“Anyone who seeks to do harm here should understand the response will be swift and you will be brought to justice,” the mayor added. “No one in our city should ever have to fear for their safety in a house of faith.”
Two teenage gunmen opened fire on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, killing a security guard and two other men outside the mosque before the suspects were found dead, apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.
US President Donald Trump was apprised of the situation as it was unfolding on Monday, and said in a press conference that “It’s a terrible situation. I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.”
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said local law enforcement and the FBI were investigating the attack on the largest mosque in San Diego County as a hate crime.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement on Twitter/X, sending condolences to those impacted by the shooting. “Hate has no place in California,” Newsom wrote, “and we will not tolerate acts of terror…To the San Diego Muslim community: California stands with you.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, also expressed his sympathies on Twitter/X, condemning Islamophobia and calling for unity against anti-Muslim hatred and violence. He noted that the New York Police Department would be increasing its presence at New York City mosques “out of an abundance of caution.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
