3 killed in suspected hate crime at San Diego mosque
The two suspects were also later found dead
What happened
Three men were killed Monday at San Diego’s largest mosque and the two teenage suspects were later found dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a car nearby, officials said. One of the victims was a guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which also houses a school. “I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic, and undoubtedly he saved lives,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a news conference. The attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
Who said what
Police had been urgently searching for the alleged gunmen, ages 17 and 18, after the 17-year-old’s mother called to report her potentially suicidal son missing along with several firearms and her car, Wahl said. Investigators found “anti-Islamic writing in the car” where the teens were found and the words “hate speech” written on one of the firearms, The New York Times said, citing law enforcement officials. A suicide note “contained writings about racial pride,” according to CNN.
What next?
In a “grim and familiar American ritual,” the Times said, political leaders “condemned the violence” and promised that “police officers would increase patrols at religious sites” in San Diego and other major cities.
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