A father of eight who was fatally shot while trying to protect a San Diego mosque from two teenage gunmen has been hailed as a hero who gave his life saving others.
Amin Aubdullah and two other staff members at the Islamic Center of San Diego were killed Monday morning when two gunmen stormed the mosque and opened fire. Abdullah, who was working security at the time of the shooting, made the ultimate sacrifice, his friend, Abdul Saleem, told KTLA.
“Whenever he saw the people, he said, ‘There’s something strange. Close the doors,’” Saleem said.
The suspects, 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, were found dead a few blocks away from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
During a press conference after the shooting, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said that Abdullah “played a pivotal role in keeping this from being much worse.”
“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” Wahl said. “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.”
A fundraiser set up for Abdullah’s family also hailed him as a hero, noting that he “put himself between the gunmen and everyone inside.”
“Teachers, staff, and more than a dozen children were walked safely out of that building by police that afternoon, hand in hand. They are alive because Amin did his job,” the fundraiser read.
Abdullah’s friend, Saleem, also knew the two other victims. One was a teacher at the center while the other worked at the center’s food store.
The teacher was identified by community members as Mohamed Nader, according to KTLA. Saleem said he rushed to the mosque from across the street after hearing gunshots.
“He was living across the street, just a few steps only,” Saleem said. “When he heard the shots, he came to see what was going on because his wife was working there and he wanted to make sure that his wife was secure.”
The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. While no specific threat was made against the Islamic center, the police chief said that the suspects engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric.”
Investigators also found anti-Islamic writings inside the suspects’ car, senior law enforcement officials told NBC News.
Authorities were already looking for one of the teens before the shooting, after his mother called police and said that he was suicidal and had run away with the family’s weapons, Wahl said.
The suicide note found at the suspect’s home included writings about racial pride, sources told CNN. There was also hate speech written on one of the firearms used in the attack.
The search became urgent when authorities learned the missing teen was wearing camouflage and had disappeared with a friend, Wahl said.
While searching for the teens, officers received word of a shooting at the center, which is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School.
Police responded within four minutes to the shooting, and arrived as gunshots rang out a few blocks away. The suspects had fired at a landscaper, who was not hit, authorities said.
The two gunmen were later found dead inside a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road nearby, Wahl said.
None of the children at the school were killed. Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen students holding hands and being escorted away from the school.
Imam Taha Hassane, the mosque’s director, said it was “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”
“All the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,” he said.
Wahl, the police chief, said Monday that the center is equipped with security cameras, which authorities will review for evidence.
President Donald Trump on Monday said the shooting was a “terrible situation,” adding, “I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.”
Law enforcement officials in the area said that they were increasing patrols at nearby mosques and other houses of worship out of an abundance of caution.
Officials said there are no known threats, but are urging the public to remain vigilant.
