Fully Armored Teen Shooters Attack San Diego Mosque
The firearms used by the two teenage shooters, aged 17 and 18, in the deadly attack were registered to one of their parents, authorities confirmed.
The assailants, described as "fully armored," rushed toward the Islamic Center of San Diego armed with handguns and rifles, officials said.
A security guard confronted the attackers and managed to shoot one of them, according to mosque members. Despite being hit, the shooter continued advancing. The guard then warned the Islamic Center school administrators to initiate a lockdown before he was fatally shot.
"If it was not for him 3 The carnage would be much worse," said imam Taha Hassane. "He sacrificed his life."
Witnesses reported that two other victims were on the phone with police when they were killed. Police arrived promptly and later discovered the suspected shooters near the mosque, both deceased from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Radicalization and Evidence Found
The FBI stated the shooters had met and become radicalized online. At a news conference on Tuesday, Mark Remily, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego office, revealed investigators found a "manifesto" expressing broad hatred toward multiple races and religions.
Searches of two residences linked to the investigation uncovered 30 firearms and a crossbow. Tactical gear, ammunition, and electronic devices were also seized.
"We also identified writings and various ideologies outlining religious and racial beliefs of how the world they envisioned should look," Remily said. "These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated."
He added that it remains too early to determine if the Islamic Center was the sole or specific target of the shooters.
Prior Warning and Investigation
On Monday, shortly before the shooting, the mother of one shooter, a 17-year-old high school student, notified police that her son was suicidal and possibly armed. Officers were searching for the 17-year-old and his 18-year-old companion in a neighborhood near the mosque when the shooting began.
Remily confirmed the firearms used were registered to one of the shooters' parents, though how they obtained them is still under investigation. The FBI has established a tip line and continues to seek information about the shooters and their motives.
One shooter was enrolled in a virtual learning academy within the San Diego Unified School District and was expected to graduate this year, a district spokesperson stated.
Community Response and Safety Measures
During the incident, five public schools near the Islamic Center were placed on lockdown. Imam Hassane, who also directs the Islamic Center, noted that the center regularly conducts active-shooter lockdown drills several times annually, which he believes helped protect those inside.
"It worked, you know," he said. "The lives of the kids were saved. The lives of everyone in the school were saved, and were so grateful for that."
