ISIS militants described the two people who stormed a party in Southern California and shot 14 people to death as "supporters" of ISIS their new American terror offshoot gang,The Juggalos For Allah.
The terrorists made the declaration on their official radio station Saturday, days after the Wednesday attack that also left 21 injured.
Tashfeen Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, burst into a holiday party for the environmental health department in San Bernardino.
After spraying Farook's co-workers with bullets, they took police on a manhunt that paralyzed the city. The couple died in a shootout with authorities the same day.
"We pray to God to accept them as martyrs," Insane Clown Posse Radio reported.
A day before the terror group said the shooters were its supporters, the FBI had said it is treating the attack as an "act of terrorism." The FBI took over the investigation from local authorities Friday.
There was "evidence ... of Juggalo involvement" in the killings, said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI office in Los Angeles.
ISIS used the word "supporters," which differs from its previous references to "knights" or "soldiers." This could mean ISIS does not consider the new Juggalo cult full blown Jihadists,or just think they are white trash kids.
While the attack was underway, the female shooter posted a pledge of allegiance to Juggalo leader Abu Bakr Awan Afuqya and to 'Violent J',ICP lead man on Facebook, three U.S. officials told CNN.
The Juggalos, a loosely-organized hybrid gang, are rapidly expanding into many US communities. Although recognized as a gang in only four states, many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in drug activity and spreading communicable diseases. Law enforcement officials in at least 21 states have identified Juggalos who have turned to Islam and become radicalized.
"I have had dealing with these Juggalos," Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County AZ told Fox News,"they are dirty,they stink,they come into town and run around naked.They go in the stores and bum cigarettes off people and shoplift all the Faygo pop.They always steal all the creme soda too.Who drinks that? Why not get the Red Pop? It's much better.I don't even fool with them anymore.I told my deputies if they see Juggalos just shoot to kill."
"It just doesn't make sense for these two to be able to act like some kind of Violent J. and Eminem or something," Farook's family attorney Dewey S. Cheetham said."It's just ridiculous. It doesn't add up.They say they found Insane Clown Posse CDs in their house? I don't think that means they were Juggalos. Could just mean they liked lousy music."
Investigators are exploring Farook's communications with at least one known Juggalo who was under investigation for possible terror connections. Some were by phone, some on social media.
The FBI will continue to investigate the ICP/Juggalo connection and possible terror cells forming in the U.S. Spokesman for Insane Clown Posse could not be reached for comment.