The fatal shooting of three men outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday has sent shockwaves through Muslim communities across the country and renewed concerns about escalating anti-Muslim violence, extremist rhetoric, and the growing danger facing religious institutions in the United States. Investigators are treating the attack as a suspected hate crime after authorities said two teenage suspects targeted the mosque before later killing themselves, leaving behind alleged hate-filled writings and anti-Islamic material that police believe may help explain the motive behind the assault.
The shooting unfolded at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont neighborhood, home to the largest mosque in San Diego County and a campus that includes the Al Rashid School, where children were attending classes when gunfire erupted outside the building. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said officers were dispatched to the mosque at 11:43 a.m. and discovered three men suffering from gunshot wounds outside the front entrance. The victims later died from their injuries.
Authorities said the attack could have become significantly more deadly had it not been for the actions of mosque security guard Amin Abdullah, who police credited with interrupting the shooters before hundreds of worshippers arrived for afternoon prayers. Wahl described Abdullah’s intervention as critical in preventing what investigators believe may have been a much larger massacre inside the mosque.
“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” Wahl said during a news conference. “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.”
According to reporting cited by the BBC through CBS, Abdullah was a father of eight.
Police said the two suspects, identified in the provided reporting as ages 17 and either 18 or 19, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle located several blocks away from the mosque shortly after the attack. Authorities emphasized that no officers fired their weapons during the incident and that the suspects apparently took their own lives before police reached them.
Investigators revealed that officers had already been searching for the suspects before the mosque shooting began. Roughly two hours earlier, the mother of one of the teens reportedly contacted police to say her son had left home with several of her firearms and her vehicle. According to authorities, she told police the teen had gone with another individual and that both were dressed in camouflage clothing. The mother also reportedly expressed concern that her son might be suicidal.
Wahl said investigators initially believed the teen’s behavior was “not consistent” with someone who would normally be classified as suicidal. Police also disclosed that one of the suspects allegedly left behind a note containing “generalised hate rhetoric and hate speech,” though Wahl said the note did not include a specific threat directed at the mosque or any named individual.
Authorities later recovered additional material that investigators believe may further establish anti-Muslim intent behind the attack. The New York Times reported that anti-Islamic material was discovered inside the suspects’ vehicle and that the words “hate speech” were written on one of the firearms used in the shooting. Police said the mosque itself, combined with the writings allegedly connected to one of the suspects, led investigators to treat the shooting as a hate crime.
The attack unfolded while children were still inside the Islamic Center’s educational facilities. The Al Rashid School offers religion and language classes, and aerial footage from the scene showed children being evacuated from the campus while holding hands as officers secured the area. Nearby schools were placed on lockdown while police cleared rooms inside the mosque under active shooter protocols and searched for additional threats.
During the response to the mosque shooting, officers also received reports that shots had been fired from a vehicle at a nearby landscaper several blocks away. Police said the worker survived unharmed, though investigators believe a bullet may have struck or deflected off the worker’s hard hat. Officers responding to that second scene located the suspects’ vehicle and discovered both teenagers dead inside.
A witness interviewed by CBS said he heard what sounded like “a semi-automatic weapon” firing repeatedly during the attack. The witness described hearing roughly a dozen shots followed by a pause and then another burst of gunfire before calling emergency services. He said police arrived within “five to 10 minutes.”
Muslim leaders and civil rights organizations condemned the killings and described the attack as part of a wider climate of fear and hostility directed toward Muslim communities. Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said the attack struck at a place intended for worship, education, and community gathering.
“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” Hassane said during a news conference.
Hassane also stated that the Islamic Center “is a house of worship, not a battlefield.”
The timing of the shooting intensified anxiety within the local Muslim community because the attack occurred only days before Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s holiest observances. The holiday typically brings large gatherings for communal prayer and family celebrations, meaning many worshippers had been preparing to spend extended time at the mosque in the coming days.
Taheen Nizam, director of the San Diego branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the violence in a statement issued after the shooting.
“We strongly condemn this horrifying act of violence at the Islamic Center of San Diego,” Nizam said.
“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this attack,” he added. “No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school. We are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.”
Religious and political leaders across the country also condemned the attack and warned about the consequences of anti-Muslim rhetoric and rising extremist violence. The Jewish Democratic Council of America expressed solidarity with the San Diego Muslim community following the shooting.
“We’re deeply saddened by the shooting at a mosque in San Diego, and our thoughts are with the San Diego Muslim community and all impacted by this tragedy,” the organization said.
“Attacks on our fellow Americans at places of worship are unacceptable,” the group added.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the shooting as “an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence” and said he was “horrified by the deadly attack.” Several Democratic lawmakers connected the attack to broader patterns of Islamophobia and political rhetoric targeting Muslim communities.
“What happened at the Islamic Center of San Diego today is devastating,” Sen. Chris Coons wrote on X. “I’m praying for the victims, their families, and their loved ones.”
“This is horrifying, and it did not happen in a vacuum,” Coons added. “Muslim communities in this country have been demonized and treated as inherently suspect by those willing to fuel fear for power. When leaders traffic in anti-Muslim rhetoric, violence follows. We must confront Islamophobia with the urgency it demands.”
Sen. Dick Durbin also condemned the attack, writing, “I condemn the deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego, California.”
“Every American should be able to practice their religion without fear of violence,” Durbin added. “We must do more to combat anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she was “devastated to see the news of this deadly attack on a mosque in San Diego” and warned about rising hatred directed at minority communities and religious groups.
“Our places of worship should be safe spaces for all people,” Jayapal said. “We must all stand up and condemn this attack and all forms of Islamophobia, racism, and hatred that are on the rise in our communities.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, also responded publicly to the attack and expressed support for the families affected by the violence.
“I am praying for all the families at the Islamic Center of San Diego,” Tlaib wrote on social media. “My heart breaks every time senseless violence shatters the safety all of our communities deserve.”
Gun violence prevention advocates also pointed to the attack as another example of the deadly consequences that can emerge when extremist ideology and firearm access intersect. Jaclyn Corin, executive director of March for Our Lives, rejected the notion that shootings targeting religious communities are unavoidable.
“We reject the idea that this kind of tragedy is inevitable,” Corin said.
“We have the power to build a society where hatred is confronted before it turns deadly, where communities are protected instead of targeted, and where every person can worship freely and safely without fear,” she added. “This moment demands more than grief. It demands courage, solidarity, and a collective commitment to rejecting the violence, dehumanization, and extremism that continue to endanger our communities.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom described himself as “horrified by today’s violent attack” at the Islamic Center of San Diego and noted that the mosque was a place “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 attack during a White House event Monday, President Donald Trump called the shooting a “terrible situation.”
“I’ve been given some early updates but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly,” Trump said.
Federal investigators have asked members of the public to provide any information related to the suspects, their writings, or the attack itself as authorities continue examining the evidence recovered from the vehicle, the firearms, and the note allegedly left behind before the shooting.
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