Some of the survivors of the December 2 San Bernardino deadly shooting are planning to file a legal brief to show support for a government order forcing Apple to unlock the iPhone of one of the shooters. The families of the victims believe this action will give them closure.
In a report by Time, Stephen Larson, the lawyer representing some of the victims, said the people in the attack were targeted by the terrorists and having the iPhone unlocked will give them answers as to why and how the shooting happened. The amicus brief will be filed in court by March.
This announcement comes after Apple and the FBI's fight regarding the hacking of Syed Farook's county-owned work phone. FBI Director James Comey said they could not "look the survivors in the eye" if they will not push through with forcing Apple to unlock the phone.
During the mass shooting, 22 people were injured and 14 were killed, Los Angeles Times reported. It is unclear how many of the 22 survivors are supporting the FBI's initiative.
Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire at a holiday party that was thrown for the county employees. The couple was reportedly radicalized even before the rise of the Islamic State, but was even more inspired by the militant group's actions. They were killed in a gunfight with the police hours after the mass shooting.
Comey pointed out that the litigation is basically about the victims and getting justice for them. He added, "We owe them a thorough and professional investigation under law." The FBI director also said that they just want to get the passcode without destroying any data that could help in the investigation from too many failed attempts.
Apple CEO Tim Cook resisted the request and called for the order to be dropped, Law Newz reported. Accordingly, the company does not want to help as they fear that it could be used to invade the privacy of innocent people. Cook noted that they fear the order will "undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect."
Investigators believe that the smartphone of Farook, issued by the county, contain critical conversations at the time of the shooting. Data obtained from the iCloud account of the gunman only shows until October 19 and other data leading to the shooting remains unrecovered.
