PEAK MEDIA, CALIFORNIA – A tragic shooting rocked the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday (18/5) afternoon local time.
The bloody incident killed three people after two teenage gunmen opened fire outside the largest mosque complex in San Diego County.
According to reports from local authorities, the two perpetrators were 17 and 18 years old. After carrying out the shooting, they were found dead in a vehicle in the middle of the road and allegedly ended their lives using firearms.
The Chief of Police for the San Diego Police Department, Scott Wahl, confirmed that all the children who were taking part in day school activities at the mosque complex had been rescued.
Security officers and police officers are said to have moved quickly to evacuate immediately after the gunshots were heard.
Police and FBI Investigate Motive for Hate
This case is now being handled jointly by the San Diego police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a suspected hate crime.
Officers found three male victims shot dead in the area outside the mosque. One of the victims is thought to be a security officer who was trying to prevent the shooting from spreading to areas within the complex.
Until now, the authorities are still compiling a complete chronology and exploring the motives of the perpetrators.
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The Children Hide in the Cupboard
The tense atmosphere was also felt by the children who were at the location when the incident took place.
A nine-year-old Gazan child named Odai Shanah admitted that he was hiding in a classroom cupboard with his friends when the sound of gunfire was heard.
“I saw a lot of bad things, people lying down and other bad things,” Odai said.
This testimony describes the panic that occurred inside the Islamic Center complex when the shooting took place.
San Diego Muslim Community Mourns
This incident immediately sparked deep sorrow among the Muslim community in San Diego and various parts of the United States.
A number of community leaders called for increased protection of places of worship and asked the authorities to thoroughly investigate the possibility of a hateful motive in the attack.
Until now, the police are still carrying out intensive investigations, including tracing the background of the two perpetrators and their activities before the shooting occurred.***
