Three victims were killed in a shooting at a San Diego mosque on Monday, and the two suspects behind the attack were also killed, authorities said.
Police responded to a report of an active shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego shortly before noon local time and found three deceased victims outside, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a news conference.
At around the same time, there were reports of more gunfire a few blocks away, where it’s believed the suspects fired shots at a landscaper. Officers were then called to a nearby location where a vehicle was found in the middle of the street. The suspects, two male teenagers, were found inside the car, dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Wahl said.
The identities of the victims and the suspects have not been made public.
The attack is being investigated as a hate crime for now, Wahl said.
The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. Its mission is to “serve the religious needs of the San Diego Muslim population and work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.” It is also the site of a school for children from Pre-K to 3rd grade.
No children were harmed in the incident, police said.
“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” Imam Taha Hassane said during the news conference. “People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn. Not only muslims, but we have people from all walks of life.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the attack in a post on social media.
“Worshippers anywhere should not have to fear for their lives,” he wrote. “Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria shared a message for the city’s Muslim community in the wake of the attack.
“I want to assure our Muslim community that we will do everything it takes to make sure that you can feel safe in this city, and no resource will be spared. And making sure that our religious institutions and locations are protected in this sensitive time,” he said. “But to reassert, as I always will, it. Hate has no place in the city of San Diego.”