Mass shooting in California: FBI investigates teen attack on San Diego’s largest mosque

Two teenagers opened fire outside an Islamic center in San Diego, killing three people and then killing themselves. Police and the FBI are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Reuters reports this.

The tragedy occurred on the territory of the largest mosque in the county. Two armed young men opened fire in front of the center building. They shot a security guard and two other men. According to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wohl, it was the security guard’s actions that probably prevented the attackers from entering and prevented a much larger number of victims.

The bodies of the attackers, aged 17 and 18, were later found in a car near the scene. Preliminary reports suggest they had shot themselves.

It turned out that about two hours before the shooting, the mother of one of the teenagers called 911. She reported that her suicidal son had fled the house in her car with a friend. Both were wearing camouflage and had three weapons with them. The boy also left a note, but the police are not disclosing its contents at this time.

Police immediately began a search and sent patrols to a local school and shopping mall. However, a call soon came in about a shooting at a mosque. Between 50 and 100 officers arrived at the scene. The first crews were at the Islamic Center within four minutes of the call. Armed police surrounded the complex and took up positions on the roof of the building, but did not open fire during the operation.

The exact motive of the attackers has not yet been established. Since the tragedy occurred a week before the start of the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha and the hajj to Mecca, the case was transferred to the FBI.

The director of the Islamic Center, Imam Taha Hassan, said that the community was shocked by the attack, as they had never encountered such aggression before, and the choice of a place of worship as a target was absolutely outrageous.

Recall that one of the most tragic shootings in recent times occurred in the city of Shreveport – a man killed eight children, seven of whom turned out to be his own.

As reported, one of the most tragic attacks on a temple in recent years occurred in the United States. In the city of Grand Blanc, Michigan, 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a resident of neighboring Burton, carried out an attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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