San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said there was no specific threat directed at the Islamic Center of San Diego, but that investigators found evidence of “general hateful rhetoric” from the suspects. He did not want to give more details, saying that the circumstances that led to the attack will be known in the coming days.
A shooting has taken place at the largest Islamic center in San Diego, USA
Three people were killed, including a security guard. Five others were injured.
According to the police, the attack is being treated as a hate crime. Anti-Islamic graffiti and a note containing racist… pic.twitter.com/8Yd00E3nUh
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 19, 2026
Even before the shooting, police were looking for one of the teenagers after his mother reported that her son was suicidal and had run away from home. Weapons and his mother’s car were missing from the home.
The search became more urgent when officers learned that the young man was dressed in camouflage clothing and was with an acquaintance, which raised further concerns. Authorities used technology to track vehicles and license plates, and schools attended by one of the suspects were alerted.
While the officers were talking to the mother about the teenager’s possible locations, a report of a shooting at the mosque came in.
Among those killed was a mosque security guard who the police believe played a key role in preventing an even bigger massacre.
“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic. Without a doubt he saved lives today,” Wahl said.
A family friend identified the security guard as Amin Abdullah, a longtime employee of the mosque.
“He wanted to defend the innocent so he decided to become a security guard,” said Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq.
The Islamic Center of San Diego is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School, where children learn Arabic, Islamic studies and the Quran.
The police arrived at the scene within four minutes of the report. As they approached the mosque, more shots rang out a few streets away, where the attacker shot a worker, but he was not injured.
The attackers were found dead in a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road.
Aerial television footage showed the children holding hands as they left the premises of the Islamic center, while the area was surrounded by a large number of police vehicles.
The director of the mosque, Imam Taha Hassane, condemned the attack, calling it “a completely monstrous act directed against a place of prayer”.
“All places of worship in our city must be safe and protected,” he said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also condemned the shooting, stressing that no one should fear for their lives while attending prayer or attending school.
US President Donald Trump called the attack a “terrible situation”.
(Vijesti.ba)
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