Two teenage gunmen opened fire Monday at the Islamic Center in San Diego, California, killing a security guard and two other men outside the mosque before the suspects were found dead, apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said local law enforcement and the FBI are investigating the attack on the largest mosque in San Diego County as a hate crime.
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However, authorities have not publicly suggested any specific motive or precipitating incident for the gun violence.
All children attending a day school at the mosque complex have been identified and are safe after the shooting, which broke out at about 11:40 a.m. PT (1840 GMT), officials said.
In an evening news conference, Wahl revealed that the mother of one of the suspects called police about two hours before the shooting to report that her son, whom she described as a suicide bomber, had run away from home, taking three weapons she owned and her car.
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Two teenagers wearing camouflage clothing
According to the leader, the mother said that her son was with a companion and the two were wearing camouflage clothing. Police began efforts to track down the youth and sent patrols to a nearby shopping center and Junior High School as a precaution when calls came in reporting shooting at the mosque.
The president refused to reveal the contents of the letter, which he said was found by the fugitive’s mother.
Before the shooting, police were not aware of any “specific threat” to the mosque, any religious center, school, shopping area or anywhere else, Wahl said.
Instead, police were facing a situation of “general hate speech and hate speech,” which combined with reports of a runaway teenager carrying multiple weapons and wearing camouflage clothing “led to a much higher threat assessment.”
The attack came a week before Eid al-Adha and the Hajj season.
“We have never witnessed a tragedy like this before,” Taha Hassan, imam and director of the Islamic Center, told reporters. “It is absolutely outrageous to target a place of worship.”
Dozens of law enforcement officers called to the scene encountered the bodies of the three men belonging to the mosque who had been shot dead. Officials credited the slain security guard with likely helping prevent further bloodshed.
A short time later, police found the bodies of two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, in a car in the middle of a street, apparently suffering from gunshot wounds. Police originally put the older man’s age at 19.
Details are still sketchy
Wahl said between 50 and 100 police officers from across the San Diego area immediately responded to the first call about an “active shooter” and within four minutes went to the mosque located in the Claremont residential and business district of California’s second-most populous city.
Footage broadcast by local television stations showed dozens of patrol cars on a highway bridge, police officers in tactical gear armed with rifles stationed on the roof of the mosque near its dome, and armed officers on the ground making their way through the complex.
No shots were fired by law enforcement during the incident, Wahl said.
While they were responding to the attack, shots were also fired at a landscaper two blocks away, and investigators are treating the incidents as related. The landscaper was not injured, Wahl said, adding that the man was wearing a helmet that may have been struck by a bullet.
Five hours after the shooting, the police chief said investigators were still piecing together details of what may have sparked the violence and how it happened.
The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and houses Bright Horizon Academy.
Although indiscriminate gun violence has become commonplace in public places across the United States, Muslim and Jewish communities have become particularly fearful since US and Israeli forces launched air strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran responded with air attacks on Israel and several Gulf states, sparking an intense war across the region.
In March, a 41-year-old Lebanese American killed himself after crashing his truck into Michigan’s largest synagogue, opening fire on security guards and causing a fireworks explosion.
The synagogue near Detroit, like the San Diego mosque, had a day school.
Convictions
“Hate has no place in California,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
In a statement posted on X, Newsom and his partner said: “Congregants should not fear for their lives. We will not tolerate acts of terrorism or intimidation against faith communities.”
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New York Mayor Zahran Kwame Mamdani said he was “horrified” by the attack.
He said: “Islamophobia is endangering Muslim communities across this country. We must confront it head-on and stand together against the politics of fear and division. My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the entire community grieving this devastating attack.”
He added, “The NYPD is increasing its presence at mosques throughout the city out of an abundance of caution. There are currently no known threats to houses of worship in New York City.”
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US Senator Lindsey Graham said he was deeply saddened when he heard about the “unjustified shooting.”
He said: “As Americans, we must stand firmly together and reject the senseless killing of people of faith. We truly live in dangerous and sick times.”
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New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill said: “We are devastated by the shooting at a mosque in San Diego. No one should feel unsafe in their house of worship. Our thoughts are with the victims, families and all who are grieving. Hate and violence have no place in our communities.”
She added that New Jersey police “will increase patrol visibility around houses of worship statewide and will continue to coordinate with law enforcement and faith-based partners to help keep communities safe.”
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