Overview
- Two teenage gunmen opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, killing three men before the suspects were found dead in a nearby vehicle from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
- Police said the on-duty security guard likely prevented a larger massacre by confronting the attackers as staff initiated lockdowns with children inside the mosque’s school.
- Investigators are treating the case as a potential hate crime, reviewing hate rhetoric, anti-Islamic writings and a suspected manifesto, with the FBI assisting local police.
- Hours before the attack, one suspect’s mother reported him missing along with weapons and a vehicle and later found a note, which police say contained hate-related rhetoric.
- Advocacy group CAIR named the victims as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad and some outlets reported the suspects’ names, though police have not confirmed identities, as increased patrols at houses of worship rolled out in several cities given rising reported anti-Muslim incidents.