A devastating shooting attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego has left three community members dead, including a long-serving security guard hailed as a hero for actions that authorities confirm saved countless lives. In the wake of the Monday violence, investigators have confirmed the attack is being probed as a hate crime, with evidence linking the assailants to harmful hate rhetoric.
The fallen security guard has been identified as Amin Abdullah, an 88-year-old father of eight who had served the San Diego mosque community for more than a decade, according to Tazheen Nizam, spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego (CAIR-SD). Speaking at an official press conference hours after the attack, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl called Abdullah’s actions unequivocally heroic, emphasizing that his quick, brave response prevented an even higher death toll. “Undoubtedly, he saved lives today,” Wahl stated.
Joining Abdullah in the fatal casualties were two other mosque community members, named by CAIR-SD as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad. The two attackers, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who have not yet been publicly identified, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds shortly after the shooting, located in a vehicle just a few blocks from the mosque.
The timeline of the tragedy began earlier Monday, when the mother of one of the teenage attackers contacted local police to report her son had run away with a friend and was potentially suicidal. As law enforcement launched a citywide search for the pair, officers discovered the three gunshot victims outside the mosque grounds hours later. Within minutes of that discovery, they located the two deceased suspects nearby.
Friends and community members who knew Abdullah have paid tribute to his lifelong commitment to serving others. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, a family friend, told the Associated Press that Abdullah intentionally took on the security guard role specifically to protect innocent community members. Sam Hamideh, who knew Abdullah through mosque activities, told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Abdullah’s kindness extended to everyone who crossed his path. “It didn’t matter who walked up… any random person could just walk up and, [Abdullah] would greet them, make sure they are OK,” Hamideh said. “Whether they were homeless off the street looking for something, whether it was a child or elderly.”
Tributes have poured in across social media, with dozens of community members describing Abdullah as “the nicest man you’ll ever meet.” In an official statement released after the attack, the Islamic Center of San Diego honored his sacrifice, saying: “[He was] a courageous man who put himself on the line for the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community.”
Chief Wahl confirmed that investigators have already uncovered ties to hate rhetoric tied to the attack, confirming the case will move forward as a formal hate crime investigation.