Stories of those who died in the mass shooting in California

A group of local church members pray for residents who live in the neighborhood where Wednesday's police shootout with suspects took place, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in San Bernardino, Calif. Multiple attackers opened fire on a banquet at a social services center for the disabled in San Bernardino on Wednesday, killing multiple people and sending police on a manhunt for suspects. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) A group of local church members pray for residents who live in the neighborhood where Wednesday's police shootout with suspects took place, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in San Bernardino, Calif. Multiple attackers opened fire on a banquet at a social services center for the disabled in San Bernardino on Wednesday, killing multiple people and sending police on a manhunt for suspects. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

By Associated Press December 3, 2015 2 min read

Fourteen people were killed Wednesday when a county restaurant inspector and his wife opened fire on his co-workers at a staff holiday banquet in San Bernardino County, California. Here are some of their stories.

___

Damian Meins, 58, was passionate about serving his community, a message he took from the priests at his Catholic high school in Riverside and carried throughout his life.

Meins never strayed far from his church or its teachings, said Walter Hackett, who met Meins some 40-years ago in high school. “Service to others, helping others. He very much took that to heart,” said Hackett.

“Damian was a good, good guy. Funny and smart and tall. A real quick smile, very friendly and outgoing,” Hackett said. “It’s a real hard hit for all of us who knew him.”