Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, in what authorities are investigating as a hate crime. The two teenage suspects, aged 17 and 18, died from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.
The attack occurred shortly before midday prayer at the mosque, the largest in San Diego county. Police chief Scott Wahl said the mother of one suspect had called officers about two hours earlier, reporting her son missing along with several weapons and her vehicle. Officers searching for the teens responded to a 911 call from the Islamic Center and found three people shot dead. Meanwhile, a separate call reported shots from a vehicle two blocks away, where a landscaper may have been saved by a bullet hitting his helmet.
Among the deceased was a security guard, identified by a family friend as Amin Abdullah. The guard's actions were described as heroic by Chief Wahl, who said he helped minimise the threat and undoubtedly saved lives. No children at the centre's school were harmed.
Mayor Todd Gloria said the threat had been addressed, adding: 'Hate has no home in San Diego.' The FBI has set up a tip line and investigators recovered evidence of 'generalised hate rhetoric'. Imam Taha Hassane called the attack 'outrageous' and urged tolerance, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the violence.
