SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Two teenage gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday in what authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime, according to law enforcement officials.
The men killed were identified as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad. The attackers are believed to have died later from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Investigators are working to determine the motivation of the attackers, with San Diego’s police chief saying the violence was being investigated as a hate crime.
Abdullah, an armed security guard at the mosque, died a hero after having “delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred” the gunmen from targeting nearby areas of the mosque where as many as 140 children were present.
When authorities responded to a 911 call at the mosque shortly before noon, all three men were already dead outside the building. An imam with the mosque, Taha Hassane, said Kaziha, a longtime cook, handyman and caretaker at the Islamic center, was the first at the center to call 911.
“He was everything, I don’t know what I’m going to do at the Islamic Center without his assistance,” Hassane said.
Three senior law enforcement officials said investigators are attempting to authenticate a document full of extremist material posted online espousing anti-Islamic, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ views that outlines the attackers’ motivations.
Investigators are examining possible anti-Islamic writings found in the teens’ car, including likely hate rhetoric. Three senior law enforcement officials said investigators are also trying to authenticate a 75-page document posted online that details the motives. The authors refer to accelerationism, a white supremacist ideology that promotes violence to speed the formation of a white ethnostate.
In a press statement from Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, she stated, “We are deeply disturbed and concerned by the reported hate crime targeting a house of worship at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD), who has been an ally in the fight for immigrant rights and social justice for years.”
CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane immigrant Rights, Los Angeles) condemned the acts of violence and intimidation against Muslim communities. The organization emphasized that these are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a dangerous pattern of increasing hate that threatens the dignity and safety of the surrounding community.
Salas extended thoughts and prayers to those affected and to ICSD congregation members during this difficult time. She stated that CHIRLA is working with ICSD during this time in order to strengthen the community and protect each other on local and national levels.
CHIRLA stands in solidarity with ICSD community leaders, elected officials and residents across California to speak out against and reject hate. CHIRLA stated it seeks to build a future where everyone, regardless of faith, immigration status or race, can live without fear.
CHIRLA stated it stands in complete solidarity with the Muslim community.
“No one should ever fear for their safety while practicing their faith or gathering in community,” the organization stated. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
CHIRLA called on state and local authorities to conduct a complete and transparent investigation and work on measures that will create robust protections for communities that are frequent targets of hate. The organization stated that accountability alone is not sufficient and that the root causes of hate, including the normalization of xenophobia, racism and religious intolerance, must also be addressed.
CHIRLA concluded by addressing its identity as an immigrant rights organization, stating, “We understand that our struggles are interconnected. The same forces targeting Muslim communities also target immigrants, Black communities, and other marginalized groups. Our response must be unity, vigilance, and collective action.”
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