Three killed in hate attack targeting Islamic Center in San Diego
Three people were killed in an armed attack targeting an Islamic Center in San Diego, California, USA, while local authorities confirmed that the incident is currently being classified as a hate crime, as investigations continue to uncover the circumstances and motives behind the attack.
Official reports stated that police found two bodies, believed to belong to teenagers, inside a car parked near the scene of the incident, coinciding with search and investigation operations launched by authorities after the attack.
Sequence of events according to authorities’ account
In presenting the details of the incident, officials explained that the first indications related to the case began at 9:42 a.m., about two hours before the shooting was reported inside the Islamic Center, when San Diego police received a phone call from a woman reporting her son missing.
According to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, the mother confirmed during the report that a number of firearms belonging to her, as well as her vehicle, had been stolen from her home, which later led authorities to link these details to the attack carried out at the Islamic Center.
Security guard sacrificed his life to protect worshippers in San Diego Islamic Center attack
Details continue to emerge regarding the shooting incident targeting the Islamic Center in San Diego, which resulted in the deaths of three people, including security guard “Amin Abdullah,” whose name has become a symbol of sacrifice within the local community after his role during the attack was revealed.
“Abdullah” was described by those close to him as a “bright light” in his community, in reference to his positive presence and humanitarian role within the Islamic Center and society.
Testimonies reveal moments of confronting the attack
According to testimonies from friends and acquaintances of the late guard, he sacrificed his life while attempting to confront the attacker and prevent him from reaching worshippers inside the building, at a time when authorities were still classifying the incident as a “hate crime” and continuing their investigation.
Sam Hamida, a friend of the victim who spoke to CNN, said that Amin Abdullah’s intervention prevented a massacre inside the Islamic Center, explaining that the attacker could have reached women, children, and worshippers inside the building had the guard not attempted to stop him.
He added that the victim performed his duty until his final moments, noting that his presence at the entrance helped those inside find time to take shelter and move away from the direction of gunfire, a moment many described as heroic and one that prevented a higher number of casualties.
Child hides inside classroom during San Diego Islamic Center attack
Emotional testimonies continue to emerge regarding the shooting incident targeting the Islamic Center in San Diego, which resulted in the deaths of three people, including a security guard who attempted to protect worshippers and confront the attackers inside the building.
In the latest details, media reports revealed that a nine-year-old child named “Ady Shanna” was forced to take shelter inside a classroom during the shooting on Monday morning, in terrifying moments inside the Islamic Center, which was hosting educational and religious activities at the time of the attack.
According to available information, the child was attending lessons at the center when gunfire erupted, prompting those present to search for safe places and take shelter inside rooms and classrooms amid a state of panic among children and attendees.
Extremist recordings reveal motives behind San Diego mosque attack
Investigations continue into the attack on the Islamic Center in San Diego, amid emerging details that reinforce the hypothesis of racist motives and hate speech linked to the incident.
Media reports stated that the attackers livestreamed a video documenting the moments of the attack at the mosque, along with publishing a document containing extremist and anti-Islamic ideas, consistent with authorities’ initial classification of the incident as a “hate crime.”
According to CNN, the video showed the attackers during the shooting inside the Islamic Center, while Nazi and racist symbols appeared on their clothing and weapons, along with other disturbing scenes inside a vehicle after the attack.
These developments come as investigations continue to uncover the background of those involved, after identifying one suspect as 17-year-old teenager “Kain Clark,” while shock and grief continue within the local community and the Muslim community in San Diego.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
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Writer: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi
Publication date: May 20, 2026
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