San Diego Mosque Shooting: Teen Suspect Steals Three Weapons From Mother's Home Before Attack

The head of the San Diego Police, Scott Wahl, disclosed that one of the teenagers named as a suspect in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego had briefly taken three weapons from his mother’s home before carrying out the deadly attack. The boy’s mother initially reported to police that her son and his vehicle were missing, along with ‘a number of his weapons’. The quantity of weapons taken from the home convinced investigators that the teenager posed a threat to others. ‘Someone who intends to take their own life would not take three weapons from one location,’ Wahl told reporters. This troubling information prompted a ‘much larger threat assessment’ as police searched for the teen before the shooting. Nevertheless, Wahl explained there was no specific threat directed at any particular location in the note, nor in the suspect’s weapons. ‘There were no specific threats, especially no threats directed at the Islamic Center. It was only general hate speech, I think, that covered a broad scope,’ he said. ‘Again, we are still actively investigating this as we speak, but this is more of a general matter.’ Wahl also noted the reality that religious facilities in the United States and around the world now acknowledge the safety risks that loom over them. ‘This is the sobering reality of the world we live in today. However, I would say, of course, everyone feels unsafe.’ Several public officials quickly voiced strong condemnations of the fatal shooting at the largest mosque in San Diego. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he and his wife were ‘horrified’ by today’‘s violent attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where families and children gather, and neighbours worship in peace and brotherhood. ’Worshippers anywhere should not live in fear for their lives,’ Newsom added. ‘Hatred has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against faith communities.’ New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, also said he was ‘horrified’ by the attack. ‘Islamophobia endangers Muslim communities across this country,’ he wrote in a post on X. ‘We must confront it directly and stand together against the politics of fear and division.’ Condemnations also came from US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and US Representative Zoe Lofgren of California. Sam Hamideh remembered the security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego who died in the shooting. ‘He fell defending the children inside the mosque.’ The FBI joined the case, coordinating with local police. At least five people were killed in the shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center. Police and the FBI are investigating the incident as a suspected hate crime. The San Diego Police Department released the timeline of the mosque shooting in its jurisdiction. It began with a report of a missing teenager and ended with the security guard’s heroic actions. The tragic shooting struck the Islamic Center of San Diego complex in California. Three people were killed, and two teenage suspects were found dead from suicide.