., publisher of the Times, said the placement of the editorial on the front page was "to deliver a strong and visible statement of frustration and anguish about our country's inability to come to terms with the scourge of guns."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Gun control discussion
On April 20, 2016, California state lawmakers gave initial approval to five gun control bills, which outlawed assault weapons with detachable magazines, prohibited the sale of rifles with the "bullet button" device, banned possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds, required the collection of information on people intending to buy ammunition for any kind of firearm, and required improvised firearms to be registered with the state and given a serial number. The measures have been opposed by a number of politicians and gun rights organizations such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of California. Some of the bills were approved by Governor Brown on July 1, 2016, and went into effect in 2017.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Lawsuits
On January 13, 2016, the wife of one of the slain victims filed wrongful death claims against San Bernardino County and dozens of unidentified individuals, and also sought damages totaling US$58 million, saying that her husband's death was preventable and caused by negligence. On January 22, 2016, three relatives of another slain victim filed identical claims against the county for similar reasons and also claimed that the county fostered a hostile workplace environment and failed to provide safety to the Inland Regional Center's employees. The three relatives sought for a total of US$204 million.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Lawsuits
At least five San Bernardino city residents filed claims with the City of San Bernardino seeking reimbursement for least US$12,000 in property damage caused by bullets in the shootout, which hit a resident's truck and other items; the City Council voted 5–2 to deny the claims. The city police were one of seven law enforcement agencies on the scene, and it is uncertain which agency fired what bullets.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Lawsuits
On May 31, 2016, federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Farook's family. This lawsuit would allow them to seize both the proceeds of two life insurance policies (and the policies themselves) held by Farook, both of which listed Farook's mother as the beneficiary. One policy worth US$25,000 was taken out by Farook in 2012 when he started working for the county, while the other, worth US$250,000, was taken out the following year. According to NBC News, "Under federal law, assets derived from terrorism are subject to forfeiture.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Lawsuits
A federal judge must approve an application before the government can seize the money." In the six-page lawsuit, the life insurance company claimed that Farook's mother was aware of her son's intentions to carry out the attack, and reasoned that she should not be entitled to the benefits as a result. On September 2, 2016, government officials said they wanted to give the money to the victims' families.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Planned memorial
On May 5, 2016, a group created by San Bernardino County announced plans for a memorial dedicated to the victims and survivors of the attack, as well as the first responders involved. Details about the design of the memorial, meant to be a fountain and garden, were released on the next day. Groundbreaking was slated to begin on June 2, the six-month anniversary of the attack. As of 2017, however, the memorial was still in the development stage. Such memorials usually take five to ten years to be completed.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Threats against schools
Hours after the attack, classes were canceled at California State University, San Bernardino and at Loma Linda University following a bomb threat that was called in to the university's medical center, where many injured victims were being treated.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Threats against schools
On December 15, after the Los Angeles Unified School District received a threat of attack by "explosive devices" and other means, Superintendent of Schools Ramon Cortines ordered the closure of all schools in the district for the day. Cortines cited the San Bernardino incident as an influence in his decision to close the schools. New York City received the same threat, but the New York City Department of Education determined it was a hoax and took no action.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Release of after-action report
On September 9, 2016, the Police Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) released a review of law enforcement response to the attack. The review provided a detailed overview of the incident response; lessons learned to improve responding agencies' policies, procedures, tactics, systems, culture, and relationships; and guidance to other agencies and first responders as they prepare for responses to terrorist, active shooter, or other hostile events, and mass-casualty incidents.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Survivors
On the one-year anniversary of the attack, it was reported that a number of survivors were accusing San Bernardino County of cutting off support for them. This included a lack of access to counseling or antidepressant medication, the injured attempting to get surgeries approved and physical therapy covered, a lack of assistance in dealing with a complex compensation workers' program, and health insurers refusing to cover injuries because they occurred during an act of workplace violence. A county spokesman denied the accusations and said, "The county is, and always has been, committed to ensuring our employees get all the care they need."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Aftermath, Anniversary commemoration events
On the first anniversary of the attack, a bicycle ride hosted by the Redlands-based club “Ride Yourself Fit” was held at 7:30 a.m.; dozens of local bicyclists, many of them police officers, rode 14 miles (23 km), with one mile representing each person killed in the attack. The remembrance bicycle ride continues to be held every December 2. A remembrance ceremony was held at a local blood bank at 8:00 a.m. Later that morning, over 200 people at the Inland Regional Center held a moment of silence outside the building. At 3:30 p.m., a "Peace Garden" was opened on the campus of California State University, San Bernardino; it was dedicated in the memory of five of the victims, who were all alumni of the university.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
Following the attack, county offices, including the Department of Public Health, were closed the remainder of the week, with only the most essential services remaining open. Most of the county's 20,000 employees returned to work on December 7, 2015, though Inland Regional Center personnel worked remotely. The Inland Regional Center remained closed until January 4, 2016. Its two main buildings now operated under heightened security; the building where the attack took place will remain closed indefinitely. The location of a planned train station next to the Center was moved eastward due in part to the Center's new security procedures.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
The City of San Bernardino incurred up to US$1 million in unforeseen expenses (such as the deployment of more police officers on extended shifts) as a result of the attack, and planned to seek state and federal emergency funds to help cover the costs.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County, since roughly 35 percent of the Department of Public Health employees were among those killed or wounded in the attack, and the attack left the county with very few health inspectors to do critical work. The emergency declaration will allow the state of California to send in additional health inspectors for assistance.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
On March 22, 2016, San Bernardino County unanimously voted to accept a US$1.5 million agreement with the California Association of Environmental Health Administrators to provide up to 30 temporary health inspectors to replace those currently on leave. As of May 29, 2016, 50 percent of county environmental health staff remain on leave, and temporary staff remain on loan from Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Contra Costa, Marin, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
About 2,000 local residents gathered at a candlelight vigil at San Manuel Stadium in downtown San Bernardino the day after the attack. At the vigil, Mayor R. Carey Davis praised the first responders, said that the tragedy "has forever impacted our community," and talked about how the community had come together following the attack. Five of the victims and one of the killers were graduates of California State University, San Bernardino; on December 8, 2015, more than 1,000 students, alumni, and community members attended a candlelight vigil on campus in honor of the victims. On January 4, 2016, a memorial for the slain victims was held at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in nearby Ontario, with thousands in attendance, including Governor Brown, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Christian pastor Rick Warren.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Local and county reactions
After the attack, a relief fund for San Bernardino was set up and has raised US$2.48 million as of March 3, 2016. On July 5, 2016, the relief fund finished distributing the entirety of its raised money to the families of the deceased victims (which all received 80 percent of the funds), the 22 people injured (who received 15.5 percent), and witnesses to the shooting (who received 4.5 percent). There were 75 named recipients in total, though the two police officers injured in the shootout with the perpetrators declined their share of the compensation.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Nationwide reactions
President Barack Obama ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House, public buildings, military installations, Navy ships, embassies, and diplomatic missions. On December 18, 2015, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met in San Bernardino with families of the fatal victims, and emergency personnel who first responded to the incident.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Nationwide reactions
The governors of several states also ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in their states as well. In California, the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the State Capitol was canceled and all flags were lowered to half-staff.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Nationwide reactions
Twelve of the dead were members of the Service Employees International Union; SEIU international president Mary Kay Henry said, "Our hearts are broken from this tragedy. ... We will unite to demand that our nation does everything possible to ensure that no more families have to feel this pain, sadness and loss ever again."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Muslim reaction
American Muslim organizations, including Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Islamic Society of Orange County, condemned the attacks. A night vigil was held the day after the attacks at the largest mosque in the San Bernardino County, the Ahmadiyya Baitul Hameed Mosque.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Muslim reaction
In the aftermath of the shooting, CAIR reported an escalation in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the U.S., including the throwing of a pig's head at a mosque in Philadelphia, the beating of a Queens shop owner, and incidents of death threats and vandalism. A number of attacks and incidents of vandalism in southern California in the weeks following the attack were investigated as anti-Muslim hate crimes.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Muslim reaction
A "Muslims United for San Bernardino" campaign to raise money to assist victims' families with funeral expenses and other needs raised more than US$152,000 from more than 1,000 donors, becoming the most successful crowdfunding venture Muslim Americans have ever launched.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Muslim reaction
On December 15, 2015, three senior White House officials—Valerie Jarrett, Cecilia Muñoz, and Ben Rhodes—met with American Muslim and Sikh leaders to discuss the increase in violent attacks upon members of the American Muslim and Sikh community following the attack (Sikhs are not Muslims but have been occasionally targeted in anti-Islamic bias-motivated crimes).


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Muslim reaction
On January 19, 2016, Dabiq, the online propaganda magazine of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, released an issue praising the shooting and the perpetrators.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
Governor Brown said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families and everyone affected by the brutal attack." On September 12, 2016, Brown and California Attorney General Kamala Harris awarded eight police officers the Medal of Valor for their roles in emergency response during the attack and the subsequent shootout with the perpetrators.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the Pakistani government will continue to offer "all possible legal assistance" to the U.S. in the investigation, and that:


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
[ No] sane Pakistani or Muslim could even think about doing such acts, and only few people are using the name of Islam for their wrongdoings, which is defaming our religion. Such heinous acts also lead to serious difficulties for millions of Muslims who live in Western and other countries, and the extremists and nationalist elements in those societies look at Muslims with suspicions. Islamophobia is being spread around the world. What the terrorists are doing has nothing to do with Islam.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
In an address to the nation delivered from the Oval Office on December 6, 2015, President Obama declared the shooting an act of terrorism, referring to the shooters as having "gone down the dark path of radicalization" and embracing a "perverted version of Islam." Obama said that "the threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it" and promised that the United States will "destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us." Obama also outlined the ongoing fight against ISIL (including U.S. airstrikes, financial sanctions, and targeted special operations) and urged Americans to not give in to fear. It was just the third speech from the Oval Office in the seven years of Obama's presidency.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
Many Republican U.S. presidential candidates at the time, among them Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, responded by claiming the United States was at war. Chris Christie, who was campaigning in Iowa at the time, declared, "What the fact is this is a new world war and one that won't look like the last two. And this is one where it's radical Islamic jihadists everyday are trying to kill Americans and disrupt and destroy our way of life." Jeb Bush stated, "If this is a war, and I believe it is since they have declared war on us, we need to declare war on them."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
In the New York Review of Books, Wyatt Mason observed that a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, committed by a devout Christian a week earlier, did not lead to the kind of rhetorical outpouring produced by the San Bernardino attack, and argued that the difference in response suggested racism was at work.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
Some Muslim leaders objected to Obama's request that American Muslims help to "root out" extremism in their communities. Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour commented, "I'm tired of this idea that extremism can only mean Muslims or Islam or people who are associated with Islam ... why is it that we're only obsessed with Islam and Muslim communities?". "We would never ask any other faith community to stand up and condemn acts of violence committed by people within their groups", she said.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
On June 18, 2016, President Obama issued a Weekly Address addressing the San Bernardino attack and a mass shooting that occurred at a gay nightclub six days earlier. In the speech, he addressed the topics of homegrown terrorism and gun control.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions
Being tough on terrorism, particularly the sorts of homegrown terrorism that we've seen now in Orlando and San Bernardino, means making it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their hands on assault weapons that are capable of killing dozens of innocents as quickly as possible. That's something I'll continue to talk about in the weeks ahead.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions, Controversies
In response to the shooting, Donald Trump called for a "total and complete" ban on Muslims entering the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." Trump's statement drew widespread condemnation, including from the White House, the Pentagon, the United Nations, and foreign leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Trump's suggestion was met with condemnation from both Democratic and Republican candidates for the presidency in 2016. Trump, in an interview on Good Morning America, cited the internment of Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian Americans during World War II as precedent for his proposal.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions, Controversies
The attack reignited the debate over whether U.S. government should expand electronic surveillance of Americans, and specifically whether Congress should adopt legislation mandating that technology companies provide a backdoor so that law enforcement has access to encrypted communication. Technology companies oppose such legislation, arguing that it would unacceptably undermine security. At a December 9, 2015, hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Comey called upon tech companies offering end-to-end encryption (such as Apple) to revise their "business model."


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions, Controversies
There is no evidence that the shooters in San Bernardino used encrypted communications, although Comey said the attackers in the Curtis Culwell Center attack earlier the same year exchanged encrypted text messages. Senators Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Intelligence Committee, are working on encryption legislation. Additionally, Feinstein reintroduced legislation that would require tech companies to report "knowledge of any terrorist activity" they become aware of, a measure that worried Silicon Valley technology companies, which object to such measures on privacy grounds.


2015 San Bernardino attack, Reactions, Political reactions, Controversies
The use of BearCat armored vehicles by police during the shootout revived debate over use of military and military-style equipment by police, with some law-enforcement officials saying that the shooting showed a need for police to acquire such equipment.


2015 San Diego Aviators season
The 2015 San Diego Aviators season was the 21st season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT) and its second playing in San Diego County, California.


2015 San Diego Aviators season
After a successful inaugural season in San Diego in which the team had the best regular-season record in WTT, the Aviators had 5 wins and 9 losses, finished third in the Western Conference and failed to qualify for the playoffs.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, New ownership
On December 18, 2014, the Aviators announced that Fred Luddy and Jack McGrory, formerly minority owners, had acquired control of the team from Russell Geyser. According to the team's website as of January 2015, Luddy became the majority owner, Geyser retained a minority stake, and team CEO Billy Berger acquired a minority interest in the team. Shelly Hall, who was the onetime general manager of the San Diego Friars and served in that position for the Aviators in 2014, was no longer listed as part of the team's staff. As of March 2015, Geyser was no longer listed on the team's website as one of the team's minority owners.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Move to Carlsbad
On December 29, 2014, the Aviators announced that the team  would move its home matches to the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in nearby Carlsbad for the 2015 season.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, New logo
On January 6, 2015, the Aviators unveiled their new logo on their Facebook page. In a significant change from the multicolored logo used in 2014, the new logo contains only thunderbird red and white.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Lloyd hired as coach
On March 3, 2015, the Aviators announced that John Lloyd had been hired as the team's new head coach to replace 2014 WTT Coach of the Year David Macpherson, who had expressed a desire to coach in the Sacramento metropolitan area with the newly-relocated California Dream. When Macpherson was later introduced as the Dream's new head coach, he said, "I’m very excited to be coaching in the city where I started my WTT career back in 1992."


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Trade of Bryan brothers and draft
Since David Macpherson had long served as the coach for the Bryan brothers, it was inevitable that the twins would want to follow him just as they did when he was hired as the Aviators' head coach in 2014. Consequently, prior to the WTT draft on March 16, 2015, the Aviators traded Bob and Mike Bryan to the Dream for financial consideration. The Aviators did not protect 2014 WTT Female Most Valuable Player Daniela Hantuchová in the marquee portion of the draft.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Trade of Bryan brothers and draft
Madison Keys was assigned to the Aviators as a league-designated player, and they selected her as their only marquee draft pick. In the roster portion of the draft, the Aviators protected Raven Klaasen and Květa Peschke. They did not protect 2014 WTT Male Rookie of the Year Somdev Devvarman. The Aviators selected amateur Taylor Fritz and Chanelle Scheepers in the roster portion of the draft. Fritz was the only amateur player selected in the 2015 WTT draft.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Other player transactions
On June 26, 2015, the Aviators began listing Darija Jurak as a member of the team, and Květa Peschke was removed from the active roster. In posts on both Facebook and Twitter, Jurak was referred to as a member of the team. The Facebook post included a photograph of Jurak. The roster on the team's website no longer listed Peschke. Initially, no explanation was given by the Aviators for Peschke's departure from the team.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Other player transactions
The final reference to Peschke as a member of the Aviators was in a tweet on June 3, 2015, in which a photograph of her was included in a collage of pictures of the team. Although an image of Peschke appeared in a tweet by the Aviators on June 3, team rosters released by WTT to the press on the previous day, listed Jurak and not Peschke as a member of the Aviators. In a Facebook comment on July 6, 2015, the Aviators disclosed that Peschke was injured and unable to play for the team during the 2015 season.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Other player transactions
Peschke is the final player still with the team who also played for the New York Sportimes prior to the franchise's move to San Diego. Pursuant to WTT Rule 308F, Peschke may be protected by the Aviators in the 2016 WTT Draft, since she was eligible for protection in 2015, and she was injured before the 2015 season and unable to play.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Other player transactions
On July 29, 2015, the Aviators added Daniel Nguyen to their roster as a substitute player.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Blake coaches opening match
On June 29, 2015, the Aviators announced that James Blake would coach the team in its season-opening match on July 12, at home against the California Dream. Following that match, John Lloyd  served as the Aviators coach for the remainder of the season.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Blake coaches opening match
In the days leading up to the season opener, the Aviators hinted in social media posts that there was a surprise in store. Just hours before the opening match, the Aviators announced that Blake would not only coach the team, but he would also play.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Blake coaches opening match
In what was the inaugural match for the Dream after the franchise's move from Texas and the first match for the Aviators on their new home court, San Diego prevailed with a 24–19 victory. Chanelle Scheepers opened the match by taking the women's singles and closed it by teaming with Darija Jurak for a set win in women's doubles. Blake failed to win the men's singles set (the only set the Aviators dropped), but he came back paired with Raven Klaasen for a solid win in men's doubles. Klaasen and Jurak took the mixed doubles.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Aviators miss the playoffs
The Aviators started the season strong, winning three of their first four matches. However, they followed this with a five-match losing streak that was capped off by losses on consecutive evenings in a home-and-home series with the California Dream with whom they were contending for a playoff berth. In the second loss to the Dream, the Aviators took an 18–15 lead into the final set. But former Aviators Bob and Mike Bryan teamed up to take the final set of men's doubles, 5–1, for a 20–19 Dream victory. The loss dropped the Aviators' record to 3 wins and 6 losses.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Aviators miss the playoffs
The Aviators ended their losing streak with their finest performance of the season. They swept all five sets on the road against the Springfield Lasers, the team that had beaten them in the previous season's Western Conference Championship Match. Amateur Taylor Fritz closed out the match with a 5–4 men's singles set win over John Isner after earlier teaming with Raven Klaasen for a 5–4 me's doubles set win over Isner and Andre Begemann. Klaasen and Darija Jurak got the Aviators started with a 5–4 mixed doubles set win. Chanelle Scheepers took the second set, 5–3, and teamed with Jurak in the fourth set of women's doubles for another 5–3 set win.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Season recap, Aviators miss the playoffs
The following evening, the Aviators were dominated by the Austin Aces, 25–8. They were shut out in both the women's singles and women's doubles sets. A bit more than two hours later, the Aviators were eliminated from playoff contention when the Dream completed its victory over the Philadelphia Freedoms.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Draft picks
Since the Aviators had the better record of the two conference championship losers in 2014, they selected third from the bottom in each round of the draft. Unlike previous seasons in which WTT conducted its Marquee Player Draft and its Roster Player Draft on different dates about one month apart, the league conducted a single draft at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California on March 16, 2015. The selections made by the Aviators are shown in the table below.


2015 San Diego Aviators season, Statistics
Players are listed in order of their game-winning percentage provided they played in at least 40% of the Aviators' games in that event, which is the WTT minimum for qualification for league leaders in individual statistical categories.


2015 San Diego Chargers season
The 2015 season was the San Diego Chargers' 46th in the National Football League, their 56th overall and their third under head coach Mike McCoy. The team had its worst season since 2003 with a 4–12 record.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions
The Chargers started their season at home against the Lions. After falling behind 21-10 at halftime, the Bolts managed to outscore the Lions 23-7 in the second half of the game and win it 33-28.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions
With the win, the Chargers started their season 1-0 and improved to 5-0 all-time at home against Detroit.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Chargers would trail all game, and tried to come back towards the end of the game, but Philip Rivers threw an interception, sealing the game. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 1-1.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
The Chargers once again would never lead during the game. The game was officially sealed when Chad Greenway returned an interception 91 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown. Adrian Peterson would rush for 126 yards on 20 attempts, including a 43-yard touchdown early in the third quarter on a play in which he ran through Charger defenders. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 1-2.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns
The Browns would go down to tie the game with a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. The Chargers would then get into field goal range for kicker Josh Lambo. Lambo attempted a 39-yard attempt, but the kick was no good, and the game appeared to be heading to overtime. However, the Browns were flagged for being offsides, as Tramon Williams jumped before the ball was snapped. The penalty gave Lambo a chance at redemption. This time, Lambo drilled the game-winning 34-yard field goal to give the Chargers the win. With the win, the Chargers improved to 2-2.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 5: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Chargers took the lead after Josh Lambo made a 54-yard field goal with 2:56 remaining in the game. However, the Steelers, lead by Michael Vick, were able to march all the way down the field to score as time expired. The final play came on a wildcat formation call, as running back Le'Veon Bell took the direct snap and rushed in for the game winner as the clock expired. The play was reviewed, and the call stood, giving Pittsburgh the win. This game is also notable for the number of Steeler fans that showed up to the game. According to the attendance, there were over 1,000 Steeler fans in the crowd during this game, and whenever the Steelers would score, terrible towels would be waved all over the place, as if the game was being held at Heinz Field. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 2-3.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 6: at Green Bay Packers
The Chargers travel to Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Green Bay Packers. However, despite a big day from Philip Rivers throwing for 503 yards, it wasn't enough to stun the Packers in Lambeau and they would go on to lose, 27-20.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 7: vs. Oakland Raiders
The Chargers would trail as much as 37-6 for most of the game. The Chargers would try to come back, and outscored Oakland 23-0 in the fourth quarter. However, it was not enough, as the Chargers lost 37-29. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 2-5.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 8: at Baltimore Ravens
The 1-6 Ravens took down the Chargers after Justin Tucker nailed the game winning 39-yard field goal as time expired. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 2-6.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears
For the second time this season, the Chargers home opponent's fans seemed to outnumber their own fans, as Bears fans were heard for most of the game. The Chargers would lead for most of the game. However, the Bears would go down to take the lead on a Zach Miller touchdown. Miller had to go airborne and made the catch with one hand. The grab would seal the win for the Bears. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 2-7.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 11: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This game was originally going to be on Sunday Night Football, but was later changed to 4:25 after the Bengals-Cardinals game was flexed to Sunday Night. The Chiefs rattled the Chargers 33-3, and it was the first time the Chargers failed to score a touchdown since 2012 against the Falcons. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 2-8.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Chargers were able to hold off a comeback by the Jaguars in the fourth quarter, and the Chargers got their first road win of the season. With the win, San Diego went to 3-8.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos
For the second time in 3 weeks, the Chargers would fail to score a touchdown, as they were only held to 3 points against a powerful Broncos defense. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 3-9.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs
For the second time this season against the Chiefs, the Chargers did not score a touchdown. This game, however, was a lot closer, as the Chargers lost by a mere 7 points. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 3-10. They were outscored in the season series with Kansas City 43-6.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Chargers easily dominated the Dolphins, 30-14, to go to 4-10 in what some thought could've been the last game the Chargers played in San Diego.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 16: at Oakland Raiders
The Chargers would tie the game after Josh Lambo converted a 45-yard field goal attempt with 55 seconds remaining in regulation. In overtime, the Raiders would kick the go-ahead field goal on their first possession. The Chargers tried to go down the field to tie or win, but the comeback failed, and the Raiders held on for the win. With the loss, the Chargers fell to 4-11 and were swept by the Raiders for the first time since 2010.


2015 San Diego Chargers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 17: at Denver Broncos
The Chargers went to Denver to try and prevent the Broncos from clinching home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. Despite forcing 5 turnovers, the Chargers failed to convert them into points, as their offense struggled all afternoon. Brock Osweiler would later be benched, and Peyton Manning would enter the game for Denver. The Chargers would have the lead twice in this game, but lost them both. The game was officially put away after Ronnie Hillman ran for 23 yards for a touchdown to put the Broncos ahead for good. With the loss, the Chargers ended their season at 4-12, and also finished 0-6 against their division.


2015 San Diego Padres season
The 2015 San Diego Padres season was their 47th season in MLB, and their 12th at Petco Park. General Manager A. J. Preller had a busy offseason, acquiring a new starting outfield in Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and Wil Myers, while adding to an already strong bullpen with All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. The Padres also signed free agent starting pitcher James Shields. San Diego traded away seven of its top 11 prospects, as rated by Baseball America entering the offseason.


2015 San Diego Padres season
After starting the season 32–33 and six games behind in the National League West, the Padres fired manager Bud Black, who had managed the team for eight-plus seasons. Bench coach Dave Roberts filled in as manager for one game until Pat Murphy was named the interim manager. After spending one season as a third base coach for the Diamondbacks, on October 29, 2015, Andy Green was named manager of the San Diego Padres.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
October 30: Tim Stauffer and Josh Johnson become free agents.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
November 18: Signed Benji Gonzalez to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
November 20: Promoted 3 players from the minors, sent 2 to the minors, signed Griff Erickson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, and sent Raymond Fuentes to the Kansas City Royals for Kyle Bartsch.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
November 27: Signed Jason Lane to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 3: Signed Bryant Aragon to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 11: Signed Trayvon Robinson to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 15: Signed Brett Wallace to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 18-December 20: Signed Brandon Morrow and made the following trades:


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 29: Sent Keyvius Sampson to the minors and sent Johnny Barbato to the New York Yankees and received Shawn Kelley.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
December 30: Received Brandon Maurer from the Seattle Mariners for Seth Smith.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 7: Sent Jake Goebbert to the minors and signed Scott Elbert to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 8: Signed José Valverde and Marcos Mateo to minor league contracts and invited Valverde to spring training.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 9: Signed Daniel McCutchen to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 15: Signed Luis Hernández to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 26: Invited 10 players to spring training and signed 2 others to minor league contracts with invites to spring training.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
January 31: Signed Wil Nieves to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
February 5: Signed Zach Segovia to a minor league contract.


2015 San Diego Padres season, Offseason
April 5: Received Craig Kimbrel & Melvin Upton, Jr. from the Atlanta Braves for Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin & Matt Wisler


2015 San Diego Padres season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


2015 San Diego Padres season, Player stats, Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


2015 San Diego State Aztecs football team
The 2015 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aztecs were led by fifth-year head coach Rocky Long and played their home games at Qualcomm Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 8–0 in Mountain West play to become West Division Champions. They represented the West Division in the Mountain West Championship Game where they defeated Mountain Division representative Air Force to be crowned Mountain West champions. They were invited to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated Cincinnati.


2015 San Diego Toreros football team
The 2015 San Diego Toreros football team represented the University of San Diego during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Dale Lindsey and played their home games at Torero Stadium. They were a member of the Pioneer Football League. They finished the season 9–2, 7–1 in PFL play to share the league championship with Dayton. Due to their head to head loss to Dayton, they did not receive the PFL's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs and did not receive an at-large bid.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2015 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 66th in the National Football League, the 70th overall, second playing their home games at Levi's Stadium, and the only season under head coach Jim Tomsula. They were attempting to make history as the first Super Bowl host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014, and ended with a 5–11 record to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season
They also finished last in the NFC West for the first time in a decade, and marked the 31st consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played – a feat that never has been achieved since themselves in 1984.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Offseason, Coaching changes
With their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 of the 2014–15 season, the 49ers were mathematically eliminated from the postseason, exacerbating tensions between Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke. After the season ended, the 49ers and Harbaugh mutually agreed to end his contract. On January 14, 2015, Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach after serving as defensive line coach with the team since 2007; it is his second time at the helm, as he previously served as the 49ers' interim head coach for one game, after Mike Singletary's firing in 2010.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
In the 49ers' first game with new head coach Jim Tomsula, the 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 20–3 on Monday Night Football. In his first career start, Carlos Hyde rushed 26 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Hyde's 168 rushing yards were the most by a 49ers player since 2012, when Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 against the Packers. Colin Kaepernick went 17 for 26 with 165 yards passing. The 49ers defense was stout, holding the Vikings to just three points and sacking Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater five times.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson, returning from suspension, rushed for only 31 yards on 10 carries. This game also marked the return of NaVorro Bowman, who missed all of the 2014 season with an injury. He had seven tackles and a sack in the season opener. In addition, the 49ers introduced black alternate uniforms.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers
The 49ers' first road game of the year ended in a disaster. The 49ers defense had no answer for Ben Roethlisberger, who went 21 for 27,369 yards and three touchdown passes as the Steelers won 43–18. The Steelers took a commanding 29-3 halftime lead. Despite only scoring 18 points, the 49ers offense opened up in the second half, with Kaepernick leading the 49ers into the Steelers red zone four times, but only able to score one touchdown (along with a field goal and two turnovers on downs). The highlight for the 49ers was Kaepernick hitting wide receiver Torrey Smith for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The Steelers defense had a field day on Kaepernick, sacking him 5 times and making him lose a fumble.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first player since 1925 to throw two interceptions returned for touchdowns (pick sixes) to start a game. He had four interceptions in the game overall and the Cardinals thrashed the 49ers 47–7. This is the most points the Cardinals have ever scored against the 49ers. In the past two weeks, the 49ers were outscored 90–25.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers
Despite a good showing by the 49ers defense (holding the Packers to a season-low 17 points and sacking Aaron Rodgers 3 times), the 49ers offense struggled all game. It was another frustrating day for Colin Kaepernick, who consistently missed receivers and threw an interception. Throughout the game, he was sacked six times. In the last two weeks, Kaepernick had no touchdown passes and five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 12.7.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers
With yet another tough loss, the 49ers dropped to 1–3, and were outscored by a total of 110–48 in their first 4 games. By the end of week 4, the 49ers were last in the league in total points scored.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 5: at New York Giants
In one of the wildest games of the year, the 49ers lost a heartbreaker in the final minute. The 49ers offense, which struggled the previous two weeks and had just 6 points at halftime in this game, came alive and scored three-second half touchdowns, including Carlos Hyde's 2-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 1:45 left on the clock to give the 49ers a 27–23 lead. But Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants down the field and threw a 12-yard touchdown to Larry Donnell with 0:17 left in the game. The 49ers defense was shredded for an astonishing 525 yards by the Giants offense. There were five lead changes in the game, three of them in the final 4:29 of the fourth quarter.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
The 49ers met the Ravens for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Ravens won 34–31. In the second quarter, Colin Kaepernick threw a 76-yard pass to ex-Raven Torrey Smith to extend San Francisco's lead to 13–3. In the fourth quarter, Kaepernick threw another touchdown, this time to Quinton Patton, for 11 yards to lead the 49ers 25–13. This was Patton's first NFL touchdown. With the win, the 49ers avenged their Super Bowl loss and broke their 4-game losing streak, and they improved to 2–4.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Much like last year's Thanksgiving Day matchup, the 49ers were unable to stop the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. Colin Kaepernick struggled all game long and he was sacked six times, much like Week 4 against Green Bay, where the 49ers were also only held to a field goal. With the 20–3 loss, the 49ers dropped to 2–5.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
This was Blaine Gabbert's first game as starting quarterback with the 49ers, replacing Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers were also without tight end Vernon Davis, who was traded to the Denver Broncos, after nine and a half seasons with the team.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks
Blaine Gabbert made his second start and remained starter for the rest of the season with Colin Kaepernick undergoing season-ending surgery on his left non-throwing shoulder.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 3-8 and were swept by the Cardinals for the first time since 2008.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 13: at Chicago Bears
The 49ers would trail 20–13 with less than a minute to go. Blaine Gabbert would run in a game-tying 44-yard touchdown to tie the game at 20. However, the Bears appeared to have the game won when they went down the field after a 74-yard kick return by Deonte Thompson. But when Robbie Gould came out to attempt a game-winning 36-yard field goal, the kick was wide left, resulting in overtime. In the overtime period, Gabbert would throw the game-winning 71-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith to win the game for San Francisco. This was San Francisco's first win in Chicago since the 1988 NFC Championship Game.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 14: at Cleveland Browns
With the loss, the 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs and became the latest Super Bowl host team to fail to play the championship game on its own home field.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 15: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The 49ers played an overall ugly game as they lost 24–14 to the powerful Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw 3 interceptions and receiver Anquan Boldin lost a fumble.


2015 San Francisco 49ers season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams
This was the final game between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams before the Rams' relocation to Los Angeles. With the win, the 49ers ended their season 5-11.


2015 San Francisco Giants season
The 2015 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 133rd year in Major League Baseball, their 58th year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their 16th at AT&T Park. The team entered the season as the defending World Series champions and got second place in the NL West for the second straight year, but missed the playoffs with a record of 84-78 (.519).


2015 San Francisco Giants season, Statistics, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Base on balls; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


2015 San Francisco Giants season, Statistics, Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


2015 San Francisco mayoral election
The 2015 San Francisco mayoral election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of San Francisco, California. Incumbent Mayor Ed Lee won re-election to a second term in office.


2015 San Francisco mayoral election, Candidates
In November 2015, incumbent Mayor Ed Lee declared that he would stand for reelection for a second term as mayor. State Senator Mark Leno had considered running but ultimately decided against it. Former Mayor Art Agnos, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Public Defender Jeff Adachi and former State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano all also declined to run. Initially, local media speculated that Lee would run for reelection unopposed. Lee was ultimately opposed by five candidates: Kent Graham, Francisco Herrera, Reed Martin, Stuart Schuffman, and Amy Farah Weiss.


2015 San Francisco mayoral election, Election results
Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, though most candidates in San Francisco do receive funding and support from various political parties. Instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting, was used in the election. Lee was reelected with a majority of the vote in the first round of votes, and no transferring of votes was required.


2015 San Jose Earthquakes season
The 2015 San Jose Earthquakes season is the club's 33rd year of existence, their 17th season in Major League Soccer and their 8th consecutive season in the top-flight of American soccer. It the club's first season playing in Avaya Stadium, their new soccer-specific stadium.


2015 San Jose Earthquakes season, Competitive, U.S. Open Cup
San Jose will enter the 2015 U.S. Open Cup with the rest of Major League Soccer in the fourth round.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season
The 2015 San Jose SaberCats season was the team's 19th in San Jose, California. The team was coached by Darren Arbet and played their home games at the SAP Center at San Jose. They finished first in the Pacific Division with a 17–1 regular season record and went on to defeat the Jacksonville Sharks 68–47 in ArenaBowl XXVIII.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
The SaberCats, following a tough loss to the Arizona Rattlers in the 2014 National Conference Championship Game, made a number of key moves in the 2014–15 offseason. The most notable of these moves saw the SaberCats sign quarterback Erik Meyer, the 2013 AFL MVP, to replace outgoing quarterback Russ Michna. The team revamped its secondary with the signings of superstar cornerback Virgil Gray and promising young defensive back Eric Crocker; the team also traded with the Portland Thunder for defensive lineman Donte Paige-Moss, who ultimately filled in for outgoing free agent Joe Sykes. These players joined a strong defensive core of David Hyland, Ken Fontenette, Francis Maka, Luis Vasquez, and 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Jason Stewart.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
In addition to signing Meyer, the SaberCats made a handful of key additions on offense. They greatly bolstered their receiving corps by signing 2014 All-Arena receiver Darius Reynolds and 2013 Receiver of the Year Adron Tennell (both of which were to fill the void left by the loss of Dominique Curry); these signings added to a group that included superstar wideout Reggie Gray and veteran Ben Nelson. The SaberCats also traded for experienced center Jeff Maddux and signed 2014 All-Arena offensive lineman Colin Madison; these players joined star linemen George Bussey and Rich Ranglin. The team also retained All-Arena fullback Odie Armstrong and 2014 Kicker of the Year Nich Pertuit.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
The SaberCats began their season in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they cruised to a 59–41 victory. The SaberCats then won each of their next ten games, mostly in lopsided fashion; over that span, only one team (the Tampa Bay Storm) lost by single digits. The SaberCats played fantastic defense despite the Week 3 loss of Virgil Gray to injury; he was replaced by Hall of Fame cornerback (and SaberCats legend) Clevan Thomas. On June 7, following a Portland Thunder loss, the 11–0 SaberCats clinched their second consecutive (and tenth overall) division championship. This ensured that they would reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
The SaberCats' remarkable run ended one week later against the Los Angeles Kiss, who were 1–9 at the time. After forcing overtime on the final play of the fourth quarter, the SaberCats turned the ball over on downs; a subsequent Los Angeles score sealed a 48–42 loss. The SaberCats regrouped, winning their final six regular season games; their 17–1 record tied the 2014 Cleveland Gladiators for the best regular season finish in AFL history. The SaberCats triumphed despite losing George Bussey and Adron Tennell to injury; they replaced the players with center Antonio Narcisse and All-Arena wideout Maurice Purify, respectively. Numerous players received awards at the end of the season; most notable was Reggie Gray's selection as Wide Receiver of the Year. Gray finished the campaign with a franchise-record 44 receiving touchdowns.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
In the first round of the playoffs, the SaberCats faced the Portland Thunder (who they crushed in a 55–28 rout). They then defeated their rivals, the three-time defending champion Arizona Rattlers, by the score of 70–67 in the Conference Championship game; the game was ultimately decided by a controversial call made with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
The SaberCats proceeded to ArenaBowl XXVIII, where they faced off against the American Conference Champion Jacksonville Sharks; after a back-and-forth first half, the heavily favored SaberCats pulled away with 34 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters (including two defensive touchdowns by David Hyland). The SaberCats won the game by the score of 68–47; in doing so, they became the only team in AFL history to win 20 games in a season. They joined the 2002 SaberCats as the only one-loss teams in league history.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Season summary
The 2015 San Jose SaberCats posted, in many regards, the most dominant regular season in AFL history. They boasted the league's #1 offense and #1 defense; their point differential of +399 was the largest in league history. Similarly, the SaberCats averaged 22.17 more points per game than their opponents; this is the largest Margin of Victory (MOV) in AFL history. According to Arenafan.com, after accounting for league averages, the 2015 SaberCats' defense was the most dominant of all time.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Schedule, Regular season
The 2015 regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2014.


2015 San Jose SaberCats season, Roster
Rookies in italics updated August 21, 201524 Active, 23 Inactive


2015 San Jose State Spartans football team
The 2015 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were led by third-year head coach Ron Caragher and played their home games at Spartan Stadium. They were members of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division. They finished the season 6–7, 4–4 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division.


2015 San Jose State Spartans football team
Though they finished 5–7 on the regular season, they qualified for a bowl berth due to having the third highest eligible Academic Progress Rate (APR), after only 77 of the 80 bids for a bowl were filled. This was San Jose's first bowl berth since 2012. The Spartans defeated Georgia State 27–16 to win the inaugural Cure Bowl.


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour
The 2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 22nd edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in San Luis Potosí, Mexico between 31 March and 5 April.


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour – Doubles
Kevin King and Juan Carlos Spir were the defending champions, but Spir did not participate. King partnered with Dean O'Brien and lost in the semifinals.


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour – Doubles
Guillermo Durán and Horacio Zeballos won the title, defeating Sergio Galdos and Guido Pella in the final, 7–6(7–4), 6–4.


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour – Singles
Paolo Lorenzi was the defending champion, but lost in the semifinals.


2015 San Luis Open Challenger Tour – Singles
Guido Pella won the title, defeating James McGee in the final, 6–3, 6–3.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix was the thirteenth round of the 2015 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It was held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano Adriatico on 13 September 2015.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix
The MotoGP race started in dry conditions but as the race progressed, rain started to fall, forcing most of the riders to change to bikes with wet tyres. The rain eventually stopped halfway through the race and the final laps were completed in relatively dry track conditions. Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo took his third pole position of the season but it was Marc Márquez who won the race after making a crucial second bike change before Valentino Rossi and Lorenzo.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix
Bradley Smith and Scott Redding became the first pair of British riders to stand on a premier class podium since Barry Sheene and Tom Herron at the 1979 Venezuelan Grand Prix. Smith made a risky yet successful decision to stay on dry tyres for the whole duration of the race and achieved his second premier class podium in second place, while Redding achieved his maiden MotoGP podium with a third-place finish despite crashing earlier in the race.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix
Lorenzo and Rossi stayed out on wet tyres for a few laps longer than Márquez; this resulted in a fifth-place finish for Rossi and Lorenzo crashed out with eight laps remaining. Yonny Hernández and Alex de Angelis also crashed out while Pol Espargaró and wildcard Michele Pirro both retired. Loris Baz took his fourth victory in the Open category with a fourth-place finish. Although Rossi only managed to finish in fifth position, Lorenzo's retirement extended the championship gap between the two riders to 23 points.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix
In the junior classes, both pole-sitters won their respective races; Johann Zarco won his sixth race of the season in Moto2, while Enea Bastianini took his first Grand Prix victory in Moto3 after a final-lap pass on Miguel Oliveira.


2015 San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round thirteen has concluded.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush
On 6 April 2015, a convoy of the Jalisco State Police was ambushed by suspected members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco. The attack occurred in a mountain road in San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco. Fifteen policemen were killed and five were wounded; no CJNG casualties were confirmed. According to police reports, as the police convoy reached a part of the road surrounded by mountains, the CJNG opened fire at the police units from the sides using high-caliber rifles, grenade launchers, and explosives with gasoline. The element of surprise prevented the police from repelling the aggression. The CJNG members burned several vehicles along the highway to halt reinforcements. The attack lasted roughly 30 minutes. When government reinforcements reached the scene, the CJNG gunmen had left.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush
The ambush was one of the deadliest single-attack incidents against Mexico's security forces in the ongoing Mexican Drug War. It was also a rare display of bold attacks against law enforcement. In the past, criminal groups in Mexico tended to avoid direct confrontation with security forces. The attack also showcased the manpower and sophistication of the CJNG. The complexity of the attack showed that the CJNG had expertise in military tactics, guerrilla warfare, ambush and counter-ambush training, and in use of explosives. According to investigators, the CJNG carried out the ambush to avenge the arrests and deaths of their fallen comrades from government crackdowns.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
At around 2:50 p.m. on 6 April 2015, policemen from the Fuerza Única Jalisco, an elite unit of the Jalisco State Police, drove through a mountain road in Soyatán, a rural community in San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco. They were driving from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara, the state's capital. As they were crossing through the Mascota–Las Palmas highway, a road that was covered by mountains on both sides, they were ambushed by suspected members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in the Jalisco.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
The CJNG gunmen burned several vehicles along the highway to block the road and delay the arrival of potential government reinforcements. As the police units got to a curve, the CJNG gunmen opened fire at them with machine guns and grenade launchers from the side of the mountains. The attack worsened when the CJNG gunmen threw explosives along with jugs of gasoline from strategic locations.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
Given the element of surprise, the policemen did not have the chance to defend themselves from the aggression. The policemen that got out of the vehicles were shot by the CJNG. Those who stayed inside them died of calcination. In total, 15 police officers were killed in the ambush. 5 more were wounded and transported by helicopter to a wounded-care zone in Puerto Vallarta before being transferred to several hospitals across the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. Authorities reported them as being in stable condition. No casualties on the CJNG's side were confirmed because the gunmen were able to escape.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
The police called for reinforcements in Guadalajara. Several police units drove to the area, and a helicopter made it to the scene to provide air support. The Mexican Navy and the Mexican Federal Police (PF) then carried out a search of the surrounding areas to locate the CJNG gunmen. Investigators discovered that the assailants built an encampment in the mountains and waited for the police for as long as 48 hours.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
Some of the police units were completely burnt and totaled. Firefighters from Puerto Vallarta were called to the scene put down the flames in the burning vehicles. At the scene, investigators found hundreds of high-caliber bullet casings and detonated grenade fragmentation. At least two vehicles from the CJNG were purposely burnt to block the roads, but investigators were not able to determine if the vehicles were owned by uninvolved civilians whose cars were hijacked by the CJNG to block the road. There were no reported injuries during the road blockades carried out by the CJNG.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
After the shootout took place, the area was cordoned by law enforcement; the road where the attack occurred was closed for security measures. Several drivers complained because they were trying to leave or go to Puerto Vallarta but were unable to do so. That same evening, Jalisco authorities issued a communiqué confirming that the attack had taken place, but did not specify the casualties until the following morning. The report stated that the attack against the police was a retaliation for the 23 March death of Heriberto Acevedo Cárdenas (alias "El Gringo"), a suspected regional leader of the CJNG. In addition, the report stated that the attack was provoked by the arrest of 15 suspected CJNG members following an assassination attempt against Francisco Alejandro Solorio Aréchiga, Jalisco's security commissioner, on 30 March.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
A day after the attack, Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz, the Governor of Jalisco, called for a meeting with several high-ranking government officials at the Municipal Palace of Guadalajara (es). In the meeting, authorities confirmed the involvement of the CJNG in the attacks. Among the groups present were local security groups in Jalisco, the Mexican Army, the Attorney General of Mexico (PGR), the PF, the Center for Research and National Security, and the Attorney General of Jalisco.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
Solorio Aréchiga confirmed that the Government of Jalisco did not activate the "Red Code" alert, which is the highest level in the alert system and is used when the state is considered to be under the highest level of danger, despite rumors that it was activated. He went into detail about the ambush, and gave the press more background on the possible motives behind the attack, including the death of El Gringo and previous arrests of suspected CJNG members as part of the murder attempt against him.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Ambush and reactions
He also stated that Sandoval ordered the government to increase security measures and operatives across Jalisco, and that they were receiving support from institutions within the Secretariat of Public Security, a branch of the federal government. The government confirmed that the families of the deceased would receive help with funeral costs and with the policemen's life insurance benefits.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
This attack was unusual in the ongoing Mexican Drug War (2006–present) because large scale single-attacks against Mexico's security forces were uncommon. Attacks against security forces usually took place because organized crime members were being pursued and wanted to escape. The planned nature of this attack highlighted that organized crime military tactics were advanced and reaching new levels. In addition, though shootings between criminal groups and law enforcement were common, it was rare for criminal groups to come off victorious in gunfights. This attack was the largest death toll on law enforcement's side since 2009.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
Because of the one-sided death toll on the police's side, the ambush garnered international attention. Jalisco was one of the four states in Mexico that President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018) considered a priority for his national security initiative. Between March 2013 and April 2015, at least 70 government officials were killed in Jalisco. According to official reports from the Mexican government, there were 1,025 homicides linked to organized crime in Jalisco in 2014. This was lower than the year before, which totaled 1,485. These numbers are considerably higher than 2009, when Jalisco reported 679 homicides.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
The month before the ambush, on 19 March 2015, the CJNG attacked a convoy of the National Gendarmerie (es), a branch of the PF, in Ocotlán, Jalisco. 11 people were killed; 5 of them were police officers. The attacks were part of a larger campaign by the CJNG to avenge the capture or deaths of its leaders. Investigators believe that the attacks were masterminded by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (alias "El Mencho"), the top leader of the CJNG and one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
The intention of the attacks was to avenge their fallen comrades and show the government their manpower to strike back. On 23 March 2015, El Gringo and his suspected henchmen were driving through Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, when they encountered the Jalisco State Police. The CJNG members tried to escape, but their vehicle turned over as they sped away from the police units. Two gunmen opened fire at the police officers and threw a grenade at them.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
However, the police was able to neutralize the aggression and kill 4 of them, including El Gringo. One policeman was wounded in the attack; he was shot in the leg and calf, but was reported in stable condition. At the time of his death, El Gringo was suspected by law enforcement to be the regional leader of the CJNG in Zocalco de Torres and other municipalities of the region. There were 10 pending investigations against him, and he was suspected to be involved in gas theft, kidnappings, and in at least nine homicides.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
They also believed that he was responsible for a number of attacks against law enforcement, including the gunfight that left 4 Mexican Army soldiers dead on 12 May 2014 in Guachinango, Jalisco, and the murder of two police investigators in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco on 29 July 2014. According to investigators, El Mencho reportedly ordered the CJNG to carry out attacks against the government security forces in Jalisco as retaliation for El Gringo's death.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
On 30 March, suspected CJNG members carried out an attack against Jalisco's security commissioner Solorio Aréchiga while he was driving in Zapopan, Jalisco. Over 100 shots were fired from both sides, but Solorio Aréchiga's bodyguards were able to repel the CJNG's armed aggression and help him come out of the shooting unharmed. Investigators confirmed that this was a direct assassination attempt against Solorio Aréchiga, and that it stemmed from the government crackdowns on the CJNG's leadership structure. A few days after this incident, the CJNG carried out the ambush in San Sebastián del Oeste.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Background and possible motives
Solorio Aréchiga insisted that the ambush was also a result of the extensive investigation and arrests carried out by the government after the assassination attempt. State officials stated that it was likely that the CJNG would carry out more attacks after the ambush against Mexican security forces based in Jalisco. In a year, dating from the day of the ambush and back, 24 law enforcement agents in Jalisco were killed in ambush attacks with similar military tactics as ones used in San Sebastián del Oeste.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
Investigators believe that the CJNG outnumbered the Jalisco State Police during the ambush. According to Luis Carlos Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco, the Attorney General of Jalisco, the CJNG had at least 80 gunmen on their side. The Jalisco State Police had around 40. In an interview with the press, he explained the formation of the police units prior to being attacked by the CJNG.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
The Jalisco State Police was traveling in 10 vehicles; each vehicle paired up with another one – a standard protocol to prevent attacks from organized crime – while crossing through the mountain road where they were ambushed. Of the 10 vehicles, only 4 were attacked. Each of those 4 vehicles had 4 officers in them, totaling 16 (out of those 16, only one survived, by faking his own death). The CJNG gunmen were hiding in the mountains' sides in a curve. The gunmen attacked from at least 12 different shooting spots from the top of the mountains.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
They used a number of high-calibre assault rifles and ammunition. Among them were AK-47s, AR-15s, 40 mm grenades, and M-60 machine guns, which are capable of firing over 500 shots per minute. Some of the bullets found in the crime scene were specifically for detailed perforation. Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco explained that the turning point of the attack occurred when the CJNG threw explosives attached to 20 liters of gasoline from the top of the mountains. This burned 4 police vehicles.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
Some of the policemen were not able to recognize where the shots were coming from. After roughly 30 minutes of gunfire, the CJNG gunmen left through the mountains' forest. Investigators were not able to confirm any casualties from the CJNG's side, but Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco stated that it was not uncommon for organized crime members to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades from the battlefield to prevent authorities from investigating and identifying the corpses.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
He said that the suspects were probably hiding in the nearby mountains, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to conduct a thorough search of the area. Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco admitted that one of the biggest obstacles of the investigation was understanding how the CJNG found out the exact day, time, and place the police convoy was going to pass through the area where they were ambushed. He believes that the CJNG had precise information on the police's journey, and does not discard the possibility that an outsider might have given the CJNG information on the police's arrangements, or that someone inside the police ranks was passing along information to them.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
Jalisco authorities believe that the attack was planned by members of the CJNG who were experts in military tactics, ambush and counter-ambush training, and guerrilla warfare. Sophisticated attacks like the ones seen in San Sebastián del Oeste had not occurred before in Jalisco during the Mexican Drug War. The attack showcased the CJNG's manpower, discipline in combat, and ability to coordinate complex attacks without experiencing any casualties.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
In addition, they stated that those who planned the attack were experts in explosives, which made them think that the CJNG had members with former military or police training with experience in such combat. Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco told the press that investigators had evidence that the CJNG was recruiting foreign paramilitary gunmen as foot soldiers in Jalisco. They also had evidence that the CJNG was innovating its arsenal and making its own versions of the AR-15 and M16 assault rifles.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
Several police officers who were present during the ambush complained that the attack was a result of a series of mistakes made by Jalisco State Police. They asked to have their identities protected to avoid retaliation by organized crime or the police. In an interview with the press, they stated that there were logistical and strategic mistakes the day the attack occurred. According to them, the policemen involved in the ambush were only carrying one load of ammunition for their rifles and handguns.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
They also stated that the police commander was not with his troops when the ambush occurred, and that he ordered the first part of the convoy to drive further away from the convoy and separate from the rest. He stated that the travel time between the first part of the convoy and his when the police were ambushed was at least 40 minutes. According to the source, a white Suburban passed the convoy and then did zig-zag moves ahead of them, apparently signaling the CJNG that the police convoy was coming up.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Analysis of attack and formations
They explained that when the ambush occurred, their vehicle tires were flattened by the bullets. They were able to escape by driving in reverse at full speed and hiding in a drainage system nearby. Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco denied the claims that the police commander was not in the ambush. He also stated that the police did not go out on duty with one load of ammunition, and that the police commander was in the back part of the convoy, where he was able to call for reinforcements to save a wounded officer.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Immediate aftermath and memorials
Several hours after the ambush, suspected CJNG gunmen based in Zacoalco de Torres killed Miguel Ángel Caicedo Vargas, the police chief of that municipality. According to investigators, the police chief was kidnapped and tortured before being killed. The assassins stabbed cardboard onto the corpse with a written message warning law enforcement that he was killed for the death of El Gringo. His body was dumped in a car wash shop in Zacoalco de Torres. Witnesses stated that the assassins were driving a white Suburban with Sinaloa license plates.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Immediate aftermath and memorials
Jalisco authorities stated that this execution and the ambush were both doings of the CJNG. Municipal authorities from Zacoalco de Torres refused to provide details on the murder, and did not say if they were planning to host a memorial ceremony for Caicedo Vargas. Citizens from Zacoalco de Torres said they were worried about the situation in their town; in 15 days, the town hosted the shootout where El Gringo was killed and the murder of its local police chief. Locals stated that there was a strong presence of the Jalisco State Police following both incidents.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Immediate aftermath and memorials
A memorial service was carried out at the city's convention center on 8 April. The police department where Caicedo Vargas worked, which sat across the street from the convention center, placed a black ribbon in front of their main entrance. The PGR took over the ambush case, and stated that it would charge the suspects with organized crime, illegal possession of firearms, and homicide. This placed the investigation under federal jurisdiction.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Immediate aftermath and memorials
On 6 April 2015, the Government of Jalisco hosted a memorial ceremony near the crime scene. The ceremony was headed by Jesús Eduardo Almaguer Ramírez, a federal prosecutor from Jalisco. He offered his condolences to the victims' families on behalf of Governor Sandoval Díaz. Members from all three levels of the Mexican federal government were present during the ceremony. Almaguer Ramírez stated that they were proud of their troops' strength and honor, and thanked them for their support.


2015 San Sebastián del Oeste ambush, Immediate aftermath and memorials
Fernando Andrade Vicencio, one of the heads of the Jalisco State Police squadrons, read the names of all the officers killed while the officers present yelled "present" for each of them. The survivors of the ambush received medals for their service. A plaque in honor of the fallen policemen was unveiled following the ceremony. The next day, on behalf of the Government of Jalisco, the state's secretary general Roberto López Lara lamented the incident through social media and stated that the government would remember and honor the deceased officers as "heroes". Solorio Aréchiga stated on social media that the "cowardly attack" would not go unpunished. On 8 April in Mexico City, the Senate of the Republic held a moment of silence for the 15 policemen killed.