A security guard killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego saved as many as 140 kids with his “heroic actions,” police said.
The guard, identified as Amin Abdullah, was one of three people killed Monday after two teenage gunmen attacked the mosque, which is the largest in the city. Abdullah “immediately observed the threat to everybody at the mosque” and exchanged fire with the attackers, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters Tuesday.
“You can see the security guard reach for his radio and put out the lockdown protocol. The security guard then continued to engage in a gun battle with these two suspects,” Wahl said.
“His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted, and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects. Tragically, he died in that gun battle,” he continued.
If it weren’t for Abdullah, the “carnage would be much worse,” and the gunmen would’ve gained access to “every single classroom,” Imam Taha Hassane added.
The other victims, identified as Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, were killed in the parking lot after trying to draw the gunmen’s attention.
“The other two victims, as best we can tell with this video surveillance at the mosque, drew the attention of both of these suspects back out into the parking lot area, where they were unfortunately unable to flee. Both suspects were able to successfully corner them and kill both of them,” Wahl said.
“While both suspects were outside, the massive response that was seconds away undoubtedly pushed both of the suspects to run back to their vehicle and flee the parking lot,” he added.
The three victims will “always be remembered as the heroes that they are,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said.
“I want to be very clear, those two young men do not represent our city. These three Muslim men do. Their heroism, their selflessness, represents the very best of this city,” Gloria told reporters.
“We will mourn these three heroes for what they are: heroes. We will remember their sacrifice always,” he added.
Police said the suspected gunmen, 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, were found dead a few blocks from the mosque with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Investigators believed they were radicalized online, according to Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office.
“We also identified writings and various ideologies outlining religious and racial beliefs of how the world they envision should look. These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated,” he said.
Investigators have already executed three search warrants at homes connected to the teens, and seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow. They’re also conducting interviews with the suspects’ relatives and friends.
It’s still too early to tell whether the Islamic Center of San Diego was the “specific target,” according to Remily.
“We are assessing and analyzing all the evidence. ... We're still looking through electronics to give us the answers, but what I can say is they definitely had a broad hatred towards a lot of folks,” he said.
