San Diego Mosque Attack Kills Three Who Tried to Stop Gunmen

San Diego police responded to reports of an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning and found three men dead outside the complex. The victims included a security guard credited with limiting further casualties by confronting the gunmen and alerting others to take shelter. Two teenage suspects, identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle several blocks away.

Authorities said the mother of one suspect had contacted police roughly two hours before the shooting to report that her son had taken weapons and the family car and might be suicidal. Officers were already searching for the pair when the first 911 calls came in from the mosque at 11:43 a.m. They arrived within four minutes and encountered a chaotic scene with three deceased victims near the entrance. No officers fired their weapons during the response.

The Islamic Center, the largest mosque in San Diego County, was preparing for midday prayers when the attack began. Witnesses and mosque officials described the security guard, Amin Abdullah, a father of eight, as having tried to stop the gunmen from advancing further into the property. He was shot and killed after warning administrators to lock down the attached school. Two other victims, Mansour Kaziha, 78, a longtime mosque employee originally from Syria, and Nadir Awad, were also killed while calling police. Mosque leaders have referred to the three men as martyrs and heroes and have begun a fundraising effort for their families.

Investigators recovered anti-Islamic writings from the suspects vehicle along with firearms marked with hate-related phrases. The FBI, which is assisting local police, has said the two teenagers appear to have met and been radicalized online. Agents recovered a manifesto expressing broad animosity toward multiple racial and religious groups, along with tactical gear, ammunition and dozens of additional firearms from searches of the suspects homes. Police Chief Scott Wahl said the case is being investigated as a hate crime until evidence suggests otherwise.

The rapid police response and the security guards actions appear to have kept the death toll from rising. Officials noted that the suspects arrived heavily armed and wearing body armor. Community leaders at the mosque have emphasized the victims roles in protecting others despite the sudden nature of the assault. The episode has prompted renewed discussion among local officials about security measures at houses of worship and the challenges of monitoring online extremism that can lead to targeted violence.

As of Tuesday, authorities had not released additional details on the suspects prior movements beyond the mothers alert and the brief search that followed. The FBI has opened a tip line for anyone with information. For the Islamic Center and its surrounding neighborhood, the focus has turned to supporting the victims families while grappling with the reality that an ordinary Monday morning at a place of worship ended in tragedy.