Islamic Center of San Diego Shooting Update: What We Know About the 2 Shooters Involved in 'Hate Crime'

Information on the Suspects and Victims

As of writing, not much is known about the suspects other than their ages. Their identities have not been disclosed to the public. However, reports revealed that they died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Their three victims, one of whom was a security guard, died after attempting to intervene in the attack.

The ICSD is the largest mosque in San Diego County. The mosque has a campus called Al Rashid School, where Arabic language, Islamic studies, and the Quran are taught. Founded in 1980, the centre serves thousands of Muslim residents across the greater San Diego area and has long been regarded as one of the most prominent Islamic institutions on the US West Coast.

San Diego Police Chief Holds Press Conference

Authorities are still piecing together all the information that led to the shooting incident on Monday. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters that once they have all the information, they would share it with the public. During the shooting incident, nearby schools were also placed on lockdown to ensure everyone's safety.

Wahl also gave reporters an account of what happened when officials first arrived on the scene. He said that police officers did not immediately enter the ICSD. Instead, they found three deceased bodies, potentially of the victims, at the parking lot of the facility.

Roughly 100 to 150 officials were then deployed inside the centre to search the entire facility and ensure that there were no other victims. At the time of his interview, Wahl revealed that the families of both the victims and the suspects had not yet been informed, but that officers were already attempting to reach them.

Netizens React to the Shooting

On X, several netizens expressed their sympathies following the shooting and stressed that the motive must have been a hate crime.

'RIP to the victims! Three adults are dead following a shooting at a San Diego Islamic center, and authorities said there's 'no further threat' to the public,' one person wrote.

'Authorities are considering San Diego mosque shooting 'a hate crime until it's not'.
The incident occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego at around noon local time on Monday,' another person wrote.

'Rise in anti-Muslim incidents: Houston man arrested for 'kill all Muslims & Jews' threats at Ismaili Center. San Diego: 3 killed at Islamic Center shooting, teen suspects dead by suicide. Houses of worship must be safe,' a third person commented.

Hate Crimes Against Muslims

Anti-Muslim hate crimes have been a persistent concern across the United States in recent years. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a record number of Islamophobia incidents in 2023, and subsequent years have continued to reflect elevated levels of bias-motivated incidents targeting mosques and Islamic community centres nationwide. Attacks on houses of worship more broadly have prompted calls from civil liberties organisations for increased federal protection of religious sites.

The San Diego region has not been immune to such incidents. In the years prior to Monday's attack, local Muslim advocacy groups had raised concerns about harassment and threats directed at Islamic institutions in the county, though no comparable attack had previously been recorded at the ICSD specifically.

Authorities have not confirmed a motive and said the investigation remains ongoing. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said further information would be shared with the public once available.