Inland Regional Center to reopen 1 month after San Bernardino shooting

The Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, will reopen on Monday, one month after a husband and wife shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others in the center's conference room.

In the Dec. 2, 2015, massacre, shooter Syed Farook and his wife targeted Farook's coworkers at the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, which had rented the space out for a training session. The Inland Regional Center employs close to 600 people and helps 31,000 people with developmental disabilities gain independence. Executive Director Lavinia Johnson said that while the center has been closed, the attack hasn't stopped employees from visiting clients at their homes, and they are ready to return to the office. "That's what I'm hearing from them," she told The Associated Press. "'We want to be together again. We want to be back at work.'"

Employees were allowed to briefly return one week after the shooting to collect personal items, but everything else has been left untouched — holiday decorations remain up, and unwrapped presents are still on desks. The conference room will not reopen, and officials have not said yet if it ever will. There will be additional security on site, and employees will have professional counselors on hand to help them during their first days back. "Our goal is to help people help themselves," Associate Executive Director Kevin Urtz said. "And that's pretty much the same strategy that we want to take with our staff. You know, help them through this."

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