San Diego mosque shooting investigated as hate crime after three killed

19 May 2026 • 2:57 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

San Diego mosque shooting investigated as hate crime after three killed

  • Police are investigating a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, which killed three adults, as a possible hate crime.
  • Two teenage suspects, aged 17 and 18, were later found dead nearby from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
  • The mother of one suspect had previously alerted police that her son had run away with weapons and might be suicidal.
  • Investigators discovered anti-Islamic writing in the suspects' vehicle and the words “hate speech” written on a weapon used in the attack.
  • A security guard at the mosque was among the victims and is credited by police with preventing a bigger tragedy.

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