By JULIE WATSON Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Three men were killed in a shooting at a San Diego mosque Monday and both suspects are dead, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.
Both suspects are believed to be teens and the case is considered to be a hate crime, Wahl said.
The shooting happened at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County.
Police said people reported multiple shots at the Islamic Center of San Diego, about 9 miles (14 km) north of downtown San Diego. It was unclear if the shooter was outside or inside, or had been captured yet. The San Diego Police Department posted that the scene is “still active but contained.”
The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which the website says offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran.
Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center that is surrounded by scores of police vehicles. The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets. No children were hurt.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he was being briefed.
“We are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities,” his office posted on the social platform X.
The Islamic Center’s website says its mission is to not only serve the Muslim population but also “work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.” Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes.