Three people were killed in a san diego shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the county's largest mosque, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said, and two suspected shooters were later found dead in a vehicle nearby.
Wahl said the three victims were adult men and that one of them was a security guard who played a pivotal role in preventing the attack from becoming worse, according to the police chief.
Police officers arrived at the mosque about four minutes after the first 911 call, Wahl said, and up to 100 officers searched the building, breaching doors to clear multiple rooms and spaces inside the campus.
While officers were responding to the mosque, Wahl said they received reports of active gunfire a few blocks away, and a landscaper at that second location was shot at but not struck.
Moments later, officers located a vehicle at a third location with who they believe were the shooters, both of whom Wahl said appear to have died from self inflicted gunshot wounds and are believed to be ages 17 and 19.
Investigation Response And Community Reaction
Wahl said investigators are treating the case as a hate crime "until it's not" and that they are actively probing what led up to the shootings, including information known to precede the attack.
The FBI San Diego field office has deployed special agents, task force officers, evidence response personnel and victim specialists to assist, Mark Remily, the FBI special agent in charge, said at a news briefing.
Authorities noted the Islamic Center had security cameras and that video footage and other evidence will be reviewed as investigators try to piece together the sequence of events, Wahl said.
President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom were briefed on the incident, and Trump called it "a terrible situation" while at the White House, according to reporting from the scene.
Imam Taha Hassane said targeting a place of worship was outrageous, added that students and staff were safe, and thanked law enforcement and government leaders for showing solidarity with the community.
