Three people were killed Monday in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two teenage suspects were found dead a few blocks away, authorities said.
The victims — adult men — were found outside the mosque, the largest in San Diego County, in the Clairemont neighborhood, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said. The suspects, ages 17 and 19, were located in a vehicle nearby in an apparent case of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Officers were called to the 7000 block of Eckstrom Avenue around 11:40 a.m. local time and arrived at the scene in about four minutes, according to Wahl. They came across three bodies outside the Islamic Center and immediately initiated an active shooter protocol, breaking down doors and searching rooms inside the building, with the support of between 50 and 100 officers. Neither officer fired their weapon, Wahl said.
One of the victims was a security guard at the mosque, who “played a fundamental role in preventing this from getting much worse,” said the police chief. The Islamic Center has security cameras, and the images will be part of the investigation, he added.
While agents responded to the attack at the mosque, shots were recorded a few blocks away, where a gardener was shot at, but was not hit. Police believe the same suspects were responsible for that shooting.
The FBI is assisting in the investigation.
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“As we move forward in this investigation, we ask for your patience in determining any motivation and the facts surrounding the attack,” said Mark Remily, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego office.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the threat had been neutralized and promised to strengthen protection for religious institutions in the city. “To our local Muslim community, my prayers are with you,” Gloria said. “Hate has no place in the city of San Diego.”
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