San Diego Islamic Center Imam Taha Hassane identified the victims of Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont.
The gunfire was reported at 11:43 a.m. Monday. Officers arrived within four minutes to find security guard Amin Abdullah and two community members, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad, were killed in the attack.
Hassane said Abdullah was a “lovely person.”
“He never stops smiling to anyone, our community members as well as our visitors,” Hassane added.
'Within 15 feet of these suspects'
According to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, Abdullah was the first person to engage the suspects outside of the mosque and exchanged gunfire with the young men. Surveillance video reviewed by the department shows Abdullah speaking into his radio to begin locking down the mosque.
After the suspects had killed Abdullah, they entered into the front lobby and began going room to room, according to Wahl.
“His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects,” Wahl said.
The surveillance video goes on to show the suspects looking out a window, pointing and then exiting the mosque and going into the parking lot, that is where they encountered two community members, Kaziha and Awad.
Hassane described Kaziha as “our elder” and said the man had been a part of the community since 1987.
“When the community started breaking the ground to build the community center (Kaziha) was there,” Hassane said.
The Imam said Kaziha was the go-to person for when things went wrong at the mosque.
“He was the handyman, he was the cook, he was the care taker. He was everything,” Hassane said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do … without his assistance.”
The Imam also said Kaziha was the first person to call 911.
The third victim, Awad, was a constant presence at the center, according to Hassane.
“He lives across the street from the Islamic Center. His wife is a teacher at the Islamic school. He is every single day at the Islamic Center joining the prayers, every single day,” Hassane said.
Chief Wahl said Kaziha and Awad were unable to flee the suspects who cornered and killed the men.
“The massive response that was seconds away undoubtedly pushed both of the suspects to run back to their vehicle and flee the parking lot, and I want to be very clear: all three of our victims did not die in vain … without delaying the actions of these two individuals, without question, there would have been many more fatalities yesterday,” Wahl said.
Subsequently, the suspects returned to their vehicle and fled. Police found them near the center dead from self-inflicted gun-shot wounds. They were 17 and 18 years old. Wahl said police will continue to withhold the names of the suspects at this time.
"What you will not hear from us today is the names of these two suspects," Wahl said. "Today is about our victims and our community coming back together."
The investigation continues
The motives behind the attack are still under investigation, Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said. Though Remily did say the suspects were “radicalized online.” Investigators recovered a manifesto containing “various ideologies outlining religious and racial beliefs of how the world they envisioned should look.” Remily added that “these subjects did not discriminate on who they hated.”
According to Remily, interviews are underway with the suspects family members and authorities have executed three search warrants at residences associated with the suspects. During those searches, investigators seized over 30 guns and a crossbow. The guns belonged to the parents of one of the suspects. When asked if SDPD was recommending charges, Wahl said “We’re still looking into it.”
The FBI is in the process of searching the suspects’ electronic devices.
‘We have never expected this’
Hassane said the Islamic Center is familiar with receiving hateful messages and mail, and even “people driving by and cursing.”
In recent years the mosque had taken security precautions, but even still, the attack was shocking.
“We have never expected this, even though we tried throughout the years everything we could do, applying for homeland security grants, we have a fence, security armed guards, security cameras covering every single spot inside and outside the Islamic Center,” Hassane said. “What could we do more than this?”
Chief Wahl said law enforcement departments across the county are ramping up patrols at places of worship.
“You’re going to see a visible presence at places of worship,” Wahl said.
