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<\/p>\nImam Taha Hassane identified the victims of Monday\u2019s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont.<\/p>\n
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, killed in the attack.<\/p>\n
Hassane, who is the director of the Islamic Center of San Diego, said Abdullah was a \u201clovely person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never stops smiling to anyone, our community members as well as our visitors,\u201d Hassane added.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photos of victims of a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont are shown on a TV screen; community member Mansour Kaziha, security guard Amin Abdullah, and community member Nadir Awad were killed in the attack. May 19, 2026<\/p>\n
‘Within 15 feet of these suspects’<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
After the suspects had killed Abdullah, they entered into the front lobby and began going room to room, according to Wahl.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis 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,\u201d Wahl said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Hassane described Kaziha as \u201cour elder\u201d and said the man had been a part of the community since 1986.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the community started breaking the ground to build the community center (Kaziha) was there,\u201d Hassane said.<\/p>\n
The Imam said Kaziha was the go-to person for when things went wrong at the mosque.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the handyman, he was the cook, he was the care taker. He was everything,\u201d Hassane said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to do \u2026 without his assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Imam also said Kaziha was the first person to call 911.<\/p>\n
The third victim, Awad, was a constant presence at the center, according to Hassane.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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,\u201d Hassane said.<\/p>\n
Chief Wahl said Kaziha and Awad were unable to flee the suspects who cornered and killed the men.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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 \u2026 without delaying the actions of these two individuals, without question, there would have been many more fatalities yesterday,\u201d Wahl said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl speaks at a news conference on May 19, 2026. <\/p>\n
The investigation continues<\/p>\n
The motives behind the attack are still under investigation, Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily said. Though Remily did say the suspects were \u201cradicalized online.\u201d Investigators recovered a manifesto containing \u201cvarious ideologies outlining religious and racial beliefs of how the world they envisioned should look.\u201d Remily added that \u201cthese subjects did not discriminate on who they hated.\u201d<\/p>\n