San Diego police responded on Monday to reports of an active shooter and multiple casualties at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the city’s Clairemont neighborhood, authorities said.
The San Diego Police Department said officers were responding to the Islamic center in the 7000 block of Eckstrom Avenue and urged the public to avoid the area. Police later stated that the threat had been “neutralized” and that a reunification site had been established for families. Television footage showed officers escorting children from the scene.
Authorities reported that there were three adult victims. Two suspects, believed to be ages 17 and 19, appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to preliminary information released by police.
“I am aware of the active shooter situation at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont and am continuing to receive updates from law enforcement,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria stated. He later shared that police “confirmed that there is no ongoing threat to the community.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office stated that the governor had been briefed on the situation and that the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local law enforcement.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that she was “outraged and heartbroken by today’s shooting and murder at the Islamic Center of San Diego, especially as today marks the first day of Dhul Hijjah, a sacred and holy time for Muslims.”
“I have spoken with Muslim community leaders in Los Angeles to offer my assistance and have directed the LAPD to deploy additional resources to protect L.A.’s mosques,” Bass said.
The Islamic Center of San Diego is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al-Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic, Islamic studies and the Quran, according to the Associated Press.
“Hatred directed against one faith community is a threat to every faith community,” the World Jewish Congress stated. “The attack unfolding at the Islamic Center in San Diego is not only an act of terror against Muslims, but an assault on the fundamental right of all people to practice their faith openly, safely, and without fear. Jewish communities around the world stand in solidarity with the victims, their families, and all those impacted by the scourge of violent extremism.”
