A horrifying act of violence unfolded Monday in San Diego after two young gunmen allegedly carried out a targeted attack at a local mosque before taking their own lives, leaving five people dead in total and shaking the city.
San Diego police say the shooting began shortly before noon at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont area.
Officers were dispatched around 11:43 a.m. following reports of an active shooter. When police arrived just four minutes later, they discovered three adult men dead outside the mosque from gunshot wounds, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.
One of those victims was identified as mosque security guard Amin Abdullah, whom police credited with helping prevent an even greater massacre.
“He played a pivotal role in assisting,” Wahl said during a press conference. “This could have been worse.”
Inside the mosque and adjacent school, officers conducted an urgent search to ensure no additional shooters remained on scene. Authorities later confirmed that no children were physically harmed during the attack.
But while officers were still clearing the building, additional emergency calls suddenly came in from nearby streets.
A landscaper reported that shots had been fired at him from a passing vehicle only blocks away from the mosque. He survived unharmed.
Moments later, police located a white BMW stopped in the roadway nearby. Inside were the bodies of two suspects — 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez — both apparently dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Investigators quickly uncovered disturbing evidence suggesting the attack was ideologically motivated.
According to law enforcement sources, anti-Muslim writings were found inside the suspects’ vehicle, and hate speech had reportedly been inscribed directly onto at least one of the firearms used in the attack.
Authorities also discovered a gas can bearing an “SS” sticker, an apparent reference to the Schutzstaffel — the notorious Nazi paramilitary organization led by Heinrich Himmler under Adolf Hitler’s regime.
Police say at least one suspect had stolen weapons from his parents’ home before the shooting and left behind a suicide note containing writings focused on racial pride and extremist beliefs.
Earlier that morning, around 9:42 a.m., police had reportedly received a call from a concerned mother reporting her son missing. She allegedly warned officers he might be suicidal, stated several firearms were missing from the home, and told police he had left with another individual while dressed in camouflage clothing.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether that runaway report directly involved the mosque attack suspects, though many details appear to align with the investigation.
The timeline of the violence unfolded rapidly:
- At 11:43 a.m., emergency calls reported an active shooter at the Islamic Center.
- By 11:47 a.m., officers had arrived and found three victims dead outside the building.
- Minutes later, reports came in about the landscaper being shot at nearby.
- Shortly afterward, police discovered the suspects dead inside the white BMW.
- At 1:06 p.m., San Diego police officially announced the threat had been neutralized.
Video footage captured from news helicopters showed one victim — believed to be the mosque security guard — lying outside the Islamic Center wearing a tactical vest, while first responders attempted CPR on two additional victims nearby.
The FBI has joined the investigation, which authorities are treating as a hate-motivated attack.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the violence Monday evening.
“No one in our city should ever have to fear for their safety in a house of faith and a place of learning,” Gloria said.
Chief Wahl praised the speed and coordination of the police response, calling it “the most dynamic and impressive response I have ever seen in policing” during his 28 years in law enforcement.
