Mosque Shooting 3 Victims Identified as San Diego Community Mourns/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Three victims killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego were identified Tuesday by local Muslim leaders. Police said a security guard and another victim died while trying to protect worshippers and children inside the mosque. Federal investigators recovered dozens of weapons and extremist writings from residences linked to the suspects.
San Diego Mosque Shooting Quick Looks
- Three victims were identified as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad.
- The shooting occurred at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
- Police said two victims tried to lure the suspects away from worshippers.
- Security guard Amin Abdullah was praised for preventing a larger massacre.
- Officials said nearly 140 children were close to the suspects during the attack.
- Law enforcement agencies increased patrols at places of worship across San Diego County.
- FBI agents recovered more than 30 firearms during searches tied to the suspects.
- Authorities also found tactical gear, ammunition, electronics, and extremist writings.
- Mosque leaders said the center had previously received threats and hate mail.
- Investigators continue examining evidence and electronic devices connected to the case.
Deep Look
Victims Identified Following Deadly Mosque Shooting
Community leaders and local Muslim organizations on Tuesday identified the three victims killed during the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego as Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad.
The deadly attack shocked the San Diego Muslim community and prompted an outpouring of grief and support from across the country as details emerged about the victims’ final actions during the violence.
The Islamic Center of San Diego, considered the city’s largest mosque, became the scene of tragedy Monday after suspects opened fire near worshippers and community members gathered at the facility.
Victims Tried to Protect Worshippers
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said two of the victims attempted to draw the shooters away from the mosque and into the parking lot in an effort to protect others inside the building.
According to surveillance footage reviewed by investigators, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad were unable to escape after confronting the suspects.
“Both suspects were able to successfully corner them and kill both of them,” Wahl said.
Authorities believe the actions of the victims may have prevented even greater loss of life inside the mosque.
Security Guard Credited With Preventing Larger Massacre
Police and mosque leaders praised security guard Amin Abdullah for confronting the suspects and preventing them from reaching crowded areas of the Islamic center.
Officials said nearly 140 children were located within close proximity to the attackers during the incident.
“The security guard ultimately deterred these two individuals from entering the mosque,” 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,” he added.
“Individuals that did this heinous act ran past the security guard, most likely not knowing he was there,” Wahl said. “He immediately observed the threat to everybody at the mosque. He began to engage them with gunfire, both suspects returned fire.”
Mosque director Imam Taha Hassane described Abdullah as a beloved member of the community whose sacrifice likely saved many lives.
“If it was not for him… The carnage would be much worse,” Hassane said. “He’s the one who stopped them, who slowed them down… He sacrificed his life.”
Hassane added, “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.”
Mosque Had Extensive Security Measures in Place
Leaders at the Islamic Center said the mosque had spent years strengthening security due to repeated threats and hateful messages directed toward the Muslim community.
Imam Taha Hassane said the center invested heavily in protective measures, including armed security, surveillance systems, fencing, and federal security grants.
“We have never expected this, even though we tried throughout the years everything we could do,” Hassane said.
“Applying for Homeland Security grants. We have a fence, security armed guards, security cameras covering every single spot inside and outside the Islamic center.”
“What could we do more than this?” he added.
The shooting renewed concerns nationwide about violence targeting houses of worship and religious communities.
Police Increase Security at Places of Worship
In response to the attack, law enforcement agencies across San Diego County announced an increased security presence around religious institutions and community gathering spaces.
“Law enforcement is banding together to make sure that there is a feeling of being safe at every place of worship,” Wahl said during Tuesday’s news conference.
Officials said patrols would remain visible at mosques, churches, synagogues, and other religious centers as the investigation continues.
FBI Recovers 30 Weapons and Extremist Writings
Federal investigators said searches connected to the suspects uncovered a large cache of weapons and extremist material.
Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego, said agents seized more than 30 firearms, including rifles, pistols, shotguns, and a crossbow.
Authorities also recovered tactical gear, ammunition, electronics, and additional evidence while executing multiple search warrants.
“We’re continuing to process the information from all the locations, and we will provide more information when we’re able to do so,” Remily said.
Investigators are also seeking additional warrants to examine devices recovered from the suspects’ vehicle.
“We also identified writings and various ideologies outlining religious and racial beliefs of how the world they envisioned should look,” Remily said. “These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated.”
Investigation Continues Into Motive and Planning
Authorities continue investigating the suspects’ motives, background, and potential planning connected to the attack.
Law enforcement officials have not yet released additional details regarding possible charges or whether more individuals may have been involved.
The attack has intensified conversations about domestic extremism, religious hatred, and security at places of worship across the United States.
Community members gathered Tuesday to honor the victims and support grieving families while calling for unity in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Teenage suspects appear to have been radicalized online, FBI says
The two teenage suspects in yesterday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego appear to have been radicalized online, said Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of FBI San Diego.
“The victims who lost their lives yesterday were there to help others be part of a community that came together in peace,” he said. “Instead, they were confronted by teenagers who appeared to have been radicalized online to believe that they didn’t belong because of how they looked or where they worshiped. They couldn’t be more wrong.”
The FBI refuses “to give these subjects a platform to try to inflict their hateful beliefs onto others,” he added, saying the agency won’t “give their hate any credibility.”
Mosque’s imam becomes emotional describing victims as “brothers in the community”
Imam Taha Hassane, the director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, speaks at a news conference Tuesday.
The men killed yesterday will be mourned as martyrs, heroes and “brothers in the community,” Taha Hassane, imam and director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said at a news conference.
Mansour Kaziha, who went by AbulEzz, was a community elder and “pillar” of the center who had been there since he helped it break ground in 1986, Hassane said.
As director, Hassane said, “I have never done anything without him.”
“Anything that goes wrong, he was the handyman, he was the cook, he was the caretaker, he was the store keeper, he was everything. I don’t know what I’m going to do at the Islamic Center without his assistance, his daily assistance.”
Kaziha was the first to call 911 when the shooting began, he said.
A second victim, Nadir Awad, joined prayers at the mosque every day, the director said. His wife is a teacher at the school, which was evacuated.
“When he heard the shooting, he rushed to do something to protect, and he joined Mansour Kaziha. They died together,” Hassane said. “They tried to do something to protect, but unfortunately they sacrificed their lives to protect the entire community inside the Islamic Center of San Diego.”
Families of students, teachers returning to classrooms to pick up belongings they left after shooting, mosque director says
Families of children who attend school at the Islamic Center of San Diego and their teachers are returning to classrooms today to retrieve belongings they left after the shooting, said mosque director Imam Taha Hassane.
School has been canceled for the rest of this week, as well as next week, Hassane said.
“They are devastated. Everyone stepped in in tears,” he continued.
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