Tuesday update: The names of the victims of Monday’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego have been released. They are Mansour Kazikha, Nader Awad, and, as previously reported, security guard Amin Abdullah.
By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
Five people are dead, including suspected teenage shooters Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez in the wake of an attack on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Two of the other three victims were not immediately identified, but one was security guard Amin Abdullah whom law enforcement officials said may have prevented a much larger death toll.
The Islamic Center fronting on Eckstrom Avenue and adjacent to Balboa Avenue in the Clairemont neighborhood is the site of a Bright Horizon Academy from which the pre-K through 3rd grade students were led to safety by teachers and law enforcement officials – a scene that San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described to a news conference with a trembling voice. “I’ll tell you what got me: watching the kids come running out, just thankful to be alive.” All the children are safe, he reported.
The alleged shooters, dressed in camouflage, were found in and just outside their car in a residential neighborhood a few blocks from the mosque, according to witnesses. They died of self-inflicted wounds, Wahl said. Anti-Islamic writings were found in the car, leading authorities to classify this as a “hate crime.”
Reactions poured in from civic officials and religious organizations about the shooting that took place around noon at the Islamic Center, which Taha Hassane, the imam, described as the largest Muslim house of worship in the county.
Rabbi Jason Nevarez of Congregation Beth Israel, San Diego’s oldest and largest Jewish place of worship, invited the Jewish community “to hold the Muslim community of San Diego in our hearts tonight – praying for healing, strength, and safety in the days ahead.”
Nevarez, the senior clergy member at Beth Israel, said “We are reminded that while communities may carry different narratives, pain, or perspectives – especially amid the ongoing unrest and heartbreak abroad – we here in San Diego must remain committed to something deeper and more enduring: showing up for one another’s humanity.
“We do not need to agree on everything to stand firmly against violence,” Nevarez said. “We do not need to erase complexity to extend compassion. In fact, one of the sacred responsibilities of living in a diverse civic and religious community is learning how to hold tension, pain, and even disagreement, while still refusing to let hatred or dehumanization take root here at home.”
The American Jewish Committee issued this statement: “We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community in the wake of the horrific shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont that left three people dead (in front of the center). We commend law enforcement for the swift response to this attack, which is now being investigated as a hate crime. As the Muslim community across the country grapples with this murderous assault, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring all houses of worship are safe. You are not alone.”
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, stated: “We are horrified by today’s shooting at a mosque in San Diego. This is particularly frightening in a moment when rising anti-Muslim hate and the gutting of anti-hate programs leave too many at risk and afraid.”
Sydney Altfied, CEO of Teach Coalition, said: “Today’s attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is deeply heartbreaking. The Jewish community knows this fear all too well, and we stand with our Muslim neighbors in this painful moment. No child should fear violence at school because of their faith. An attack targeting one faith community is an attack on all people of faith. At a time when threats against religious institutions are rising across the country, Congress must fully fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $1 billion, and state leaders should strengthen security for faith communities facing growing threats.”
Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, wrote from Sacramento: “We are heartbroken by today’s attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego. Islamophobia has no place in California or anywhere in this country. Our hearts are with the families of the victims and the entire Muslim community, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted swiftly to protect those on campus. We are committed to working with our colleagues to strengthen protections for houses of worship and combat hate-motivated violence.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom stated, “Worshippers anywhere should not have to fear for their lives. Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith.”
Muslim reactions were similar. Tazheen Nizam, executive director in San Diego of the Council on American Islamic Relations, commented “No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school.”
Imam Hassane told a news conference: “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship. People come to the Islamic Center to pray, to celebrate, to learn. Not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life.”
Times of San Diego noted that the mass shooting coincided with Monday’s beginning of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is “considered one of the holiest times of the year in the Islamic faith, when the Hajj pilgrimage (to Mecca) takes place.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria vowed: “I want to assure our Muslim community that we will do everything it takes to make sure that you can feel safe in this city, and no resource will be spared. And making sure that our religious institutions and locations are protected in this sensitive time… Hate has no place in the City of San Diego.”
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.