A security guard is being remembered as a hero after three men were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning, with authorities crediting his actions with preventing far greater loss of life. Community members have identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, a father of eight who had worked at the mosque for over a decade. As theGrio previously reported, Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked by a man who sprayed her with liquid during a Minneapolis town hall in January, and Omar has repeatedly warned that dehumanizing rhetoric directed at Muslim communities can lead to dangerous actions. Hindustan Times, citing AP, reported that the San Diego mosque shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.
“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said of Abdullah. “Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.” Wahl said Abdullah appeared to have limited the shooting to the front area of the mosque, preventing the suspects from reaching the Al Rashid School attached to the complex, where children were evacuated safely and seen holding hands as they were walked out.
Two teen suspects, identified by law enforcement as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, were found dead in a vehicle a few blocks from the mosque from what police believe were self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Hours before the San Diego mosque shooting, Clark’s mother had called police to report her son was suicidal, missing along with several weapons and her car. Officers tracked the vehicle using automated license plate readers but the shooting had already begun by the time they arrived.
Investigators found hate speech written on one of the firearms used in the attack. A suicide note containing writings about racial pride was also discovered, law enforcement sources told CNN. The Islamic Center of San Diego is the city’s largest mosque, serving a congregation of over 5,000 people and housing an elementary school that teaches Arabic, Islamic studies and Quran to children ages 5 and up.
Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, who spoke with Abdullah’s son, described him as a man driven by a calling to protect. “He wanted to defend the innocent so he decided to become a security guard,” he said. The mosque’s GoFundMe for Abdullah’s family had raised over $657,000 at the time of this report. The Islamic Center said it would remain closed until further notice as the community mourns.
The attack came just days before Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar. President Trump described the shooting as “a terrible situation.”
