In San Diego, the Islamic Center of San Diego had prepared its students for potential active shooter situations, a necessity echoed across U.S. schools. This preparation was put to the test when two armed teenagers attacked the mosque. Fortunately, the young students followed their training precisely, as their teacher’s assistant, Imani, recounted to NBC News. Imani, who teaches second and third graders, emphasized that the practiced response could have changed the outcome significantly.
Authorities confirmed that the three victims of the shooting, occurring outside the mosque, did not include anyone inside. According to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, no students or attendees present within the center were harmed. A security guard, Amin Abdullah, confronted the teens as they attempted to enter. He engaged the attackers with his firearm and initiated a lockdown protocol, relayed Wahl. Taha Hassane, an imam at the mosque, highlighted that regular lockdown drills ensured the team knew the active shooter protocol. Abdullah had been part of the community for years, familiar with activating the warning system that alerts classroom teachers.
Abdullah managed to distract and deter the shooters from accessing areas with about 140 children. Wahl noted that surviving security footage demonstrated Abdullah’s bravery before he succumbed to his injuries in an exchange of gunfire with the attackers.
Imani recalled the sound of gunshots, immediately transforming the drill practice into a real event. She informed the students of the active shooter situation, and they swiftly executed their training by taking refuge in a corner, keeping low, and securing the doors. The children’s silence and composure, despite the alarming sounds of attempted entry, impressed Imani and the staff.
Though security footage captured the gunmen moving through empty rooms, they ultimately discovered victims Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad outside in the parking lot. Both men were tragically killed. Imani stated that these victims were invaluable, attributing the survival of 140 individuals to them.
After murdering the two men, the gunmen, identified as Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, reportedly took their own lives. Authorities are investigating their motives and seeking to verify the authorship of a 75-page document with anti-Islamic, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ content, thought to be connected to white supremacist ideologies. FBI official Mark Remily noted the gunmen harbored multi-faceted hate.
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