Three dead in San Diego mosque shooting investigated as hate crime

Three people were killed in a shooting at a mosque in San Diego, California, on Monday, in an attack that officials said may have been motivated by hate and carried out by two teenage suspects.

The shooting occurred as police were already investigating a call about a possibly suicidal teenager who had run away from home.

At 11:43 local time (19:43 BST), officers responded to a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and found three victims shot in front of the building.

Shortly afterward, police received another report of shots fired at a landscaper from a vehicle nearby. When officers arrived at that scene, they found the suspects—ages 17 and 18—dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Among the deceased victims was a security guard who worked at the center and “heroically prevented more people from dying,” officials said, without providing further details.

The FBI said it is investigating the incident as a hate crime due to writings found by one suspect’s mother.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a news conference that officers were first called to the center at 11:43 a.m. and “observed what appeared to be three deceased victims out front.”

“There were no officers involved in firing their weapons,” Wahl said, adding there was no sign of any gunman.

Before the attack, the mother of one suspect had called police at 9:42 a.m. reporting that her son took several of her guns and her car when he left home.

The woman said her son had gone with a companion, both dressed in camouflage, and that a note he left behind included “generalised hate rhetoric and hate speech.”

Wahl said the suspect’s behavior was “not consistent” with someone considered suicidal. Investigators then went to a local high school where one teen studied, and to a shopping mall where the car had been reported seen.

“The motive for the attack is currently not known, but presumed to be a hate crime due to the location and the prominence of the mosque,” Wahl said, noting the note contained no specific threat to the mosque or any individual.

At the time of the shooting, officers were still speaking with the mother and were only a few blocks from the mosque.

Those officers, upon finding the three victims outside, rushed inside and began following active shooter protocols.

While clearing rooms, more reports came in of another shooting nearby.

The suspects had allegedly opened fire from their car at a landscaper, who was uninjured. Wahl said the landscaper may have been shot in the head, with the bullet deflected by his hard hat, though this has not been confirmed.

When police arrived at the second scene, they found both suspects dead.

Children were present when the incident unfolded. The Islamic Center campus houses the Al Rashid School, which offers religion and language courses.

Aerial video from the scene showed children holding hands and being escorted through a parking lot as police responded.

Nearby schools were placed on lockdown as police responded to the area.

The FBI asked the public to supply any information that may assist the investigation.

A witness speaking to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, said he heard up to 30 gunshots that sounded like “a semi-automatic weapon.”

He said he first heard about a dozen shots, then a pause, then another possibly dozen shots.

The man, who is retired and was eating lunch at home, said he called 911 and police arrived within “five to 10 minutes.”

The mosque gets very busy during holidays, he said.

“It’s a good thing it didn’t happen on a Friday, because the streets would be full of people,” he added.

Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said at a news conference: “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”

“This facility is a house of worship, not a battlefield,” he said.

The Muslim community is preparing for one of its holiest seasons and its biggest feasts, days before Eid al-Adha, one of two major Muslim holidays.

California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement saying he is “horrified by today’s violent attack” at the center “where families and children gather, and neighbors worship in peace and fellowship.”

“The state will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith,” Newsom added.

Asked about the shooting on Monday, President Donald Trump called it a “terrible situation.”

“I’ve been given some early updates but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly,” he said during an unrelated White House event.