Authorities say two teenage gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego before taking their own lives as investigators examine anti-Muslim rhetoric linked to the attack.
Two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, killing three men before later dying from what authorities described as self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to police.
Authorities said the attack is being investigated as a possible hate crime after investigators found evidence of “hate rhetoric” connected to the suspects.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the violence as “every community’s worst nightmare” and said investigators are still working to determine the full motive behind the shooting.
The attack occurred days before Eid al-Adha and the annual Hajj pilgrimage, two major events in the Islamic calendar.
Police said officers responded to reports of an active shooter at approximately 11:43 a.m. local time at the mosque located in the Clairemont neighborhood, north of downtown San Diego.
Officers arrived within four minutes and discovered three men dead outside the building.
Authorities said no officers fired their weapons during the response.
Officials said one of the victims was a security guard at the mosque who played a critical role in preventing additional casualties.
“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” Wahl said.
Community leaders identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, who local media reports said was a father of eight.
Authorities have not publicly identified the other two victims.
Television footage showed children being escorted from the mosque complex by police as officers secured the area.
The Islamic Center of San Diego, described on its website as the largest mosque in San Diego County, serves more than 5,000 worshippers and also houses Al Rashid School for children.
Imam Taha Hassane condemned the attack, calling it “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”
“People come to the Islamic Center to pray, to celebrate, to learn,” Hassane said.
Police later reported additional gunfire several blocks away, where a landscaper was shot at but not injured before authorities located the suspects inside a vehicle stopped nearby.
Authorities identified the suspects as teenagers aged 17 and 18.
Police said the mother of one suspect contacted authorities earlier in the day to report her son missing, suicidal and travelling with a friend while armed with missing firearms taken from her home.
According to investigators, both suspects were dressed in camouflage clothing and travelling in a missing vehicle.
Law enforcement officials said anti-Islamic writings were being examined as part of the investigation.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the shooting and warned about growing anti-Muslim hostility in the United States.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria described the shooting as a “violent act of hate,” while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was horrified by “an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence.”
Rights groups and civil liberties advocates have pointed to increasing threats against Muslim communities, mosques and Islamic schools in recent years.
Authorities said the investigation remains active while access around the mosque complex remains restricted as forensic teams continue processing the scene.