Gunmen invade mosque, kill 3 Muslims in bloody gun battle
A deadly shooting at the sprawling Islamic Center of San Diego in southern California left three people dead on Monday, while two teenage suspects were later discovered dead inside a vehicle from suspected self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to police authorities.
The incident triggered panic across the area as heavily armed emergency response teams flooded the mosque complex after reports of an active shooter situation as reported by Vanguard.
Television footage captured from a helicopter showed officers surrounding the building while one unidentified victim was seen lying in a pool of blood outside the facility.
San Diego police said officers arrived at the scene within minutes after receiving emergency calls about gunfire at the Islamic centre, which is regarded as the largest mosque in San Diego County.
Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters that officers found three victims dead outside the mosque upon arrival.
“We received a call of an active shooter at the Islamic center. Within four minutes, officers arrived on scene and observed immediately three deceased victims out in front,” Wahl said.
Authorities immediately launched an active shooter response operation inside the mosque and its adjacent school amid fears that more attackers could still be inside the premises.
Police also responded to reports of additional gunfire nearby, where a landscaper reportedly came under attack but escaped unharmed.
Suspects Found Dead Inside Vehicle
Investigators later discovered a vehicle parked in the middle of a nearby street with the two suspected gunmen, aged 19 and 17, dead inside.
According to police, both suspects appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
“The suspects at this point appear to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. There were no officers involved in firing their weapons,” Wahl added.
Authorities confirmed that one of the victims killed in the attack was a security guard working at the mosque complex.
The identities of the remaining victims had not been released as of the time of filing this report.
Mosque Imam Condemns Attack
The imam of the mosque, Taha Hassane, expressed shock over the tragedy, saying the Muslim community had never experienced such violence before.
“We have never experienced tragedy like this before. And at this moment all that I can say is, sending our prayers and standing in solidarity with all the families in our community here,” he said.
Hassane also condemned the targeting of a religious centre, describing the attack as “extremely outrageous.”
He, however, confirmed that all mosque staff, teachers and children inside the facility were safe.
Following the incident, residents in the surrounding area were briefly ordered to remain indoors while police secured the scene. Authorities later announced that the threat had been “neutralized.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump described the shooting as a “terrible situation,” adding that officials were closely monitoring developments.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was also briefed on the attack. His office praised emergency responders and urged residents to cooperate with law enforcement directives.
