US Islamic Center Shooting: Hero Dies, Children Cry as They Hide in Classroom Lockers

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Mass shootings have once again occurred in the United States. This time at the Islamic Center in San Diego.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning local time. Three people were killed in a shooting that involved two teenage gunmen, who were later found to have killed themselves.

“Everyone was really shocked,” said Ramzy, whose father was among the victims, as he stared blankly, trying to understand what happened. “It’s hard to believe this is real. We’re all still trying to understand,” he added, trying to understand why “Islamophobia” is happening to him and taking away his loved ones.

“Yes, Ramzy is the son of Nader Anwar. His father was one of the three victims hailed as heroes in the incident.” Then: “Thanks to Anwar’s actions, many lives were saved, especially since the Islamic Center was full of children at the time.”

Chronology

According to AFP, Wednesday (20/5/2026), the incident began when the two teenage attackers stormed the Islamic complex on Monday, with intent to commit a crime. But they were confronted by security guard Amin Abdullah. He began shooting them while sounding an alarm via radio. Anwar and another man named Mansour Kaziha then lured the shooters back to the parking lot.

According to Ramzy, initially his father heard the shots. This caused him to run to help the officers.

“He heard the shots and ran to help,” Ramzy said. “Unfortunately, they managed to shoot him when they left the building,” he added, noting the three men were killed at the scene.

During their update, investigators identified the attackers as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18. The two were found dead in a vehicle not far from the scene. Investigators believe they shot themselves. FBI search of their homes found dozens of firearms and ammunition, tactical gear, and electronics, along with extremist writings describing what the FBI calls ‘religious and racial beliefs about how the world they think it should look’.

Heroes

Local police showed how the three victims were indeed heroes. They tried to stop the attackers from gaining access to a wider area of the mosque.”They delayed, diverted attention, and ultimately prevented the two individuals from accessing a wider area of the mosque, where as many as 140 children were within 15 feet (4.5 metres) of the suspects,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.

An imam showed how grateful he is for the victims. For him they are heroes who saved lives, even young children at the centre who were attending school.

“If he had not done what he did and sacrificed his life, the two suspects would have easily accessed every classroom,” said mosque imam Taha Hassane.

“We are very proud of him… I see messages about him, literally from around the world, speaking about his heroism,” he added.

Children Crying Hiding in Lockers

Meanwhile, at the time of the incident, reports described frightened children crying and hiding in classroom lockers. A 9-year-old named Odai Shanah recounted his experience hiding in a classroom with his friends when the deadly shooting occurred. Odai said he heard a volley of gunfire from outside the mosque complex, which also houses an Islamic school. Teachers quickly led the children into lockers to take cover. They huddled in fear as the sound of gunfire continued. After the situation subsided, SWAT teams arrived and evacuated the children from the room.

“I saw bad things,” Odai said when led out, describing seeing a victim lying on the ground, his body trembling and feeling very scared, Reuters reported.

We Used to Feel Safe

In truth, confusion was evident on the faces of Muslim community members arriving at the mosque with flowers at the Islamic Center in San Diego. Many were too shocked to speak, offering only a few words before crying or remaining silent.

With palm trees standing beside the minaret and suburbs along the street, the outskirts of this 1.4 million-strong city presented a peaceful, multicultural image of America. The mosque had served also as a polling place and drew worshippers from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The imam regularly took part in interfaith prayers, even with the local Protestant church pastor.

“This Muslim community, they are really good people,” said a neighbour walking a dog, Katelynn Fisk.

“They never treated anyone as if they were different, even if they did not share their beliefs,” she added.

The mosque is one of the largest Muslim centres in the city. It has always been a sanctuary.

“We used to feel safe here,” said Imani Khatib.

“I do not understand why we would be targeted,” she added.

White Supremacy

As with many places of worship across the US, the mosque complex has become a target of sporadic Islamophobic acts. Such incidents have risen since the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The conflict in Gaza and Iran has triggered a new wave of hostility. Hassane blamed the deadly shooting on “rising white supremacy” as well as “our elected officials (and) some media who demean the dignity of Muslims and demean every minority, Black people, Latinos”.

“We have received several letters, emails, and phone messages, you know, that blame us for all things”