Police suspect hate crime Several dead in attack on Islamic center in San Diego
Law enforcement officials at the scene outside the Islamic Center in San Diego. (May 18, 2026)
Image: Keystone/EPA/John Gastaldo
Police respond with a large force to reports of gunfire.
Image: dpa
There were three fatalities. The two suspects were found dead in a car
Image: dpa
The Southern Californian city of San Diego is in shock after the violence.
Image: dpa
Law enforcement officials at the scene outside the Islamic Center in San Diego. (May 18, 2026)
Image: Keystone/EPA/John Gastaldo
Police respond with a large force to reports of gunfire.
Image: dpa
There were three fatalities. The two suspects were found dead in a car
Image: dpa
The Southern Californian city of San Diego is in shock after the violence.
Image: dpa
Three people are killed in a deadly attack on an Islamic center in San Diego, and the two suspects also die. Much remains unclear - but the case brings back memories.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Once again, a religious institution in the United States has become the target of a violent crime - this time in San Diego in Southern California.
- On Monday, a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old attacked an Islamic center, which includes a mosque and a school.
- Three people died, the two attackers were later found dead in their car.
- Many details about the course of events remain unclear, as does the motive. A warning call to the police also raises the question of whether the crime could possibly have been prevented.
Once again, a religious institution in the United States has become the target of a violent crime - this time in San Diego in Southern California. A 17-year-old and a 19-year-old attacked an Islamic center, which includes a mosque and a school. Three people died, the two attackers were later found dead in their car.
Many details about the course of events remain unclear, as does the motive. A warning call to the police also raises the question of whether the crime could possibly have been prevented.
Heavily armed police officers take small children out of the building
The police had responded with a large-scale operation to reports of a shooter at the center. Helicopter footage showed heavily armed officers escorting children out of the building. A witness told CBS News that he heard about 30 shots and called the police.
Police said they found three adult men dead at the scene, one of whom was a security guard at the facility. According to media reports, the other two were employees. The police did not give any further details about their identity out of consideration for their relatives.
It is not yet clear exactly what happened outside the mosque, said local police chief Scott Wahl, referring to the security guard who was killed. "But at this point, I think it's safe to say that his actions were heroic and he undoubtedly saved lives today."
According to Wahl, the officers immediately set about searching the building. Around the same time, another emergency call was received reporting that a gardener and landscaper had been shot at a few streets away. The exact circumstances are still unclear, but it is possible that his helmet saved his life.
A few minutes later, another emergency call was received: The car with the two dead suspects was a few blocks away in the middle of the street. "At the moment, it appears that the suspects died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds," said Wahl.
Mother notified police two hours before the crime
US President Donald Trump reacted with dismay to the incident. It was a "horrible situation", he said in Washington. The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, stated: "Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terrorism or intimidation against faith communities."
Police Chief Wahl also announced that the mother of one of the two suspects had called the police around two hours before the attack: Her son had disappeared, as had several of her weapons and her car. He was also traveling with a friend and wearing camouflage clothing. The mother assumed that her son wanted to take his own life.
Message from a suspect found
However, according to Wahl, the officers concluded that the details did not match a suicide. Police subsequently dispatched officers to suspected targets of a violent crime, including a shopping center and a school. Officers were only a few streets away when the emergency call was finally received from the Islamic center.
The investigators did not provide any information on a possible motive. A note had been found on one of the suspects, but he could not provide any information about it at this time, Wahl said. As it was a religious institution, the police consider the attack to be a hate crime until further notice.
That is why the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been called in. The FBI officer in charge, Mark Remily, described the act of violence as "senseless" and asked the public for relevant information. Every detail could help to understand "why this terrible incident occurred."
Attack on synagogue in Michigan just two months ago
The incident brings back memories of an attack on a synagogue in mid-March. At that time, a man drove a vehicle into the synagogue in the town of West Bloomfield in Michigan, where there were numerous small children. According to the police, security personnel then opened fire and prevented anything worse from happening. The attacker died in his burning car. It was later revealed that he had been inspired by Hezbollah.
