Police try to piece together a motive for a noon Monday shooting outside a mosque in San Diego that killed three victims and left two teenage suspects dead close by from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
“This can be very outrageous to focus on a spot of worship,” Imam Taha Hassane, director of the middle, stated throughout a press convention. “Our Islamic middle is a spot of worship. Folks come to the Islamic middle to wish, to have fun, to be taught.”
The names of the suspects haven’t but been launched. Investigators discovered anti-Islamic writings contained in the suspects’ automotive, two senior legislation enforcement officers instructed NBC Information, and officers have disclosed they’re investigating the taking pictures as a hate crime.
One of many suspects took a gun from his dad and mom’ dwelling and left a suicide word that included writings about racial satisfaction, legislation enforcement officers instructed CNN. These officers additionally stated that hate speech was written on one of many firearms used within the assault.
The names of the victims haven’t been launched both. Police have stated one was a safety guard on the middle who “performed a pivotal position” in stopping extra deaths.
Police had been on excessive alert even earlier than the decision concerning the taking pictures on the Islamic Heart of San Diego.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl instructed reporters that the division obtained a name Monday morning a couple of “runaway juvenile.” The mom of {the teenager} instructed police she fearful her son was suicidal and that a number of of her weapons had been lacking. She additionally instructed police that her son was accompanied by a “companion” carrying camouflage. Police set off searching for the pair, together with at a San Diego mall the place license plate readers picked up a possible hit for the teenagers.
Simply earlier than 3 p.m. ET, police began to obtain calls a couple of taking pictures on the middle, the biggest mosque in San Diego County. Officers started arriving on the scene inside 4 minutes, police stated.
Upon arrival, they discovered three useless adults outdoors, together with the safety guard.
The guard “performed a pivotal position in helping from this being a lot worse,” Chief Wahl stated.
As many as 100 officers entered the Islamic Heart to answer the taking pictures and carry out safety checks inside.
At 3:53 p.m., police offered an replace stating that the scene was “nonetheless lively however contained,” including that “important assets” had been deployed.
As police labored to safe the mosque compound, extra calls got here in about gunfire close by.
The suspects reportedly fired at a landscaper a number of blocks from the Islamic Heart, who was not significantly injured, police stated.
Officers discovered two useless males, age 17 and 18, in a car in the midst of the road. (Police earlier misstated that one of many suspects was 19.)
The teenagers died from obvious self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Shortly after 4 p.m., police stated the risk on the middle had been “neutralized.”
Not one of the kids attending college on the middle had been killed. A spokesperson for an space hospital instructed NBC Information that victims of the taking pictures had been transported there for therapy.
Wahl, the San Diego police chief, famous that the middle is supplied with safety cameras, which officers will evaluate for proof.
President Donald Trump described the taking pictures as a “horrible state of affairs” on Monday afternoon, including, “I have been given some early updates, however we will be going again and taking a look at it very strongly.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the biggest Muslim-American civil liberties group within the U.S., launched a press release condemning the taking pictures.
“Nobody ought to ever concern for his or her security whereas attending prayers or learning at an elementary college,” CAIR stated. “We’re working to be taught extra about this incident and we encourage everybody to maintain this group in your prayers.”
As of Might 18, there have been 186 mass shootings within the U.S. in 2026, in response to the web site Mass Capturing Tracker, which defines mass shootings as these during which 4 or extra persons are shot.