Teen Gunmen Kill Three Men at Islamic Center of San Diego, Police Investigate Hate Crime

Two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont on Monday and killed three men before killing themselves a few blocks away, police said.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the attack was being investigated as a hate crime and that officers responded within four minutes after the initial call came in at 11:45 a.m.

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Wahl said one of the victims was a mosque security guard who police believe "played a pivotal role" in keeping the attack from being "much worse," and he said the shooters were found dead in a vehicle stopped in the middle of a road nearby.

The Islamic Center’s director, Imam Taha Hassane, called it "extremely outrageous to target a place of worship," and ABC7 reported the center includes the Al Rashid School offering courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up.

Wahl told reporters, "Because of the Islamic centre location, we are considering this a hate crime until it’s not," and he said there was no specific threat, especially no specific threat to the Islamic centre.

The BBC reported Wahl said the letter found by the suspect’s mother contained "generalised hate rhetoric and hate speech" and that officers were investigating what "hate speech" or hate words were conveyed throughout the incident.

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Todd Gloria stressed that "hate has no place" in the city, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the shooting and Tazheen Nizam said, "No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school."

The BBC also said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily was processing evidence and working closely with local law enforcement, and he asked the public to send photos, videos or any evidence to the FBI.

NBC 7 San Diego said a reunification location was set up at 4125 Hathaway Street, San Diego, CA 92111, and it reported that the threat to the Islamic center had been "neutralized" around 1 p.m.

The Guardian reported that authorities confirmed no children at the center’s school were harmed and that a reunification center had been set up for the families of those affected, while Sharp Memorial said victims were being treated there.

In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department said it was providing extra patrols at mosques, Islamic centers, and all houses of worship across the City to ensure communities are safe and feel supported.

In New York City, the NYPD said there was "no known nexus to NYC or specific threats to NYC houses of worship" but it was increasing deployments to mosques "out of an abundance of caution," as police departments in major cities across the country monitored the situation.