SAN DIEGO (AP) 鈥� Two teenage shooters opened fire at a San Diego mosque on Monday and killed three men before killing themselves a few blocks away, police said.
The attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is being investigated as a hate crime, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a news conference at a neighborhood park across from the mosque.
He said the 鈥渃ircumstances that led up to this鈥� would come out in the days ahead.
Wahl said later that officers had been talking to one of the teenagers’ mothers earlier in the day after she had contacted police around 9:40 a.m. to say her son was missing along with multiple weapons and her vehicle.
鈥淪he was beginning to develop a bigger picture as to what she was dealing with and was conveying that to our folks, and we were trying to put that together and get out in front of this as quickly as we could,鈥� Wahl said.
The mother also found a note, Wahl said. He did not disclose its contents but said of the case, “There was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved,鈥� though there was no specific threat against the Islamic Center of San Diego, Wahl said.
Wahl said the teenager whose mom contacted police was a student at Madison High School, about a mile away from the Islamic Center. Police have not released the names of the teenagers.
Among those killed was a mosque security guard, who police believe 鈥減layed a pivotal role鈥� in keeping the attack from being 鈥渕uch worse,鈥� Wahl said.
Later he said authorities continued to review the security guard鈥檚 response, but 鈥渋t鈥檚 fair to say his actions were heroic.鈥�
鈥淯ndoubtedly he saved lives today,鈥� Wahl said.
The center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School that offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up, according to its website.
鈥淎ll of the kids are safe,鈥� Wahl said, appearing emotional. 鈥淥ur hearts go out to the families that are in this moment being notified of what has happened to their loved ones.鈥�
Police responded within four minutes of being called, Wahl said. As they arrived, gunshots rang out a few blocks away where a landscaper was shot at but uninjured. The shooters were found dead in a vehicle stopped in the middle of a road nearby, he said.
Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles. The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.
Parents were directed to a nearby area to retrieve their children.
The mosque’s director, Imam Taha Hassane called it 鈥渆xtremely outrageous to target a place of worship.鈥�
鈥淎ll the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,鈥� he said.
He added that the center focused on interfaith relations and community building, and that a group of non-Muslims had been touring the mosque earlier Monday to learn about Islam.
The Islamic Center鈥檚 website says its mission is to not only serve the Muslim population but also 鈥渨ork with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.鈥� Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.
鈥淣o one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,鈥� said CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam in a statement. 鈥淲e are working to learn more about this incident and we encourage everyone to keep this community in your prayers.鈥�
office said he was being briefed.
鈥淲e are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities,鈥� his office posted on the social platform X.
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Associated Press writers Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
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