Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two teen suspects are dead. During a news conference held at a nearby park on Monday afternoon, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily and San Diego police Chief Scott Wahl both confirmed there were three adult male victims, one of whom was a mosque security guard. Wahl said the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.Remily said the two suspects, who were teenage males, were found dead in a car near the mosque. Remily didn’t identify the suspects, but San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said they were “believed to be 17 and 19 years old.”The chief also said the two suspects “appear to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.” “There were no officers involved in firing their weapons. But that is still very preliminary at this point. But that’s what we believe,” Wahl said of the suspects being found dead.Video below: Police chief, FBI special agent in charge, and San Diego’s mayor speak during a Monday afternoon news conferenceStudents and teachers from the school on campus are OKThe Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which the website says offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran. Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles. The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments, and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.Chief Wahl confirmed that all of the school children are safe, and in an earlier post on Instagram, Islamic Center Imam Taha Hassane said the teachers are safe as well. Parents were directed to a nearby area to retrieve their children at a reunification location at a church at 4125 Hathaway St. Security guard among the deceasedAfter confirming that the mosque has a security system, Chief Wahl confirmed that a mosque security guard was among the dead. Wahl didn’t release the security guard’s identity, but he commented that he thinks it’s possible that the security guard “played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse.” The police chief also confirmed that investigators are reviewing Mosque security footage.”There is footage. There is going to be a tremendous amount of information and details that we’re gonna try to sort and put this puzzle back together again,” Wahl said.Video below: See more of the news conferenceThe responseInvestigators remain on scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which is located in San Diego’s Clairemont neighborhood, about 9 miles north of downtown San Diego.Wahl said police were dispatched around 11:43 a.m. PST on Monday for reports of an active shooter situation. He said police officers arrived within four minutes and “immediately” found the three victims “out in front” of the mosque. Around the same time, police received calls that a couple of blocks away, there was active gunfire. He said a landscaper in that area was shot at but was not hit. Then, moments later, officers were called to a nearby street, where the suspected shooters were found dead.”The circumstances that led up to this and the details of what happened and exactly which time it happened will come out in the days ahead,” Wahl said, later adding that police will work closely with FBI San Diego to investigate the shooting. Remily said investigators are working to determine a motive for the shooting and are asking the public to submit any information they may have about the shooting to the FBI.FBI Director Kash Patel, in a post on X, said, in part, “all resources will be made available assisting local partners.”Law enforcement officers praised for quick responseWahl and Remily both praised law enforcement officers for a quick response. Wahl said that in addition to the officers who surrounded the outside of the facility and those who responded to the nearby call for shots fired, there were between 50 and 100 law enforcement officers inside the Islamic Center after an active shooter response was deployed. He said police officers and sheriff’s deputies worked from room to room, breaching doors in the process.”I can tell you with 100% certainty, the heroic actions of the responding officers and deputies is beyond words,” he said. “To know that this many of our public servants are willing to leave their loved ones behind, drop what they’re doing, and run towards gunfire without any questions is remarkable.” Imam condemns gun violence at houses of worship, mayor vows protection for religious institutionsImam Taha Hassane, standing next to the police chief at the news conference, said the center focused on interfaith relations and community building, and that a group of non-Muslims had been touring the mosque earlier Monday to learn about Islam.With passion in his voice, Imam Taha Hassane said, “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.” “Our Islamic Center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic Center to pray, to celebrate, to learn — not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life,” he added. The mosque’s website says its mission is to not only serve the Muslim population but also “work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.” Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria spoke at the news conference, saying his prayers are with the muslim community in San Diego. “I want to assure our muslim community that we will do everything it takes to make sure that you can feel safe in this city,” Mayor Gloria said. “No resource will be spared in making sure that our religious institutions and locations are protected in this sensitive time.”The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” said CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam in a statement. “We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.”Police patrols increased at places of worship in other US cities CNN reports that police in multiple major U.S. cities have increased patrols at their local houses of worship in response to the San Diego shooting situation.New York City, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles police departments said they have increased the police presence at mosques and religious institutions, but have noted that there was no known threat and that they were increasing deployments out of an abundance of caution, CNN reported.Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he was being briefed. The White House told Hearst Television Washington News Bureau that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation. ____The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this story
Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two teen suspects are dead.
During a news conference held at a nearby park on Monday afternoon, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily and San Diego police Chief Scott Wahl both confirmed there were three adult male victims, one of whom was a mosque security guard. Wahl said the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.
Remily said the two suspects, who were teenage males, were found dead in a car near the mosque. Remily didn’t identify the suspects, but San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said they were “believed to be 17 and 19 years old.”
The chief also said the two suspects “appear to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.”
“There were no officers involved in firing their weapons. But that is still very preliminary at this point. But that’s what we believe,” Wahl said of the suspects being found dead.
Video below: Police chief, FBI special agent in charge, and San Diego’s mayor speak during a Monday afternoon news conference
Students and teachers from the school on campus are OK
The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which the website says offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran.
Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles. The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments, and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.
Chief Wahl confirmed that all of the school children are safe, and in an earlier post on Instagram, Islamic Center Imam Taha Hassane said the teachers are safe as well.
Parents were directed to a nearby area to retrieve their children at a reunification location at a church at 4125 Hathaway St.
Security guard among the deceased
After confirming that the mosque has a security system, Chief Wahl confirmed that a mosque security guard was among the dead.
Wahl didn’t release the security guard’s identity, but he commented that he thinks it’s possible that the security guard “played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse.”
The police chief also confirmed that investigators are reviewing Mosque security footage.
“There is footage. There is going to be a tremendous amount of information and details that we’re gonna try to sort and put this puzzle back together again,” Wahl said.
Video below: See more of the news conference
The response
Investigators remain on scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which is located in San Diego’s Clairemont neighborhood, about 9 miles north of downtown San Diego.
Wahl said police were dispatched around 11:43 a.m. PST on Monday for reports of an active shooter situation. He said police officers arrived within four minutes and “immediately” found the three victims “out in front” of the mosque. Around the same time, police received calls that a couple of blocks away, there was active gunfire. He said a landscaper in that area was shot at but was not hit. Then, moments later, officers were called to a nearby street, where the suspected shooters were found dead.
“The circumstances that led up to this and the details of what happened and exactly which time it happened will come out in the days ahead,” Wahl said, later adding that police will work closely with FBI San Diego to investigate the shooting.
Remily said investigators are working to determine a motive for the shooting and are asking the public to submit any information they may have about the shooting to the FBI.
FBI Director Kash Patel, in a post on X, said, in part, “all resources will be made available assisting local partners.”
Law enforcement officers praised for quick response
Wahl and Remily both praised law enforcement officers for a quick response.
Wahl said that in addition to the officers who surrounded the outside of the facility and those who responded to the nearby call for shots fired, there were between 50 and 100 law enforcement officers inside the Islamic Center after an active shooter response was deployed. He said police officers and sheriff’s deputies worked from room to room, breaching doors in the process.
“I can tell you with 100% certainty, the heroic actions of the responding officers and deputies is beyond words,” he said. “To know that this many of our public servants are willing to leave their loved ones behind, drop what they’re doing, and run towards gunfire without any questions is remarkable.”
Imam condemns gun violence at houses of worship, mayor vows protection for religious institutions
Imam Taha Hassane, standing next to the police chief at the news conference, said the center focused on interfaith relations and community building, and that a group of non-Muslims had been touring the mosque earlier Monday to learn about Islam.
With passion in his voice, Imam Taha Hassane said, “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”
“Our Islamic Center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic Center to pray, to celebrate, to learn — not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life,” he added.
The mosque’s website says its mission is to not only serve the Muslim population but also “work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.” Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria spoke at the news conference, saying his prayers are with the muslim community in San Diego.
“I want to assure our muslim community that we will do everything it takes to make sure that you can feel safe in this city,” Mayor Gloria said. “No resource will be spared in making sure that our religious institutions and locations are protected in this sensitive time.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.
“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” said CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam in a statement. “We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.”
Police patrols increased at places of worship in other US cities
CNN reports that police in multiple major U.S. cities have increased patrols at their local houses of worship in response to the San Diego shooting situation.
New York City, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles police departments said they have increased the police presence at mosques and religious institutions, but have noted that there was no known threat and that they were increasing deployments out of an abundance of caution, CNN reported.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he was being briefed. The White House told Hearst Television Washington News Bureau that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation.
____
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this story
