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Tashfeen Malik, the female shooter, pledged allegiance to ISIS during the massacre.
Facebook tells Mashable that Malik praised an ISIS leader in a now-deleted post.
The FBI says it is now investigating the shooting "as an act of terrorism."
In a surreal scene, a swarm of local and national media entered the apartment where San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik lived after the landlord tore off a piece of plywood that was blocking the door.
News outlets, including MSNBC, BBC, CBS News and CNN, broadcast live scenes as reporters toting cameras and microphones pushed through the open door and reported from inside the apartment in Redlands, California.
Door of #SanBernardino shooters' home opened by owner. Media heading in. pic.twitter.com/4XQnNQemmY— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorCNN) December 4, 2015
One MSNBC reporter was seen examining items left on the suspects' desk, at one point picking up a child-rearing book. CNN journalists described seeing driver's licenses, social security cards and shredded documents inside the residence. A group of photographers zeroed in on a pile of papers that were laid out on a bed.
Another camera crew panned over a crib; the couple had a 6-month-old daughter. A CNN correspondent picked up prayer beads.
It appeared that members of the public were inside the apartment as well. One man lingered holding a large soda. A child was seen wandering throughout the home. Another opened the refrigerator and peered inside.
When Mashable reached out to the FBI while the scene was simultaneously unfolding on live television, a spokesperson seemed shocked when asked if the public was allowed to enter the apartment.
"I do not believe so, but I can check," she said around 9:30 a.m. PT. "My understanding is it is still an ongoing investigation."
An hour later, Lourdes Arocho, spokesperson for the FBI Los Angeles field office, told Mashable: "The search is over at that location."
A man named Doyle Miller, who identified himself as the landlord, told CBS News that he didn't intend to let the press into the apartment. When he opened the door, "they rushed," he said.
MSNBC defended their actions in entering the premises but said they regret showing id cards and photographs. In a statement, an MSNBC spokesperson said the news outlet and other organizations were "invited into the home by the landlord after law enforcement officials had finished examining the site and returned control to the landlord."
"Although MSNBC was not the first crew to enter the home, we did have the first live shots from inside. We regret that we briefly showed images of photographs and identification cards that should not have been aired without review," read the statement.
A CNN spokesperson also issued a statement following the incident:
"CNN, like many other news organizations, was granted access to the home by the landlord. We made a conscious editorial decision not to show close-up footage of any material that could be considered sensitive or identifiable, such as photos or ID cards."
But the scene wasn't only aired on live television. Journalists live tweeted photos; one NBC photojournalist streamed his tour of the apartment on Periscope.
Watching live stream inside #SanBernardinoShooting suspects apartment. STREAM HERE: https://t.co/FPGkl3Ow9X pic.twitter.com/GO1nGNd4Qr— Kenny Holmes (@KHOLMESlive) December 4, 2015
The scenes brought a wave of criticism from reporters and media watchers on Twitter, who questioned if the media's presence inside the building would tamper the crime scene.
CNN's law enforcement analyst appears shocked by what CNN's reporters (and other reporters) are doing.— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) December 4, 2015
Now MSNBC not carrying live shot from inside apartment, but CNN is. Torch passed.— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) December 4, 2015
CNN’s @StephanieElam says she’s seen “passports, drivers licenses, social security cards…” Is there a reason police didn’t take those?— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) December 4, 2015
Does MSNBC realize there might be real world consequences for the folks who are being shown, in conjunction w/ terrorists, on national tv?— Sara Lang (@SaraLang) December 4, 2015
During an afternoon press conference, FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director David Bowdich said that the federal investigation at the property had ended.
Bowdich said investigators had seized several pieces of evidence from the home but had turned it back over to the owner.