Three killed in hate-motivated attack at San Diego mosque; security guard’s intervention credited with saving lives
Two teenage gunmen, aged 17 and 18, killed themselves after the attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego
SAN DIEGO, United States (MNTV) – Three people were killed at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning in what authorities believe was a hate-motivated attack carried out by two teenage gunmen who subsequently took their own lives nearby.
The assault began at approximately 11:43 a.m. when officers responding to reports of gunfire at the mosque — the largest in San Diego County — found three fatally wounded individuals outside the entrance.
Police received a second call shortly after reporting shots fired from a vehicle at a landscaper in the area, who escaped unharmed.
Officers later found the two suspects, aged 17 and 18, dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle blocks from the mosque.
Among the three killed was a security employee at the center who was the father of eight children.
Police leadership said his courageous intervention almost certainly prevented a far higher death toll, describing his actions as heroic and life-saving.
Investigators said the motive remains under investigation but that a hate crime designation is suspected based on the target and writings found on one of the suspects. A note left behind contained hateful language, though it did not specifically name the mosque or other targets.
Police had coincidentally been in the area at the time, responding to a separate call about a potentially suicidal teenager who had fled home after his mother reported he had taken several firearms and her vehicle.
Officers were only blocks away when the shooting began.
The Islamic Center also houses a school, and children were present during the attack. Students were safely escorted from the building as police secured the area and surrounding schools initiated lockdown procedures.
California’s governor condemned the attack, stating the state will not tolerate assaults on places of worship, while federal investigators appealed for public assistance in the investigation.
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