Police: Two suspects kill 3 people at a San Diego mosque before killing themselves

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two teenage suspects killed three men in a shooting at a San Diego mosque Monday before killing themselves a few blocks away, authorities said. Police Chief Scott Wahl said a security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego was among those killed and that the case is being investigated as a hate crime.

About two hours before the attack, the mother of one of the suspects called police to report that her son was missing, Wahl told a news conference. She feared he might be suicidal, and she eventually realized that several of her weapons were missing, along with her vehicle.

The case became even more urgent when police learned that he was dressed in camouflage and that he was in the company of an acquaintance, and officers began using whatever technology they had available to locate the teens, including automated license plate readers.

Wahl said that’s when police began getting reports of a shooting.

The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. It’s about 9 miles (15 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego.

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Wahl says suspect’s mother who contacted police found a note

He did not disclose its contents but said of the case, “There was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved.”

He says there was no specific threat against the Islamic Center.

Wahl says the teenager whose mom contacted police was a student at Madison High School, about a mile away from the Islamic Center.

Police have not released the names of the teenagers.

Authorities continue to review the security guard’s role

But Wahl said that “it’s fair to say his actions were heroic.”

“Undoubtedly he saved lives today,” the police chief said.

The guard’s identity has yet to be released.

Police say there are indications it was a hate crime

There had been no specific threat made against the Islamic Center of San Diego, but San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said investigators were aware of “generalized hate rhetoric” in the case and are investigating the attack as a hate crime.

Wahl noted that the mother of one of the suspects found a note he left behind, but the chief declined to disclose its contents.

Police chief: Mother of one suspect reported him to police as a runaway

Wahl says that about two hours before the attack, the mother of one of the suspects called police to report that her son was missing.

Wahl told a news conference the she feared he might be suicidal, and she eventually realized that several of her weapons were missing, along with her vehicle.

The case became even more urgent when police learned that he was dressed in camouflage and that he was in the company of an acquaintance, and officers began using whatever technology they had available to locate the teens, including automated license plate readers.

Wahl said that’s when police began getting reports of a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Responding officers found the three victims at the mosque and the two teens dead of apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle nearby.

One person with a non-firearm-related injury was transported to hospital

That’s according to Sharp Memorial Hospital spokesperson Erica Carlson.

Carlson says the hospital did not expect to receive additional patients but was staying in contact with the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.

The hospital declined to provide additional details.

Center’s Al Rashid School offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up

That’s according to the center’s website.

Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles.

Parents were directed to a nearby area to retrieve their children.

The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.

Students at mosque are safe, police say

“All of the kids are safe,” Wahl said, appearing emotional. “Our hearts go out to the families that are in this moment being notified of what has happened to their loved ones.”

Mosque director: ‘Extremely outrageous to target a place of worship’

Imam Taha Hassane also said at a news conference that “all the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected.”

Muslim civil rights group condemns the shooting

Tazheen Nizam of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in San Diego says that “no one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school.”

Nizam says in a statement that CAIR is “working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.”

The security guard who was killed ‘played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse’

That’s according to Chief Wahl.

Police chief says suspects were found dead in a vehicle

Wahl says that as officers responded to the mosque, they also fielded reports of gunfire a few blocks away, where a landscaper was shot at but was uninjured.

He says the suspects were found dead in a vehicle stopped in the middle of a road nearby.

Center’s director says the mosque focuses on interfaith relations

Imam Taha Hassane says it also works to build relations in the community.

He told a news conference that a group of non-Muslims had been touring the mosque earlier Monday to learn about the Muslim faith.

Security guard for the mosque is among those killed

That’s according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.

Police chief says 3 men were killed and that both suspects are dead

Chief Scott Wahl says both suspects are believed to be teens and that the case is considered to be a hate crime.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office says he is being briefed

“We are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities,” his office posted on the social platform X.

The Associated Press