By Sabiu Abdullahi
Five people lost their lives on Monday after two teenage shooters opened fire at the Islamic Centre of San Diego in California, United States, authorities said.
The incident, which investigators believe may have been motivated by hate, claimed the lives of three victims and the two teenage suspects.
Police identified the attackers as youths aged 17 and 18. Authorities said they arrived at the mosque complex around 11:40 am local time. A security guard and two other men outside the worship centre were shot dead during the attack.
Officials later discovered the two suspects dead inside a vehicle. Investigators believe they died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
The Islamic Centre of San Diego is considered the largest mosque in San Diego County.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl disclosed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local security agencies had launched a hate crime investigation into the shooting.
According to police, the mother of one of the suspects contacted authorities about two hours before the attack. She reportedly informed officers that her son, whom she described as suicidal, had left home with three firearms and her vehicle.
Authorities said the teenager was with another youth, and both suspects wore camouflage clothing.
Wahl explained that officers had already started searching for the pair near a shopping mall and the suspect’s high school before emergency reports emerged from the mosque.
Investigators also recovered a note from the teenager’s residence, although police declined to disclose its contents.
“We have never experienced a tragedy like this before,” the mosque’s imam and director, Taha Hassane, told reporters.
“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” he added.
Authorities stated that dozens of officers responded to the active shooter alert within minutes. Television footage showed armed tactical teams surrounding the mosque complex as helicopters monitored the area from above.
Police confirmed that officers did not discharge their weapons during the operation.
Investigators linked the mosque attack to another nearby shooting in which a landscaper survived after a bullet reportedly struck his safety helmet.
Children at the Bright Horizon Academy, an Islamic school located within the mosque complex, were evacuated safely. Authorities confirmed that no students were harmed.
The shooting happened only days before Muslims around the world prepare to observe Eid al-Adha and embark on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
