Daijiworld Media Network – San Diego

San Diego, May 19: Three men, including a security guard, were killed after two teenage gunmen opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego in California on Monday in what authorities are investigating as a suspected hate crime targeting the Muslim community.

Police later discovered the bodies of two teenage suspects, aged 17 and 19, inside a vehicle parked on a nearby street. Investigators believe the pair died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after carrying out the attack.

The shooting occurred shortly before noon outside the mosque complex, the largest Islamic centre in San Diego County, triggering panic among worshippers and students and prompting a massive police response.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said all children attending the day school operating within the mosque complex were safely accounted for and were not harmed in the incident.

According to police, officers responding to the scene found three men shot dead outside the building. Authorities said one of the victims, a security guard, may have prevented further casualties during the attack through his intervention.

Investigators are continuing efforts to establish the motive behind the shooting and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the violence. The FBI has joined the investigation.

Law enforcement officials told CNN that one of the suspects had allegedly taken a firearm from their parents’ home and left behind a suicide note containing references to racial pride. Hate-filled messages were also reportedly found written on one of the weapons.

In a separate incident reported a few blocks away, shots were allegedly fired at a landscaper. The individual escaped unhurt, and police have not yet confirmed whether the incident was linked to the mosque shooting.