Law enforcement officers escort people from the Islamic Center of San Diego after reports of a shooting in San Diego, California on May 18, 2026.
KC Alfred | San Diego Union Tribune | Media News Group | Getty Images
Two teenage gunmen opened fire Monday at an Islamic center in San Diego, killing three men, before killing themselves a few blocks away, police said.
The attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is being investigated as a hate crime, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall said at a news conference in a neighborhood park across the street from the mosque.
He said “the circumstances that led to this” will become clear within the next few days.
Among those killed was a security guard at the mosque, who police believe played a “pivotal role” in “further aggravating” the attack, Wahl said.
The center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and also includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and older, according to the center’s website.
On May 18, 2026, police respond to a report of a shooting at the San Diego Islamic Center in San Diego, California.
Zoe Myers AFP | Getty Images
“All the children are safe,” an emotional Wahl said. “Our hearts go out to the families who are learning at this moment what happened to their loved ones.”
Wall said police responded within four minutes of receiving the call. When they arrived, shots rang out several blocks away, and a landscaper was shot but uninjured. He said the gunmen were found dead in a parked vehicle in the middle of a nearby road.
Air TV footage showed more than a dozen children walking out of the center’s parking lot, holding hands, as a large number of police vehicles surrounded them. The White Mosque is located near houses, apartments, and a shopping street lined with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets.
Parents were instructed to go to a nearby area to pick up their children.
“It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” said Imam Taha Hasan, the mosque’s director.
“All places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,” he said.
On Monday, May 18, 2026, two gunmen entered an Islamic center in San Diego and opened fire, killing multiple people, including an armed security guard.
Sandy Huffaker | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
He added that the center focuses on interfaith relations and community building, and a group of non-Muslims was touring the mosque early Monday to learn about Islam.
The Islamic Center’s website states that its mission is not only to serve Muslims, but also to “work with the greater community to serve and educate the underserved and make our country better.” Five daily prayers are held there, and the mosque works with other organizations and people of all faiths to tackle social causes.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the United States, condemned the shooting.
“No one should fear for their safety when attending religious services or studying in elementary schools,” CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazin Nizam said in a statement. “We are working to learn more about this incident and encourage you to keep this community in your prayers.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he has been briefed.
“We thank the first responders who are on the scene protecting our communities and urge everyone to follow the guidance of local authorities,” his office posted on social platform X.
