Two Teenagers Opened Fire at Islamic Center of San Diego, Killing Three Men

Two teenagers opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clermont neighborhood on Monday, killing three men before they apparently killed themselves, according to U.S. authorities described by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

A landscaper, Tafu Letuli, said he was shot after the attack near the Islamic Center of San Diego and told his attorney Jerry Suppa that he considers himself to be “the luckiest guy on the planet” to survive the rampage.

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Police said Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17, arrived at the Islamic Center of San Diego about 11:43 a.m. Monday, killed a security guard during a gunbattle, then cornered and killed two congregants before fleeing.

Letuli said he was fired upon “five or six times” and struck once in the center of his fiberglass helmet, which shattered, leaving him bleeding from his forehead.

A Janazah prayer service for Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad drew about 5,000 people across the region at a park next to Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley on Thursday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The Jerusalem Post said police and the FBI were aware of the mosque shooter before the San Diego attack, citing a New York Times report and documents filed at San Diego Superior Court.

It reported that in a January 2025 protective order, one police officer noted that Vazquez “was involved in suspicious behavior idolizing nazis and mass shooters.”

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FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News quoted former FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko warning that extremist groups increasingly use online platforms to recruit young people, saying “Researchers used to think it took a long time to radicalize people online, but it seems to be happening quicker and quicker.”

Kolko said recruiters often target teens through encrypted online spaces, including gaming platforms, and told parents “Parents aren’t aware of what’s going on,” because they think children are playing video games.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that authorities, including the San Diego Police Department and the FBI, are investigating the shootings as a hate crime.

After the shooting, Muslim Americans gathered at the annual conference for the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) in Baltimore, where speakers said, “We owe them more than condolences. We owe them resolve,” according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reported that nearly 25,000 people turned out for the annual event held on Saturday and Sunday, and that speakers addressed the courage of Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad as examples for the broader community.

Lena Masri, a lawyer at the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said the victims “sacrificed their lives to save others,” and described how the security officer exchanged fire with the shooters while the other two victims rushed to help and called for emergency services.

Al Jazeera also reported that Muslim Americans raised more than $3.5m for the victims’ families and moved to bolster security around Muslim institutions, while Saad Kazmi said ICNA relied on three layers of protection for the weekend’s event.

In the San Diego Union-Tribune, Letuli said his heart goes out to the victims and their families and added, “If not for my helmet, I would probably not be alive today,” as he described being inches away from meeting a horrible end.