San Bernardino was trying to get back on its feet when tragedy struck Wednesday in the form of a mass shooting at Inland Regional Center that left 14 dead and 17 wounded. The California city declared bankruptcy just three years ago and, according to the Los Angeles Times, is "among the nation's poorest big cities" and the state's "starkest example of urban blight":
This city of 214,000 has long suffered from the steady grind of crime that often accompanies poverty, drug use, and slashed city services. Methamphetamine use is widespread. The county assessor himself was arrested for possessing the drug in a 2009 raid.Gang violence is common here and a biker shootout earlier this year drew national attention. But violence on this scale was unheard of. [Los Angeles Times]
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