A tragic mass shooting carried out by hateful thugs outside the Islamic Center in Clairemont, San Diego, left three men dead on Monday morning, including longtime security guard Amin Abdullah, who authorities say died while attempting to shield children at the mosque and its associated school. Law enforcement officials have since confirmed that two teenage suspects also died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds nearby, with investigators treating the incident as a potential hate crime.
The Islamic Center campus includes the Al Rashid School, where younger students were in class at the time of the attack. Despite the violence unfolding outside, officials confirmed that all students, teachers, and staff were safely evacuated without injury.
The sequence of events began earlier in the morning when, at 9:42 a.m., the mother of one of the suspects contacted police to report her son as a runaway. She told authorities he was suicidal, wearing camouflage, traveling with a friend, and had taken her vehicle along with multiple firearms.
Roughly two hours later, at 11:43 a.m., police received emergency calls reporting an active shooter at the Islamic Center. Officers arrived within minutes and discovered three deceased victims outside the building, including Abdullah, who community members have since described as having acted selflessly during the attack.
Following the initial shooting, the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle and reportedly fired additional rounds at a nearby landscaper. That individual was not injured. Authorities later located the suspects a few blocks away.
At 1:06 p.m., police confirmed that the threat had ended after both teenagers were found dead inside their car from what investigators believe were self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl stated that the incident is being examined as a possible hate crime and confirmed that federal authorities are assisting in the investigation. Officials recovered a note left by one of the suspects containing what they described as âgeneralized hate speech,â and reported that hate-related rhetoric was written directly on at least one of the weapons used in the attack.
As investigators continue to piece together the motive and timeline, the focus has remained on the victims and the community impact. Amin Abdullah, in particular, has been widely remembered by congregants and families as a protector whose final actions may have prevented further loss of life inside the mosque and school.