By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Three people were killed in a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the city, as United States law enforcement authorities launched a major investigation into what police described as a possible hate crime.
The attack, which occurred on Monday at the mosque located in the Clairemont area of San Diego, also left two teenage suspects dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to investigators.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl confirmed during a news briefing that officers responding to reports of an active shooter discovered three adult male victims dead at the scene, including a security guard who officials said helped prevent even greater casualties.
“One of the deceased is a security guard that works there and I think played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse,” Wahl said.
Authorities disclosed that the two suspects, aged 17 and 19, were later found dead inside a vehicle a few blocks away from the mosque.
According to police, the suspects appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Investigators revealed that one of the suspects allegedly took a firearm from a parent’s home and left behind a suicide note containing writings about racial pride.
Law enforcement officials also disclosed that hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons used during the attack, intensifying suspicions that the shooting was motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
“We are considering this a hate crime until it’s not,” Police Chief Wahl stated during the briefing.
The shooting triggered panic around the Islamic Center, which also houses a school attended by Muslim children.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as gunfire erupted and police flooded the area.
A nearby resident, Vanessa, told reporters she heard loud explosions before seeing children being rushed into safety while emergency services responded.
Police said officers arrived at the mosque within four minutes of receiving the first emergency call around 11:43 a.m. local time.
Between 50 and 100 officers later entered and searched the facility as part of an active shooter response operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel said all necessary resources would be made available to support the probe.
“We have never experienced a tragedy like this before,” Hassane said while thanking law enforcement and community leaders for their support.
Authorities confirmed that all children, teachers and staff members at the Islamic school linked to the mosque were safely evacuated from the facility.
Following the shooting, police departments in New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Los Angeles announced increased patrols around mosques and other places of worship as a precautionary measure.
United States President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom were also briefed on the incident.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, condemned the attack and noted that complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination and Islamophobia in the United States had reached record levels in recent years.