Our live coverage of the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego has ended for the day. Read our latest here.
Both mosque shooters identified as 3 victims praised for heroic actions preventing more deaths. Here’s the latest
The two teenage shooters in yesterday’s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego have been identified by police after killing three people who are being remembered as vital members of the mosque’s community whose actions prevented further tragedy.
Here’s the latest:
- Victims praised for heroism: The actions by Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad before they were killed by the shooters were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly helped prevent more deaths, officials said. Abdullah, the security guard who died as he defended the mosque, “immediately observed” the threat as the suspects ran past him and began to engage them with gunfire, at which point both suspects returned fire, said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. Kaziha and Awad were killed as they tried to draw the attention of the suspected shooters away from the mosque and into the parking lot, Wahl said.
- Daughter of security guard celebrates him: Through tears, the daughter of Amin Abdullah called him a “loving father, husband, son, brother and uncle,” as she stood beside members of her family. Her father was “all about education” and had “dreamed more” for his children, Hawaa Abdullah said. He took his job so seriously to the point where he sometimes skipped taking breaks for meals out of fear “something bad would happen,” she said. He stood against “any form of hate,” and advocated for safety, she said.
- Both shooters identified: The two shooters were identified by the San Diego Police Department this afternoon as Caleb Liam Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17. They appeared to have met online and discovered they both lived in the San Diego area, where they met in person, said Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego.
- Gunmen radicalized: Authorities believe the shooters “exchanged radicalized ideology,” police said. Remily said authorities are working to figure out how the radicalization happened. A “manifesto” was recovered by law enforcement, which covered “a wide aspect of races and religions,” according to Remily. Hate speech was also found scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack, and a suicide note contained writings about racial pride, officials said.
- Nazi symbol on gas canister: A photo taken by The Associated Press that shows the vehicle where the shooters were found dead on Monday includes a red gas canister with a Nazi symbol emblazoned on it that looks to have been removed from the car. The attackers shared a live video of the shooting as well as a lengthy written document citing racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic ideology.
- Weapons seized: Law enforcement seized more than 30 guns, including numerous pistols, rifles and shotguns, a crossbow, tactical gear, ammunition and electronics, while executing three search warrants at residences associated with the suspects, Remily said.
- Community leaders speak out: Muslim community and faith leaders held a news briefing, during which they condemned Islamophobia and hate speech following the attack. The executive director of the city’s Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter urged community members and politicians to take action against Islamophobic rhetoric. Abdullah Tahiri, president of the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego, said the shooters “did not act in a vacuum,” saying the attack was a “direct and predictable consequence of a political climate” tolerant of anti-Muslim sentiment.
Community comes together to honor victims of mosque shooting
People gathered at a grassy, sunlit park Tuesday evening to honor the three victims killed at a San Diego mosque by two shooters just a day before.
The vigil, which was just a short walk from where the horror unfolded Monday, brought community members from across San Diego. Imam Taha Hassane, the director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, started with prayers and a recognition of how violence seems far away until it strikes in your home.
“We used to sometimes watch horrible news coming from different parts of the world where (a) shooting takes place, and we see on TV the casualties, we see the frustration, we see the sorrow of that community — but when it happens at your home it is different,” Hassane said.
“When you people that you have spent the last 22 years with it is different. When you lose the pillars of the community, it is different,” he told the crowd of mourners.
Bobby Wallace, a member of the Kumeyaay Nation, described Monday’s shooting as “a sickness that’s spreading everywhere,” but encouraged people to “keep their faith” to make change in the world.
Reverend Meg Decker, one of the many faith leaders who joined the vigil, took a moment to remind those gathered that while the act of mourning is heartbreaking, it shows the strength of our love.
“My prayer is that all of us, our community, San Diego, San Diego County, that we would know would the blessing of mourning, because the reason why mourning is a blessing is because it reminds us of the price and the value of love. It reminds us that love is the one thing that lasts,” Decker said.
“For all of us who are not part of the Islamic Center, may we take this on ourselves to teach our neighbors, to teach each other to be in mourning together,” she said.
New ring cam footage appears to capture mosque attack suspects firing shots in nearby neighborhood
Video obtained by CNN appears to capture the vehicle in the mosque attack firing shots out a window on a suburban street near the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday.
The ring cam video was taken at 11:48 am local time — about five minutes after an active shooter was reported at the Islamic Center.
The family that shared the ring cam footage asked CNN to blur the recognizable parts of their neighborhood to protect their privacy.
The video shows a jogger reacting to the gunshots and quickly rushing to get a stroller to safety.
This post has been updated.
Both shooters identified by police after Monday's deadly shooting
The two gunmen in Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego were identified by the San Diego Police Department in an afternoon news release.
The shooters were identified as Caleb Liam Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17.
The two teenagers appeared to have met online, but discovered they both lived in the San Diego area and met in person, Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego, said at a news conference Tuesday. Authorities believe they “exchanged radicalized ideology,” the San Diego Police Department later added, although Remily said authorities are working to figure out how the radicalization happened.
A “manifesto” was recovered by law enforcement, which covered “a wide aspect of races and religions,” according to Remily. Hate speech was also found scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack, and a suicide note contained writings about racial pride, officials have said.
The investigation is still in its early stages and authorities are working to get more information about the two teenagers, Remily said Tuesday.
Photo shows Nazi symbol on gas canister near car where San Diego shooters were found dead
A photo taken by The Associated Press that shows the vehicle where the shooters of the Islamic Center of San Diego were found dead on Monday includes a red gas canister with a Nazi symbol emblazoned on it that looks to have been removed from the car.
The attackers who killed three people at a San Diego mosque on Monday shared a live video of the shooting as well as a lengthy written document citing racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic ideology.
Along with the gas canister, multiple law enforcement officials told CNN that hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons that was used in the shooting.
School at the Islamic Center of San Diego working with law enforcement, evaluating response
Bright Horizon Academy, the Pre-K to 12th-grade school that has a campus inside the Islamic Center of San Diego, is continuing to work with law enforcement and safety experts following Monday’s shooting, a board member said at a news conference with faith leaders.
No students or teachers were injured in the shooting, authorities previously said.
“While there are no security plans that can prevent or take away the trauma of this tragedy, we are grateful that our emergency protocols, staff training, coordinated response procedures help save lives of our students and our staff members,” he said. “We will continue to work with law enforcement and safety experts as we evaluate every aspect of our response and strengthen our efforts moving forward.”
Faith leader raises questions about whether officials alerted people in area when shooting unfolded
A San Diego faith leader questioned whether law enforcement sent alerts to people near the Islamic Center of San Diego as Monday’s shooting unfolded, including mosques, schools, churches and synagogues, when they “knew the danger.”
“What steps have you taken, both from a communal level, to a narrative from the media level, to accountability from elected officials who still are in positions of power even though they peddle Islamophobia and hate and anti-Muslim bigotry?” said Ismahan Abdullahi, national executive director at Faith Power Alliance.
“Oftentimes people look the other way in times that we have normalized the dehumanization of Muslims both abroad and here as well, and where we have criminalized both the faith and the political speeches of our community,” she continued.
"We need action" against Islamophobia, says executive director of CAIR's San Diego chapter
Tazheen Nizam, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ San Diego chapter, urged community members and politicians to take action against Islamophobic rhetoric.
“Your concerns are appreciated, but not quite fitting,” Nizam said, “We need action. We need you to shut down the Islamophobic, the anti-Muslim, anti-Arab rhetoric that causes people like this to cause attacks on Islamic centers, schools, and Muslim community members. To our elected officials, we say your empty promises are no longer enough.”
Nizam added it’s “time for law enforcement to step in and protect the Muslim community and the Islamic Center of San Diego.”
Suspects "did not act in a vacuum," says president of local Muslim Leadership Council
Abdullah Tahiri, president of the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego, said while they are “horrified by this tragedy, we cannot say we are surprised.”
Tahiri said yesterday’s shooting was a “direct and predictable consequence of a political climate” tolerant of anti-Muslim sentiment.
“The terrorists who carried out this assault did not act in a vacuum,” Tahiri said. “They were conditioned by a steady stream of institutionalized bigotry that signals that Muslim houses of worships and Muslim school children are acceptable targets.”
“Let us be entirely clear: words have consequences,” Tahiri added. “Political rhetoric is not harmless chatter. It’s a dog whistle that arms extremists with a sense of validation.”
Security guard took his job so seriously that he didn’t want to take breaks, his daughter says
Amin Abdullah, the security guard who has been praised by officials for his heroic actions in preventing more deaths in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego before he was killed, was a loving person who took his job seriously — to the point where he sometimes skipped taking breaks for meals out of fear “something bad would happen,” said his daughter Hawaa Abdullah.
At a news conference today, his daughter said Abdullah was vigilant in protecting children in the mosque. “My dad was the number one advocate for safety and keeping our community safe. He stood against any form of hate. He took his job seriously to protect everyone here,” she continued.
Abdullah would “want our community to stand together as one,” she said, standing alongside her other siblings. Regardless of religion, she said her father would want “us all to be better.”
“I hope every single other person here strives to do every single day make this world a better place,” she added.
Daughter of security guard who died while defending Islamic center speaks through tears as she celebrates her father
The daughter of Amin Abdullah, the security guard who died as he defended the Islamic Center of San Diego during a shooting Monday, was tearful as she celebrated her father during a news conference.
“He was a loving father, husband, son, brother, and uncle,” said Hawaa Abdullah as family gathered around her, holding her shoulder in support. Many of the family members were solemn during her speech, but one family member was heard crying as Hawaa shared the type of person her father was.
“To me, my dad was a role model,” she said. “He was a best friend. He was the best, absolute best dad in the world.”
She called him her protector, someone she could always rely on, saying he would “stop whatever he was doing to make sure that I was safe.”
Her father was “all about education” and had “dreamed more” for his children, she said. In following those dreams, she got her teaching credential last week, but he wasn’t able to make it to the ceremony because he was busy working, she said.
“But when I tell you, my father was so proud of me, he was so proud of me and my siblings,” Abdullah told reporters. “He knew teaching was my passion, and he encouraged me every day to pursue the career that I wanted.”
“I hope (in) this moment, we can all come together and to be kind to one another and to remember who he truly was, regardless if you were a Muslim,” she said. “If you were Christian, if you were Jewish, if you had no faith, he didn’t care. He would treat you human to human.”
"We are here to spread love," imam says
Dr. Saad Eldegwy, an imam connected to the Islamic Center of San Diego, said the mosque is about the main message of Islam: “mercy and peace.”
“We are all here also to let our Muslim community know that we are going to continue,” Eldegwy said. “Nothing, and no one, is going to stop us to spread peace and to stand for civil rights and social justice.”
“We are here to spread love,” he later added.
“Acts of hate do not emerge in a vacuum,” says US Council of Muslim Organizations official
While expressing condolences to the Islamic Center of San Diego following a deadly shooting at the mosque yesterday, the secretary general of the US Council of Muslim Organizations said, “acts of hate do not emerge in a vacuum.”
“…Reckless rhetoric, fear-mongering, and the normalization of hostility toward religious communities contribute to an environment where a division and hatred are allowed to grow,” Oussama Jammal said at a news conference.
“No person in America should ever have to worship in fear or feel targeted, persecuted, or unsafe because of their faith,” he added.
Mosques are community-focused places open to everybody, imam says
As the Muslim community in San Diego grieves the deaths of three community members, Dr. Saad Eldegwy, an imam at the Islamic Center of San Diego, emphasized the multi-faceted role the mosque plays in the community.
“Our mosques are places of worship, places of education, places of peace, places that are open to everybody in our community, not the Muslim communities, the Muslim community members only, but all members in the community, Muslims and non-Muslims,” he said while speaking at a faith leaders news conference.
Police chief says he’s not aware of recent threats or incidents before shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said he is not aware of any recent threats or incidents before yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Wahl’s comment came in response to a reporter’s question about community members having broad concerns about threats to the mosque’s security.
“Obviously, in today’s world we take the protection of all of our religious facilities, all of our mass gathering locations, all of the vulnerabilities that come with a free society, very seriously,” he said. “We have to navigate a very narrow path of following our Constitution.”
All 3 victims in mosque attack were "crucial" in preventing more violence, officials say. Here’s the latest
The three people who were killed in yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego have been identified as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, representatives of local Muslim organizations said Tuesday.
At a news conference Tuesday, officials said the actions of the three victims were crucial in preventing more violence at the city’s largest mosque. They also provided updates on the ongoing investigation into the attack.
Here’s what we learned:
- Heroic security guard: The actions by Amin Abdullah, the security guard, were described as nothing short of heroic by officials and the mosque’s director. Abdullah “immediately observed” the threat as the suspects ran past him and began to engage them with gunfire, at which point both suspects returned fire, said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. He prevented them from entering the mosque and gaining access to classrooms where as many as 140 children were inside, he said. Without his actions, there would have been “many more fatalities yesterday,” the chief said.
- Other victims confronted shooters: The other two victims, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, were killed as they tried to draw the attention of the suspected shooters away from the mosque and into the parking lot, Wahl said. They were cornered by the suspects and were “unable to flee,” he added.
- More details about victims: The men killed yesterday will be mourned as martyrs, heroes and “brothers in the community,” said Imam Taha Hassane, director of the mosque. Kaziha was a community elder and “pillar” of the center who had been there since he helped it break ground in 1986, he said. He was a handyman, a cook, a caretaker and storekeeper. Awad joined prayers at the mosque every day and his wife is a teacher at the school, Hassane said.
- Mosque received hate calls: The Islamic Center of San Diego has done everything it can to protect the building as they have received hate mails and threats over the years, said Hassane. “We have a fence, security armed guards, security cameras covering every single spot inside and outside the Islamic center,” he said, adding they never expected an attack like Monday’s.
- Numerous weapons seized: Law enforcement seized more than 30 guns, including numerous pistols, rifles and shotguns, as well as a crossbow while executing three search warrants at residences associated with the suspects, said Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego. Tactical gear, ammunition and electronics were also seized, he said. They also identified a “manifesto” covering a “wide aspect of races and religions,” which the FBI will analyze. “They didn’t discriminate on who they hated,” Remily added.
- Suspects radicalized online: The two teenage suspects appear to have been radicalized online and also met online, where they discovered they both lived in the San Diego area, Remily said. Authorities are still working to figure out how the radicalization happened, he added.
- Tips requested: Wahl encouraged anyone who has tips to help the investigation to reach out to law enforcement, adding the attack “didn’t just happen overnight.” Investigators are still gathering evidence and haven’t yet determined whether the mosque was the primary target of the suspects, said Remily.
Guns used in yesterday’s shooting belonged to the parents of one of the suspects, police chief says
The guns that were used in yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego belonged to the parents of one of the suspects, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.
“I can tell you at this point that the guns were not registered to these individuals, and belonged to the parents of one of the individuals, and exactly how they … were able to obtain them, is still under investigation,” he said.
When asked by a reporter if they would recommend charges against the parents since the weapons belonged to them, Wahl said authorities are “still looking into it.”
Still unclear whether mosque was the suspects' "specific target," FBI says
Investigators are still gathering evidence and have not yet determined whether the Islamic Center of San Diego was the primary target of the suspected shooters, said Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego.
“I would say we’re still too early in the investigation to say that the Islamic Center of San Diego was the specific target,” Remily said. “We are assessing and analyzing all the evidence.”
“What I can say is they definitely had a broad hatred towards a lot of folks,” he added.
Without security guard’s actions, suspects would have had access to “every single classroom,” mosque director says
Security guard Amin Abdullah was described as a beloved member of the Islamic Center of San Diego community by the mosque’s director, who said the suspects would have had access to “every single classroom” in Tuesday’s shooting if not for his actions.
“If it was not for him… The carnage would be much worse,” said Imam Taha Hassane, echoing the police chief’s statements. “He’s the one who stopped them, who slowed them down… He sacrificed his life.”
The guard alerted school administrators to go into lockdown and engaged the suspects in gunfire, allowing students and staff to get out of the main common areas of the building, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl added later.
Hassane said, “We’re so proud of him. I envy him when I see messages about him, literally from all over the world, talking about his heroism.”
“This didn’t just happen overnight,” police chief says in asking for tips
The attack against the Islamic Center of San Diego “didn’t just happen overnight,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said when speaking about gathering information about the case.
“I think one of the important takeaways from this moment is, this didn’t just happen overnight,” he said.
“It is important for people that want to feel, that they can do something — to reiterate the importance of, if you see something, if you know something, and please come forward and say something.”
