Three killed in San Diego Islamic center shooting as police find two suspects dead blocks away: Latest

The mother of one of the suspects in Monday’s shooting warned police her son might be suicidal and had taken several of her weapons and her vehicle, according to officials.

Police got a tip from the woman morning morning about the “runaway juvenile,” San Diego police chief Scott Wahl told reporters Monday evening.

She told police her son left with a companion, and that both were dressed in camouflage.

Police were sent to San Diego’s Fashion Valley Mall after license plate readers suggested the individuals were there.

Officers were speaking with the woman when the shooting outside the mosque was reported.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, one of the country’s most prominent Muslim leaders, said he was shocked by Monday’s shooting at a mosque in San Diego.

“I am horrified by the deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence,” he wrote on X. “Islamophobia endangers Muslim communities across this country. We must confront it directly and stand together against the politics of fear and division. My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community grieving this devastating attack.”

The NYPD has stepped up patrols outside mosques in the city in the wake of today’s shooting, Mamdani added.

Police are reportedly learning more about the motive behind Monday’s shooting outside a San Diego mosque, which investigators are treating as a hate crime.

Hate speech was written on one of the weapons used in the attack, law enforcement sources told CNN.

One of the suspects also allegedly took a firearm from their parents’ home and left a suicide note with writings about “racial pride,” the sources told the broadcaster.

Investigators found anti-Islamic writings in a vehicle associated with the shooting suspects, law enforcement officials told The New York Times.

Prior to the shooting, the sources said, one of the suspects took a firearm from his parents’ house and left a suicide note.

The words ‘hate speech’ were written on one of the guns used in the attack, per the paper.

Police are investigating why two teenagers allegedly attempted to carry out a shooting at a San Diego mosque then fled and died by self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Officials have not publicly named the individuals, described a motive, and specified what weapons were used in the shooting.

Here is everything we know so far.

Political and religious leaders condemned Monday’s shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego.

“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” Imam Taha Hassane, director of the center, said during a press conference this afternoon. “Our Islamic center is a place of worship. People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn. Not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life. Just this morning, earlier, a group of people, non-Muslims, came to learn about our faith and our cultures. So this is something that we have never expected. And I would also like to thank all the people who contacted us from all over the country and even from overseas, to give condolences and to ask if there is anything they can do.”

Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs, whose district includes San Diego, had a similar message after the shooting.

“We don’t have any details about a potential motive yet, but I’m devastated for those students, worshippers, and the Clairemont community,” she wrote on X. “Everyone should be able to pray, worship, and learn in peace.”

President Trump has made brief remarks about Monday’s shooting, as the FBI assists local police in investigating the tragedy.

“It’s a terrible situation,” Trump said at an unrelated healthcare-related event on Monday. “I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.”

The FBI is on the scene at the Islamic Center of San Diego, assisting local police as they investigate today’s shooting threat.

“All resources will be made available assisting local partners and we will update the public as we’re able,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.

“The FBI is meticulously assessing the situation and is prepared to employ every resource we have to uncover the facts of this incident,” San Diego-based FBI special agent in charge Mark Remily told reporters on Monday. “No community should have to go through such a tragic incident, but we will work tirelessly until we learn the truth.”

Police are investigating Monday’s shooting threat at a San Diego-area mosque as a potential hate crime.

“Because of the Islamic Center location, we are considering this a hate crime until it’s not,” San Diego police chief Scott Wahl told reporters on Monday. “And at this point we’re going to work closely with the FBI to make sure that we are matching all the resources that we need for this investigation.”