3 men have been killed at a San Diego mosque and both suspects are dead, police say
Police respond to a reported active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego in San Diego, California, on May 18, 2026.
Zoe Meyers | AFP | Getty Images
Three men were killed in a shooting at a San Diego mosque Monday and both suspects are dead, police said.
Both suspects are believed to be teens and the case is considered to be a hate crime, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a news conference.
The shooting happened at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County. The Islamic Center is about 9 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in San Diego County, according to its website. The campus includes the Al Rashid School, which the website says offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran.
Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the parking lot of the center that is surrounded by scores of police vehicles. The white mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.
Multiple people were killed, including an armed security guard, after two shooters entered Islamic Center in San Diego Monday, May 18, 2026, and opened fire.
Sandy Huffaker | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he was being briefed.
“We are grateful to the first responders on the scene working to protect the community and urge everyone to follow guidance from local authorities,” his office posted on the social platform X.
Law enforcement officers escort people away from the Islamic Center of San Diego after reports of a shooting on May 18, 2026 in San Diego, CA.
K.C. Alfred | The San Diego Union-Tribune | MediaNews Group | Getty Images
The Islamic Center’s website says its mission is to not only serve the Muslim population but also “work with the larger community to serve the less fortunate, to educate, and to better our nation.” Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths on social causes.
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