San Diego mourns three victims of mosque shooting as police probe hate crime
Police chief Scott Wahl confirms the shooting is being treated as a hate crime, while community leaders honour the men who delayed teenage assailants during the attack on the city’s largest mosque.
More than 2,000 people gathered in a San Diego park on Thursday for the Janazah funeral prayer of three men killed during a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. The victims, identified as security guard Amin Abdullah, handyman Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad, are being remembered for delaying two teenage suspects who opened fire during school hours. Police stated the victims' actions likely prevented further bloodshed, allowing children and staff to hide. The assailants were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl indicated the incident is being treated as a hate crime.
The Islamic Center of San Diego is the city’s largest mosque and houses a primary school with 140 students. The attack occurred during school hours, raising concerns about the safety of the students housed at the centre. The Janazah is the Islamic funeral prayer. The incident has heightened tensions for Muslims across the United States amid a backdrop of rising Islamophobia.
The memorial service included police officers in uniform and attendees who flew in from across the United States, including the East Coast. Amin Abdullah, the centre’s security guard, engaged in a gun battle with the assailants and used his radio to order a lockdown at the mosque. Nadir Awad, whose wife is a teacher at the centre, and Mansour Kaziha, the centre’s cook, heard the gunfire and ran towards the mosque to help.
The three men are set to be buried alongside one another later in the day at a nearby cemetery. Khaled Abdullah, the son of the security guard, told Reuters that his family has drawn strength from his father’s actions in defending children and innocent people. The specific motives of the teenage suspects beyond the initial classification as a hate crime are not yet fully detailed in the source material, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
The exact number of students or staff injured is not specified, only that they were able to hide. The shooting began approximately 11:43am Pacific Time, when Abdullah engaged in a gun battle with the teenage assailants. Police said he used his radio to order a lockdown at the mosque, which houses a primary school with 140 students. His actions have been credited with allowing children and staff time to hide in classrooms and closets.
Awad, whose wife is a teacher at the centre, lived across the street from the mosque. He and Kaziha, the centre’s handyman and cook, heard the gunfire and ran towards the centre to help. All three men died from their injuries. The assailants fled the mosque in their vehicle and were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshots, police said.
The centre’s imam, Taha Hassane, described the gathering as a message of resilience. He noted that people had flown in from across the United States to attend the ceremony, some coming from as far away as the East Coast. One mourner, who asked not to be named, described the day as difficult for the entire community, highlighting the broader impact of rising Islamophobia.
