Three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, in what authorities said was being investigated as a hate crime.

Two suspects, aged 17 and 18, were also dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said. The FBI said it was looking for information from the public as it investigated the shooting. The bureau had set up a tip line.

The shooting occurred shortly before midday prayer at the Islamic Center, located in the Clairemont area of San Diego. The ICSD is the largest mosque in San Diego county.

“This is every community’s worst nightmare,” said Scott Wahl, the San Diego police chief.

Wahl said that the mother of one of the suspects called police about two hours before a deadly shooting, informing them that her son was missing as well as several of her weapons and her vehicle. Police were looking for the teen and his friend when they received a 911 call from ICSD.

Officers who were nearby searching for the teens rushed to ICSD and found three people had been shot dead. At the same time, dispatchers received another call that someone was shooting from a vehicle two blocks away, Wahl said. A landscaper “may have been shot in the helmet that deflected and saved his life”, he added.

Authorities confirmed that no children at the center’s school were harmed and said a reunification center had been set up for the families of those affected. 

Among the three people killed was a security guard at the center. Officials said that the guard helped “minimize” the threats, but were still working on confirming the details of what exactly ocured. “ I think it’s fair to say [the guard’s] actions were heroic, and undoubtedly he saved lives today,” Wahl said.

“The threat currently has been addressed, children are safe and that is a good thing,” said Todd Gloria, San Diego’s mayor, at a press conference Monday afternoon.

“Obviously, we’ve had the loss of life here at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and to our local Muslim community, my prayers are with you.”

At a second press conference later on Monday, Gloria added: “Hate has no home in San Diego. Islamophobia has no home in San Diego. An attack on any San Diegan is an attack on all San Diegans, and we will not stand for it in America’s finest city.”

A spokesperson for a local hospital, Sharp Memorial, also said that victims were being treated there.

“We have never experienced a tragedy like this before, and at this moment, all what I can say is sending our prayers and standing in solidarity with all the families in our community here and also the other mosques and all the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,” said Taha Hassane, an imam and director of the center. “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”

Hassane said his community was “mourning”. He implored: “Please let the families mourn, let them pray, as we do always at the Islamic Center of San Diego. It is a house of worship. It’s not a battlefield.

“The religious intolerance and the hate, unfortunately, that exists in our nation is unprecedented,” he said. “All of us, we are responsible for spreading the culture of tolerance, the culture of love.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Monday’s shooting.

Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said he had been briefed on the situation and the governor’s office of emergency services was coordinating with local law enforcement.

“California sends our deepest condolences to the families and communities impacted by today’s shooting,” Newsom said.

“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.”

Donald Trump was also briefed on the shooting. “It’s a terrible situation,” Trump said.

The suspected shooters, according to the FBI, are believed to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. “There were no officers involved in firing their weapons,” said Mark Remily of the FBI. (The Guardian)

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A touching moment of interfaith harmony unfolded in Kandy, as a group of Buddhist devotees were seen resting inside a local Muslim mosque while waiting in long queues to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

With tens of thousands of devotees gathering in the city for the annual “Siri Dalada Vandanawa”, Kandy has become severely overcrowded. The unprecedented footfall has led to long waits, with some pilgrims spending the night in line.

Images and video clips of the devotees peacefully sleeping inside the mosque have been widely circulated on social media, drawing praise for the display of compassion and unity across religious boundaries.

Meanwhile, the police have urged the public to refrain from visiting Kandy until further notice, citing safety and crowd control concerns. (Newswire)

A touching moment of interfaith harmony unfolded in Kandy, as a group of Buddhist devotees were seen resting inside a local Muslim mosque while waiting in long queues to visit the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa pic.twitter.com/VALjT1PH1G

— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) April 24, 2025

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A donation of over Rs 40 million has been handed over to President Ranil Wickremesinghe in support of the ‘Children of Gaza’ Fund.

A total of Rs 40,198,902 was donated by the Chinafort Mosque Society, Chinafort Gem & Jewellery Traders Association (CGJTA) & “GEM SRI LANKA,” with contributions from the Children of Chinafort.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the donation which had been collectively raised to support the ‘Children of Gaza’ Fund, was handed over demonstrating the community’s solidarity and dedication to humanitarian causes.

The ‘Children of Gaza’ Fund was initiated by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to aid those affected by conflicts in Gaza, Palestine. 

In the initial phase, on behalf of the government, President Ranil Wickremesinghe handed over US$ 01 million to the Palestinian government through the United Nations from the allocations set aside by ministries and government institutions to hold this year’s Iftar celebration.  

Donors are encouraged to continue their contributions until May 31, 2024. Those wishing to donate should deposit their contributions to Bank of Ceylon (7010), Taprobane Branch (747), account number 7040016 before the deadline. Donors are also requested to forward the receipt of their deposit to 077-9730396 via WhatsApp, as per the instructions from the Presidential Secretariat. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police are to implement a special plan to provide security to mosques during the Ramadan festival, celebrated this week.

The special security plan implemented on the directive of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, will see the deployment of Police, Special Task Force, and tri-forces personnel. 

The special security plan has been prepared by meeting the Maulavis of all mosques belonging to each Police Division.

Among a total of 3,203 mosques in Sri Lanka, Police protection is to be provided for 2,453 mosques in which prayers are to be held for the Ramadan festival. 

Over 7,350 officers, including 5,580 Police personnel, 510 Police STF officers, and 1,260 tri-forces personnel, are to be deployed for this purpose. (Newswire)

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