Hero security guard among three killed in San Diego mosque shooting | World | News
The security guard killed in the attack was remembered as a ‘hero’ (Image: Getty)
A “heroic” security guard killed in a devastating attack has been praised for “saving lives” after two young gunmen opened fire on a San Diego mosque.
The security guard was one of three people killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday, May 18.
According to authorities, two armed teenagers, identified as Cain Clark (17) and Caleb Vazquez (18), were found dead in a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
Police believe the guard “played a crucial role” in preventing the attack from becoming “much worse”.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said: “It’s fair to say their actions were heroic.”
People gather near the site of the horrific attack (Image: Getty)
“He undoubtedly saved lives today,” the police chief added.
The identities of the guard and the other victims have not yet been made public.
The attack is currently being investigated as a hate crime.
Images taken from the scene show a significant police presence outside the mosque and families fleeing the area.
Mr. Wahl explained that officers had spoken to the mother of one of the teenagers earlier that day, after the mother contacted police around 9:40 a.m. local time to report her son missing, along with several weapons and his vehicle.
“He was starting to develop a bigger picture of what he was dealing with and he was relaying that to our nation, and we were trying to piece that together and get ahead of this as quickly as possible,” Mr. Wahl said.
He also revealed that the mother also found a note containing “hate speech.”
Its contents were not disclosed, although authorities confirmed there was no specific threat to the Islamic Center of San Diego.
The center is San Diego County’s largest mosque and home to Al Rashid School, which offers Arabic language, Islamic studies and Quran courses to students ages five and up, according to its website.
Police arrived within four minutes of receiving the call following reports that the shooter was active, Mr. Wahl said.
Scott Wahl says guard saved situation from ‘much worse’ (Image: Getty)
When officers arrived on scene, gunshots were heard several blocks away, where a landscaper was shot at but escaped unharmed.
The gunmen were later found dead inside a vehicle stopped in the middle of a nearby road.
Imam Taha Hassane, the director of the mosque, said it was “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship”.
“All places of worship in our beautiful city need to be protected at all times,” he said.
