14 Dead, 14 injured In Shooting At Social Services Center In California

• Police confirm at least 14 fatalities and 14 more injured
• Between 1 and 3 shooters still at large
• Incident took place at center for people with developmental disabilities

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A shooting Wednesday morning at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, left at least 14 people dead and 14 more injured, police said.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said at a press conference that up to three suspects "have fled, potentially in a dark-colored SUV."

Lt. Richard Lawhead told MSNBC the incident took place at Inland Regional Center. According to its Facebook page, the center assists individuals with developmental disabilities. It has nearly 670 staff and provides services to more than 30,200 people.

It “could be a possibility” that there are others dead or wounded inside the building, Burguan said.

Masked gunmen stormed a conference room at the center where an awards ceremony for county employees was taking place, according to KTLA.

The gunmen "came prepared to do what they did as if they were on a mission," Burguan said.

At about 1 p.m., more than two dozen staff members, some of whom were in wheelchairs, were being escorted out of the building and onto school buses. Law enforcement vehicles from a number of agencies surrounded the building.

Six patients are being treated at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, according to officials, who declined to comment on their condition. Loma Linda University hospital reported that doctors have taken in four patients and are expecting three more.

All San Bernardino City Unified School District schools are on a precautionary lockdown, a spokesman for the district told The Huffington Post. The spokesman added that there will be a "normal dismissal of students at the end of the day," and that all after-school activities have been canceled.

People are evacuated away from the shooting scene in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday. 

San Bernardino is a city of more than 215,000 people about an hour east of Los Angeles.

Staffers of the Inland Regional Center being evacuated told HuffPost that the shooters hid their faces. “The shooters were wearing masks and the shooting kept going on and on,” one worker said. Another employee said through tears, “We’re as OK as we can be."

Frank Montes said his 27-year-old niece, an employee of the facility, had been outside during her break when she heard gunfire. "She said there were three shooters wearing body armor and machine guns," he told HuffPost.

Marybeth Feild, who works at the center, said the incident took place "in the conference area" that an outside group was renting on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

She said people served by the center also would have been in the building.

Employees of the Inland Regional Center outside the shooting scene in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday.

Witness Jose Serrano told The Huffington Post he had stopped by Sepulveda Building Materials to drop off supplies when police swarmed the nearby Inland Regional Center. He and approximately 20 others were seeking safety inside the former building, he said.

“Oh my God, there’s gotta be at least 100 cop cars,” Serrano, 44, told HuffPost. “Police, SWAT team, even probation officers.”

Serrano said he wasn't scared because “there’s tons of police all around,” but said through police barricades he could see victims leaving Inland.

“I’ve seen people on gurneys getting into the ambulances,” he said.

Terry Pettit said his daughter Holly was trapped inside the building during the shooting. Hetold KABC-TV that he received the following text messages from her: “Shooting at my work. People shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office." 

“She was barricaded in her office under her desk and got evacuated,” her sister-in-law Ashley Pettit told HuffPost. She added that Holly was not injured during the shooting but was shaken up. 

Elizabeth Mendieta, 60, works at Inland Lighthouse Empire, a school for the blind just down the street from reports of the shooting. She said she had 50 students with her, most elderly, all blind, and all worried.

“We have the students inside and we’re safe in here, thank God,” Mendieta said. “They’re concerned, they’re worried, but their families know they’re here. They’re calling to make sure they’re OK."

Mendieta said she was holding up, but hoped the situation would end soon. “We don’t know what’s happening inside the building, it’s keeping us on our toes. I’m just wondering when this is going to be over."

President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation by Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco and has asked to receive updates as the situation develops, according to a White House official.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has also been briefed and is closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds, his office said.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they're sending agents to help the San Bernardino police.

The location of the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. 

The shooting was two blocks from a Planned Parenthood facility, but Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for the company, said it "appears totally unrelated."

"Like all buildings in the area, our staff is on alert and waiting for more information," he said. "We have no reason to believe this has any connection to Planned Parenthood."

A shooter targeted a Planned Parenthood clinic last week in Colorado, killing three.