San Diego Mosque Attack Kills Three Who Tried to Stop Gunmen

San Diego police responded within minutes to reports of gunfire at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning and found three men dead outside the facility. The victims included security guard Amin Abdullah, a father of eight, along with longtime mosque employee Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad. Officials credit Abdullah with confronting the attackers and helping limit the damage before he was shot.

The two suspects, identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, were later found dead in a vehicle blocks away from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Police had already been searching for the pair after Clark’s mother called at 9:42 a.m. to report that her son had taken multiple weapons, her car, and was possibly suicidal while wearing camouflage. Officers used license plate readers and checked area schools during the two-hour search before the shooting began around 11:43 a.m.

Investigators discovered anti-Islamic writings inside the suspects’ vehicle and hate speech scrawled on at least one firearm used in the attack. FBI agents later recovered a manifesto from the pair that outlined broad hatred toward multiple races and religions rather than a single focus. The teenagers had met and apparently radicalized each other online, authorities said. Searches of two residences turned up 30 firearms, a crossbow, tactical gear, and additional writings that described desired changes to society based on racial and religious lines.

Imam Taha Hassane and mosque leaders described Abdullah as having sacrificed himself to protect others. He alerted school staff inside the complex to lock down before continuing to engage the gunmen. The other two victims were on the phone with police when they were killed. All three have been called heroes and martyrs by the Islamic Center community.

Police Chief Scott Wahl noted that the attack was being treated as a possible hate crime pending further investigation. No officers fired their weapons during the response. The incident occurred just before midday prayers at what is described as the largest mosque in San Diego County.

Federal agents have set up a tip line as they continue to examine electronics and writings recovered from the suspects. The rapid sequence, from the mother’s warning to the attack itself, has left investigators reviewing whether earlier intervention could have altered the outcome.