San Diego Police Probe Mosque Shooting as Suspected Hate Crime
Authorities classify the incident as a hate crime following discovery of generalised rhetoric, though no specific threats against the Islamic Centre were identified.
San Diego Police have launched a formal investigation into a fatal shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, classifying the incident as a suspected hate crime. Two teenage gunmen, aged 17 and 18, opened fire at the facility on Monday morning, killing three men before taking their own lives a few blocks away.
The attack targeted the largest mosque in San Diego County and occurred shortly before the Eid al-Adha holiday. One of the suspects’ mothers had reported him missing earlier on Monday, noting that he had taken weapons and a vehicle. Police subsequently located the suspects dead in a vehicle with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl confirmed that no officers fired their weapons at the scene. Authorities have classified the incident as a hate crime based on evidence of "generalised hate rhetoric" found in a note left by one suspect’s mother. Wahl noted that while this rhetoric was present, no specific threats had been made against the Islamic Centre prior to the attack.
The investigation is currently focused on determining the full extent of the suspects' planning and whether any accomplices were involved. Police are treating the classification as a hate crime as an active investigative status rather than a final legal determination, given the absence of direct threats against the specific location.
The incident has prompted a review of security protocols at religious institutions in the region. Authorities continue to gather evidence from the scene and the suspects' residences to establish a complete timeline of events leading up to the shooting.
