San Diego Islamic Center Shooting: Security Guard Dies Protecting Children Inside the Mosque
An armed attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego left multiple people dead, including a security guard described by friends as a hero who sacrificed his life to shield worshippers. The guard, a father of eight, was known in the community for his dedication and positive presence, according to his friend Sam Hamideh, who spoke to CNN’s Kyung Lah. ‘He was more than an ordinary security guard,’ Hamideh said. ‘Whenever you met him he would make you smile and exude calm and faith in God.’
“The mosque complex includes a school teaching children from kindergarten through Year 3. Hamideh’s second child was in the classroom when the shooting occurred. He recalled how the guard would greet them each morning and would even send a last message the morning of the attack.”
“Before the incident, the guard told Hamideh’s wife to pass his regards to Sam; Hamideh later realised it was his farewell message.” After hearing of the shooting, Hamideh phoned the school and then reached the security guard, unaware that his friend had died. Hamideh believes his friend deliberately stood in the line of fire to protect the children from the attacker. ‘I know he knew he sacrificed his life for the children… if he hadn’t been shot, they would have climbed the stairs,’ he said. The guard’s actions, he added, meant that the children could go home to their own families.
FBI and local police are coordinating the investigation, which is being treated as a possible hate crime. Police reported at least five people killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, with the inquiry focusing on the attacker’s motives as authorities study potential racist material left behind. The San Diego Police Department released a timeline of events, tracing the incident from a missing teenager report to the security guard’s heroic response.
The shooting prompted heightened security at mosques across the United States, including New York and Los Angeles, as authorities warned of potential hate-related violence. Investigators say the suspect possessed three firearms registered to his mother, and a note containing hateful rhetoric has been found. Reports also noted that three people were killed and two teenage suspects were later found dead by suicide.