The two teenage suspects in the gun attack on a San Diego mosque shared a broad hatred of multiple religions and racial groups, authorities have said. Five people, including the two attackers, died in the deadly violence on Monday.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the attack, but San Diego's police chief said the violence was being investigated as a possible hate crime. The suspects were found dead of apparent self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle blocks away from the mosque, police said.
San Diego police responded to an active shooter report at the Islamic Center of San Diego at 11:43 AM local time. Officers arrived quickly and discovered three men dead outside the mosque. Additional reports emerged of shots fired from a vehicle at a landscaper nearby, but thankfully, there were no injuries.
One of the attackers' mothers called the police earlier that day, reporting that her son had taken her firearms and car and expressed concerns for his mental state. Later, police found both suspects deceased in a vehicle close to the scene of the attack.
The victims have been identified by Tazheen Nizam, a spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego (Cair-SD), as Amin Abdullah, Nader Awad, and Mansour Kaziha. Abdullah, who worked as a security guard at the mosque, was hailed as a hero for his brave actions to thwart the attackers and limit casualties.
Authorities have not officially released the names of the suspects, although they are 17 and 18 years old. The investigation has revealed they were radicalized online and had collected over 30 firearms and a crossbow linked to one of the attackers' parents. The search of their vehicle uncovered writings and documents expressing broad ideologies of hate against various races and religions, prompting investigators to explore their full motivations behind the attack. Police Chief Wahl commented that the investigation remains ongoing to identify the intended target location and broader threat context.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the attack, but San Diego's police chief said the violence was being investigated as a possible hate crime. The suspects were found dead of apparent self-inflicted wounds in a vehicle blocks away from the mosque, police said.
San Diego police responded to an active shooter report at the Islamic Center of San Diego at 11:43 AM local time. Officers arrived quickly and discovered three men dead outside the mosque. Additional reports emerged of shots fired from a vehicle at a landscaper nearby, but thankfully, there were no injuries.
One of the attackers' mothers called the police earlier that day, reporting that her son had taken her firearms and car and expressed concerns for his mental state. Later, police found both suspects deceased in a vehicle close to the scene of the attack.
The victims have been identified by Tazheen Nizam, a spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego (Cair-SD), as Amin Abdullah, Nader Awad, and Mansour Kaziha. Abdullah, who worked as a security guard at the mosque, was hailed as a hero for his brave actions to thwart the attackers and limit casualties.
Authorities have not officially released the names of the suspects, although they are 17 and 18 years old. The investigation has revealed they were radicalized online and had collected over 30 firearms and a crossbow linked to one of the attackers' parents. The search of their vehicle uncovered writings and documents expressing broad ideologies of hate against various races and religions, prompting investigators to explore their full motivations behind the attack. Police Chief Wahl commented that the investigation remains ongoing to identify the intended target location and broader threat context.
