Three Dead at San Diego Mosque in Attack Investigated as Hate Crime
By Jose Navarro | The Navarro Report | May 18, 2026
Three men are dead and a community is shaken after two teenage gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday morning, killing worshippers before turning the weapons on themselves.
The shooting unfolded around 11:43 a.m. at the center’s Clairemont location at 7050 Eckstrom Avenue — the largest mosque in San Diego County. Officers from the San Diego Police Department arrived within minutes, entered the building, and went room by room through the complex, which also houses the Al Rashid School. Three men were found dead outside the mosque, one of them a security guard. The students and staff inside were unharmed.
The two suspected shooters — ages 17 and 18 — did not get far. Police found them dead in a vehicle on the 2100 block of Hatton Street, a few blocks from the center, from what authorities described as self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Before reaching the mosque, the pair had apparently fired at a landscaper working nearby. A bullet struck the worker’s helmet and he survived.
SDPD Chief Scott Wahl said the threat was neutralized. “This is every community’s worst nightmare,” he told reporters. “There is no further threat. Both suspects in this case are deceased. All of the kids are safe.”
The sequence of events that morning began even before the shooting. At 9:42 a.m., police received a call about a runaway juvenile. Over the following hour, officers pieced together fragments from the teen’s mother — information that painted a troubling picture. The number of firearms he had taken from the family home led investigators to believe more than one person was at risk. “One person that’s suicidal is not going to take three weapons from a location,” Chief Wahl said. That detail triggered a broader threat assessment, and by the time reports of an active shooter came in, officers were already working the case.
Hate speech was found written on one of the weapons. One of the suspects left a suicide note containing writings about racial pride. Chief Wahl was careful to note there was no specific threat made against the Islamic Center — the language was described as “more generalized.” Still, SDPD and the FBI are investigating the attack as a hate crime.
The FBI deployed special agents, task force officers, evidence response personnel, and victim specialists to the scene. “We will work tirelessly until we learn the truth,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily.
Five San Diego Unified schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution. Those lockdowns were later lifted. Sharp HealthCare activated disaster procedures; one person with a non-firearm injury was taken to Sharp Memorial.
Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the attack and said the state was coordinating with local law enforcement. Mayor Todd Gloria, at a press conference late Monday, was direct: “Hate has no place in the City of San Diego.”
The names of the victims and suspects have not been released pending family notifications. The Islamic Center remains closed as investigators continue processing the scene. Road closures on Balboa Avenue and around the I-805 interchange were still in effect Monday evening.
The Islamic Center of San Diego has long served as a gathering place for both Muslim and non-Muslim communities throughout the county. Monday, it became a crime scene. The question of how two teenagers reached this point — and what, if anything, could have interrupted that path — will likely define the investigation in the days ahead.
Victim assistance is available through the San Diego County District Attorney’s Victim Services line: 619-531-4041.
The Navarro Report covers news, policy, and community issues affecting Southern California.