Hundreds gathered Tuesday night at Lindbergh Neighborhood Park next to the Islamic Center of San Diego to pray, grieve, and lean on one another following Monday’s deadly shooting. Investigators are calling the attack a possible hate crime.
“Look around and see what resilience looks like,” County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe told the crowd.
Security guard Amin Abdullah is one of the three men shot and killed on Monday. Police said he helped initiate lockdown procedures that likely saved lives, including about 140 children inside the Islamic school.
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His daughter, Hawaa Abdullah, said he sometimes skipped meals or avoided breaks, fearing something could happen at the mosque while he was away.
Research shows trauma can surface in ways people may not immediately recognize.
Survivors may experience anxiety, trouble sleeping, emotional numbness, or physical symptoms like headaches and exhaustion.
Children can also show signs differently, through clinginess, behavioral changes, nightmares, or fear of returning to familiar places.
Connecting with friends, family and community after trauma can help people cope and recover, according to the American Psychological Association. The association encourages those affected to lean on support systems rather than isolate.
The Islamic Center of San Diego reopened Wednesday for prayer services. Shaykh Abdeljalil Mezgouri, one of the center’s imams, urged the community not to stay away.
“Please don’t be intimidated. Don’t be scared. Come to the mosque. That is your place, especially in this time when we need to be together,” Mezgouri said. “Sometimes things that happen to you either can make you or break you. I believe it will make us.”
