Tuesday, May 19, 2026 –
A mosque security guard and two staff members of an Islamic school on the mosque’s grounds were killed when two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning. The two suspected shooters, believed to be 17 and 18 years old, were later found dead in a nearby car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Authorities are investigating what led the two teenagers — a homeschooled wrestler and an 18-year-old — to launch the attack, which police have formally classified as a hate crime. Among the evidence gathered: hate speech scrawled on one of the weapons used, and a suicide note found in a suspect’s home containing writings about racial pride. One of the suspects had taken firearms from his parents’ house before the attack.
The mosque’s security guard, identified as Amin Abdullah — a father of eight — was praised by police as playing a “pivotal role” in keeping the attack from being far worse. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl called the shooting “every community’s worst nightmare.” In response, cities across America moved swiftly: the NYPD increased patrols around mosques citywide, and Los Angeles police stepped up presence at religious institutions across the region, while Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass noted the attack occurred on the first day of Dhul Hijjah, one of the holiest periods in the Islamic calendar.
