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Tragic Shooting at San Diego Islamic Center Claims Five Lives
Gyanhigyan english | May 19, 2026 7:39 AM CST


In a tragic event at the Islamic Center of San Diego, five individuals, including two alleged shooters, have lost their lives, as reported by local law enforcement. The suspects, aged 17 and 19, reportedly succumbed to self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities have yet to disclose their identities or any potential motives behind the attack.


The incident triggered a significant emergency response, with police deploying between 50 to 100 officers to the scene following reports of an active shooter in the Clairemont area. Aerial footage from local news outlets captured a body, clad in what seemed to be a tactical vest, lying outside the mosque premises. Additional images revealed another body covered with a yellow tarp near the Islamic center. Among the deceased was a security guard from the mosque, who, according to a police spokesperson, played a crucial role in managing the situation, indicating that the outcome could have been far worse.



The Council on American-Islamic Relations confirmed that at least one member of the mosque was among the deceased, though it remains unclear if this individual was the security guard or another victim. San Diego police later announced that the threat at the Islamic center had been neutralized. Reports indicate that the suspects began firing while a landscaper was working nearby. Following the shooting, officers conducted door-to-door searches in the vicinity while emergency responders attended to the injured.


Footage shared on social media showed first responders administering CPR to two individuals close to the mosque. Imam Taha Hassane reassured the community in a video message, stating that all children and staff within the center had been safely evacuated. "We are safe; the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center," he confirmed. Several local schools, including the Islamic School of San Diego, were placed on alert or evacuated during the crisis.


San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria emphasized that emergency personnel were diligently working to secure the area and protect the community. In response to the incident, law enforcement agencies across the United States, including those in New York City and Fairfax County, Virginia, announced increased patrols around mosques as a precautionary measure.



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