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Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier Discusses Shooting At YouTube HQ

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

We have more information on the shooting this afternoon at YouTube's headquarters south of San Francisco. Here's what San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini had to say.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ED BARBERINI: At 12:46 p.m. this afternoon, San Bruno Police Department received numerous 911 calls regarding gunshots at the YouTube campus located on Cherry Avenue in our city. San Bruno Police arrived on scene at 12:48 and immediately began a search for a possible shooter or suspect.

CORNISH: Now, police believe a woman they found dead in the building of an apparent self-inflicted wound was a suspect. They say four people are now at hospitals with injuries. We're joined now by California Congresswoman Jackie Speier. She represents the area in Washington. Welcome to the program.

JACKIE SPEIER: Thank you. Good to be with you.

CORNISH: Now, Congresswoman, I understand you are traveling today. How did you first learn about what happened at YouTube?

SPEIER: I, you know, got a call in the middle of the night. So I, of course, you know, turned on the news channels and, you know, saw what was happening. I must say that San Bruno police have shown themselves to be absolutely first rate. We've had a number of incidents over the years in which they have responded remarkably well. And the fact that they were there within two minutes is a great testament to their ability to respond quickly.

CORNISH: Have you heard from that department or other authorities in the area yet?

SPEIER: No, I've been in contact with the city manager. And, you know, in situations like this, it's best to wait until the active investigation has been completed before, you know, adding to their influx of calls and the like. So we are waiting for that to subside. I - you know, it's another example of how we are seeing an increase in workplace shootings. And this one doesn't necessarily profile like most do because 96 percent of workplace shootings are by men. And this is obviously by a woman. I think when all the dust settles, we'll probably find out that it was either a disgruntled employee or a spurned love affair. But we'll have to wait and see about that.

CORNISH: Right. We should be clear. We do not have that information yet, although it appears authorities have ruled out terrorism.

SPEIER: Correct.

CORNISH: Have you heard at all from YouTube or from their chiefs at Google?

SPEIER: No, I have not. And it's understandable that they would not reach out to their federal congressional representatives at a time like this. They have, obviously, conveyed to their employees that they should, you know, stay away from the campus if they had meetings scheduled and that they should, you know, shelter in place if appropriate. But I'm sure that they're going to do whatever's necessary to make sure that the employees get the kinds of resources they need to, you know, respond after a unnerving experience like this. And for those that are injured, hopefully their recovery will be swift.

CORNISH: You had praise for the police department and security officials in the area. Can you talk about whether or not something like this had been a concern in the district?

SPEIER: I think that - you know, our area is an area where there is, you know, highly-educated workforce, lots of interest in making sure we have a safe environment. The NRA doesn't have the penetration, obviously, that it does in many other areas. And it's, you know, a very attractive area in which to live and work. So this is very uncommon. And the last one I could remember was at a UPS facility in San Francisco a number of years ago. Again, in that case, it was a disgruntled employee who had been relieved because of their behavior.

CORNISH: That's California Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Thank you for speaking with us.

SPEIER: Great to be with you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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