Updated ,first published
Washington: Five people are dead including two teenage suspects after a shooting at the largest mosque in San Diego, California.
Police chief Scott Wahl said officers were called to the Islamic Centre of San Diego – which includes an adjacent school – at 11.43am local time on Monday following reports of an active shooter.
They discovered three adult males apparently deceased outside the centre, Wahl said, while simultaneously receiving reports about additional gunfire nearby.
Moments later, police were called to a nearby location where two people – believed to be the shooters – were found dead inside a vehicle in the middle of the street, he said.
“The suspects appear to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. We believe them to be 17 and 19.”
Wahl said one of the deceased victims was a security guard who worked at the mosque. “I think [he] played a pivotal role in assisting from this being much worse.”
Officials did not provide details of the other two victims. Wahl said due to its location the shooting would be considered a hate crime until proven otherwise.
A major police presence was outside the Islamic Centre in the aftermath of the incident, consisting of 50 to 100 officers, officials said. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the incident.
Taha Hassane, the imam and director of the Islamic Centre of San Diego, thanked those who had already contacted the mosque from across the US and overseas to express condolences.
“We have never experienced tragedy like this before,” he said. “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.
“People come [here] to pray, to celebrate, to learn. Not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life.
“This is something that we have never expected.”
All children and staff at the adjacent school were safe, Hassane added.
President Donald Trump, when asked about the incident during a White House function about healthcare, said he had been given some “early updates” but would receive a further briefing later.
“It’s a terrible situation,” he said.
The Islamic Centre is located about 20 minutes’ drive north of central San Diego, California’s second-largest city. It includes the Al Rashid School, which instructs children in Arabic and Islamic studies.
More to come
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.