Two teenage gunmen in California fatally shot three people on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the city. Among the dead was a security guard — Amin Abdullah, a father of eight — whom police credit with preventing more casualties. The 17- and 19-year-old suspects were found dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a car near the scene. Police are investigating the attack as a hate crime. The Council on American-Islamic Relations noted the attack comes as anti-Muslim bias complaints reached their highest level since they began tracking them in 1996, with 8,683 complaints filed nationwide.
“This is a mosque that has opened its doors to the community,” says Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour, co-founder of the Muslim rights and advocacy group MPower Change. “This is the epitome of a mosque that shows our true values as Muslims, in community and in solidarity. So, it’s just devastating, and no house of worship should have to ever experience this.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.