His actions were heroic. Undoubtedly he saved lives.
Days before one of Islam's holiest celebrations, two teenagers brought lethal violence to the doorstep of San Diego's largest mosque, killing three men and then themselves — leaving behind a note filled with hate and a community forced to grieve where it had gathered to pray. Among the dead was a security guard whose courage, in his final moments, kept the toll from rising further. The attack arrives as a reminder that houses of worship remain vulnerable to the darkest currents of human fear and contempt, and that the line between ordinary morning and catastrophe can be crossed in an instant.
- Three men were fatally shot outside the Islamic Center of San Diego by two teenagers armed with stolen firearms, in what authorities have classified as a suspected hate crime.
- Children were on campus at the mosque's school when the shooting began, and were escorted out hand-in-hand as police locked down the surrounding neighborhood.
- A security guard — a father of eight — is credited with heroic actions that limited the death toll before he himself was killed; the suspects died by self-inflicted wounds blocks away.
- One suspect's mother had called police just two hours earlier to report her son had left home with her guns and car, dressed in camouflage — a warning that arrived too late.
- The FBI is appealing for public information as investigators examine a hate-filled note left at the scene and piece together the full picture of motive and planning.
- The attack falls days before Eid al-Adha, deepening the wound for a Muslim community now mourning at the threshold of its most sacred season.
On a Monday morning in San Diego, two teenagers opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego — the county's largest mosque — killing three men before driving away and turning their weapons on themselves. Police had already been in the area responding to a report of a possibly suicidal runaway teen when the shooting began at 11:43 a.m., and officers arrived to find three victims outside the front entrance. The suspects, aged 17 and 18, were found dead in a vehicle a few blocks away; they had also fired at a passing landscaper from their car, though he escaped unharmed.
Among the dead was a security guard employed by the Islamic Center, a father of eight whom police chief Scott Wahl described as heroic — his actions, officials said, undoubtedly prevented further casualties. The other two victims have not yet been publicly identified. Investigators believe hate motivated the attack, pointing to the target and to a note left by one suspect containing generalized hate rhetoric, though no specific threats to the mosque were named.
About two hours before the shooting, the mother of one suspect had called police to report that her son had left home with several of her firearms, accompanied by another youth, both dressed in camouflage. The timing compounded the tragedy: the attack came just days before Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's holiest observances. Children were in class at the mosque's on-site school when the gunfire began, and were later seen being led through the parking area hand-in-hand as officers cleared the building.
Imam Taha Hassane condemned the violence at a news conference, calling it outrageous to target a house of prayer. California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged the state would not tolerate terror against communities of faith. The FBI has asked the public for any information that might aid the investigation, as authorities continue to examine the full scope of motive and planning.
On Monday morning in San Diego, two teenagers opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the county, killing three men before turning their weapons on themselves blocks away. The attack unfolded while police were already in the area responding to an unrelated call about a possibly suicidal teenager who had run away from home.
Officers arrived at the mosque at 11:43 a.m. local time to find three victims with gunshot wounds lying outside the front entrance. The suspects, aged 17 and 18, were discovered dead from self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle a few blocks away. Shortly before they took their own lives, they had also fired at a landscaper from their car; a bullet may have struck the man's hard hat, though he escaped uninjured.
Among the three dead was a security guard employed at the Islamic Center who, according to police officials, played a decisive role in limiting the scope of the violence. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the guard's actions as heroic and said they undoubtedly saved lives. The security guard was a father of eight, according to someone who knew him. The other two victims have not yet been publicly identified.
Investigators believe the attack was motivated by hate, based on the location—a prominent mosque serving the region's Muslim community—and on writings found at the scene. One of the suspects had left behind a note containing what police described as generalized hate rhetoric and hate speech, though it contained no specific threats to the mosque or any other target. About two hours before the shooting, the mother of one suspect had called police to report that her son had left home with several of her firearms and her car, accompanied by another youth, both dressed in camouflage. Police found his behavior inconsistent with someone considered suicidal.
The timing of the attack added another layer of tragedy for the Muslim community. The shooting occurred just days before Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's holiest observances, a major feast commemorating the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim. The Islamic Center campus houses Al Rashid School, which offers religious and language instruction, and children were in class when the shooting began. Video from the scene showed children holding hands and being escorted through a parking area as police responded. Nearby schools were also locked down.
Witnesses reported hearing up to 30 gunshots, with what sounded like a semi-automatic weapon. One retired man eating lunch at home said he heard roughly a dozen shots, then a pause, then another volley of similar length. He called 911 and said police arrived within five to ten minutes. When officers first entered the mosque to clear rooms following active shooter protocols, they were unaware of the second shooting nearby; no officers discharged their weapons during the response.
Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Center, condemned the attack at a news conference, saying it was outrageous to target a place of worship and that the facility was a house of prayer, not a battlefield. California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement expressing horror at the violence and pledging that the state would not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith. President Donald Trump, when asked about the shooting, called it a terrible situation and said he would review details more thoroughly.
The FBI has appealed to the public for information that might aid the investigation. The motive remains under examination, though authorities have already classified the shooting as a suspected hate crime based on the evidence gathered so far.
Citas Notables
It's fair to say his actions were heroic. Undoubtedly he saved lives today.— San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, on the security guard's role in the attack
It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. The facility is a house of worship, not a battlefield.— Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Center of San Diego
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would two teenagers plan something like this together? What connects them?
That's still being investigated. What we know is that one of them left a note with hate rhetoric, and both showed up dressed in camouflage with stolen guns. Whether they were radicalized together online, at school, or through some other channel—that's what investigators are trying to piece together.
The security guard—what exactly did he do that was heroic?
The police chief wouldn't specify, but he said the guard's actions prevented the attack from being much worse. You can infer he either confronted the shooters, warned people inside, or somehow disrupted their ability to continue. He paid for that with his life.
The mother called police two hours before. Did she know what her son was planning?
She reported that he'd taken her guns and left with a companion, both in camouflage. She was worried enough to call. But police found his behavior didn't match someone suicidal. Whether she suspected violence or just feared he might harm himself—we don't know yet.
Children were there. How many?
The source doesn't say exactly how many were in the school building at that moment, only that children were in class and were later escorted out by police. It's a school that teaches religion and language courses, so there would have been a normal Monday morning enrollment.
The timing—Eid al-Adha was coming. Was that deliberate?
That's the question. The note contained generalized hate rhetoric but no specific threats. Whether they chose this moment to maximize harm to the community during a sacred season, or whether it was coincidental timing, investigators haven't said.
What happens now?
The FBI is asking the public for information. The community is grieving three dead and processing trauma days before one of their holiest celebrations. And investigators are trying to understand how two teenagers arrived at this point.