A shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday left five people dead, including two heavily armed teenage suspects. The attack on the county’s largest mosque comes amid a documented nationwide surge in anti-Muslim bias and is being actively investigated by the FBI as a hate crime.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl confirmed the violence began at approximately 11:43 a.m. local time in the Clairemont neighborhood. An armed security guard and two staff members of the center’s school were killed before the threat was neutralized by 1:00 p.m.
The attackers, identified only as 17 and 18 or 19 years old, were discovered dead in a nearby vehicle from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Law enforcement officials recovered a suicide note referencing racial pride and found hate-related messages inscribed directly on the weapons used in the assault.
Imam Taha Hassane stated that all children and remaining facility staff were safely evacuated during the incident. The sudden violence prompted nearby San Diego Unified School District campuses to initiate temporary lockdowns and forced Sharp Memorial Hospital to activate its disaster response procedures.
The Islamic Center of San Diego remains closed to the public until further notice. California Governor Gavin Newsom and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the attack, with Gloria committing full law enforcement resources to secure other places of worship across the city.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations contextualized the violence by noting the community has been on high alert. The organization tracked a record 8,683 complaints of Islamophobia and discrimination across the country in 2025.