Three People Dead in Shooting at San Diego Mosque
- Three people died in a mosque in San Diego, California.
- Authorities mention the intrusion of two presumed shooters, found dead near the place of worship.
Three people have died at a mosque in San Diego, California, after the intrusion of two presumed shooters who were found dead near the place of worship, announced American authorities on Monday. “At this stage, it appears that the suspects died from gunshot wounds they inflicted on themselves,”
said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl during a press conference.
“We believe they are 17 and 19 years old,”
he added, without revealing their identities. Their motives are currently unknown. But according to the police, the case is being treated as an Islamophobic attack. Among the three victims killed in the attack, “one of the deceased is a security officer,”
Mr. Wahl added.
According to initial investigation elements, he would have played a “determining role in avoiding the situation from turning much worse.”
The two presumed shooters targeted the Islamic Center of San Diego, a facility housing the largest mosque in this southern California region and also offering classes for children. The police received calls reporting shots around midday and quickly deployed dozens of heavily armed men on site.
At the White House, Donald Trump deplored a “terrible situation.”
“We have never experienced a tragedy like this before
,” assured one of the center’s imams, Taha Hassane, addressing his “prayers”
to the city’s Muslim community. “It is extremely scandalous to target a place of worship
,” he exclaimed. With more guns in circulation than inhabitants, the United States has the highest gun-related mortality rate among all developed countries.
